Once again the air is filled with excitement as the holiday approaches. Well, Halloween is not a Federal holiday but more of a fun day as is Valentines day, and St. Patrick's day. But, according to the calendar that I printed out on a free online site, it is a holiday. Time for the pumpkins, severed hands, spiders and skeletons.
It is also time for adults to wear costumes and masks to hide their identity and to go to parties where the fun really begins. It is also a time for children, 25% of which are overweight or obese to collect a couple of pounds of candy with the "trick or treat" salutation. Nobody really knows how it started but my guess is that Hallmark had a hand in it. (Only kidding Hallmark). But the down side of this "day of the dead" is that the following morning we find smashed pumpkins all over the streets. (Not smashing pumpkins). Of course, vandals operate on all days not just Halloween. My guess is that Hallmark really does have a card for this occasion. When you care enough to send the most expensive rather than making your own for cheap. (Not kidding Hallmark).....

I have been feeding birds for a long time and was surprised to see a new item for sale locally. This may not be new to reader's but I had never seen it before. It is a block of bird seed that is 9" X 9" X 9" and weighs 25 pounds! At first I thought that it would not be cost effective but it really is a fairly good value. I use a suet feeder, hummingbird feeder, and some loose bird seed for other critters. The suet is great for woodpeckers, black capped chickadees, and other odd varieties and keeps the squirrels out. But, for 12 ounces the cost is between $1.99 and $2.49. This block is $14.95 and feeds small guys like chip monks and some squirrels. But it also attracts ground feeders like cardinals. On a cost basis, it is near the price of 25 pounds of loose bird seed. It might be a good alternative for winter feeding and will prevent many trips over the snow for me. Win Win...