With the dramatic drop in temperature, wildlife feeding now has multiple sittings:
Yesterday’s first sitting lasted maybe ten minutes. Then there was a chorus of: “More please!”
Just as well the man went out for supplies.
Years ago, when I was a working girl, for unknown reasons I was sometimes called “the Grump”.
Some humorous colleague even commissioned an official sign for my pew saying “Grump Seat” encouraging visiting crew members to adopt the name:
Ms Grump.
It was most disrespectful.
Grant has an annoying habit of inquiring, at breakfast:
“What climbed out of your bed this morning?”
Yesterday clearly, it was The Grump.
With aches in every part of my body and a sulky cat to boot, I was decidedly irritable.
Grant had decided to combat the cold and carried in two new heaters, dumped them on a chair and went back out leaving the door wide open.
“If we’re to have more heat”, I said, “we need also to have closed doors!”
“It’s fresh air!” said the man.
Indeed it was.
Among his other purchases, two big feed bowls.
To replace the little red one…
…and to place on the porch for Little Red…
…and whoever else stops by.
First thing this morning, Grant slung one of the bowls out like a frisby, getting the DD birds all excited.
They swarmed to it and discovering it to be empty, went off in great disappointment.
But I soon rectified the situation.
Oooh,,,such a very cold bath!
It occurred to me that perhaps it was time for some definitions. That’s if I can get it straight myself.
We refer to these as the DD birds. I’ll get back to that.
This cat is Sasha. In these photographs, she is trying to persuade me that it is lunch time. She squints her eyes and turns her head this way and that, trying to draw attention to what Grant calls “Mummy’s cupboard”.
When Grant decides it’s lunchtime he calls out “What’s in Mummy’s cupboard?”
…and everyone arrives on the double.
Sasha is her given name, her posh name.
For reasons unknown, she is mostly called “Dee Dee”.
So how did we come to call sparrows “DD birds?”
You will not be surprised to learn that the reason is extremely silly.
This bird is a chickadee and his little song goes”
“Dee dee dee”, “dee, dee, dee!”
Hence the name.
When we first came to Cambridge, we began shopping at Hannaford’s and we were greatly amused that the shopping carts were always protected by a flock of sparrows, constantly clamouring the way sparrows do.
An inane poem came to mind:
If you want a cart at Hannaford’s You have to get it from the DD Birds. You’ll see them sitting in a row Seniors on handles, Juniors below. Having a union meeting Or maybe just a chat About the latest doings Of the local great fat cat.
But mostly they are working, Jim Jim and Jolly Jack, They’re the two shop stewards The leaders of the pack. "Come and get your shopping carts Chickadee, chickadee Come and get your carts from me They’re free, Chickadee! I only ask one thing of thee That you bring it back to me Chickadee, chickadee.."
A little poetic license to make a silly rhyme, but thus little brown birds became collectively known, in our dysfunctional household as the “DD birds”.
Aren’t you glad to have that straight?
I like to think of birds on shopping trolleys. That doesn’t happen here
(Carts are something different, usually pulled by a horse.Hence, ‘Horse and cart’.)
We must have something more in common than blogging, as when I worked for the police in London, everyone called me ‘Grumpy Pete’!
Best wishes, Pete. 🙂
Ha! That’s funny.
Glad you thought so. 🙂
I was wondering about the “DD birds” at the beginning of your post … and glad that, after some explanation and a fun poem, it’s not a secret anymore!
Nothing like an invigorating ice cold bath (so I’m told!).
Was just contemplating a Hannaford’s order when I was happily distracted by this post.