Siggy's Blurbs: Siggy's Edge of Country …

Today I saw an hairy and a red bellied woodpecker at the same time travelling up and down on the trunk of our white pine we put a suet cake on. The hairy woodpecker was an unusual visitor. A hairy woodpecker looks just like a downy woodpecker–just bigger. For months we stopped putting out birdseed because a bear visited our property one time too often destroying our gate during one visit. Our dogs were no help: they slept right through all the bear’s visits. My wife once saw the bear standing in the yard at night munching on birdseed on the ground.

Tags: a bear raided our birdseed at night, bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, downy woodpecker, hairy woodpecker, my wife, our encounter with a bear, red bellied woodpecker, suet cake, the dogs slept through several bear visits, white pine tree
Posted in animals, birds, local, nature, time | No Comments »

My wife and I have a fierce Scrabble rivalry. I taught her all my tricks. Now she beats me more than I beat her–at least it seems that way usually by using all her tiles in one move: there is a fifty point bonus if you do that. Recently I had a game where I did that three times. I won that game.

Lately our games don’t last longer than an hour. She used to deliberate forever: I taught her how to focus logically on the words and premiums played. There was a time years ago she thought counting points was mercenary. I taught her how to maximize her points.

In the instructions of the game it says the total of the points scored in one game is usually between 500 and 700 hundred or more depending on the skill of the players. Yesterday we played our second highest score (890 points). In over ten years we have played hundreds of games between us. It is hard to lose a game when you score 419 points but I did: she had 471 points.

She has become a worthy opponent. That we have an activity we both enjoy so much and are so equally matched is only by the grace of God. And she is my wife. I still think she has become a better player than me. Only by a hair.

Tags: 890 total Scrabble score, a game of Scrabble takes an hour, fierce Scrabble rivalry, grace of God, maximizing your score in Scrabble, my rivalry with my wife, my wife, Only by grace we have an activity we like so much, taught her all my tricks in Scrabble, using all your letters in one move of scrabble
Posted in God, knowledge&learning, life, local, marriage, relationships, time | No Comments »

My wife was ready to put back the curtains on our large living room window. One curtain rod was missing. Both my wife and I looked up and down the room where we might have laid it. No luck. Then one evening I spotted it. It was resting on the frame of the window in plain sight. We both laughed. Sometimes you can get “blind” spots. You don’t see something because it is not where you expect it to be.

Tags: blind spots, expectations, missing curtain rod, my wife, not where you expect it to be, Putting up living room curtains
Posted in balance, humor, local, marriage | No Comments »

I heard a tapping above me outside and I could not find the source. Finally I noted a pileated woodpecker was tapping the wood on a dead tree and he was at least fifty feet up. The tree bordered the street across from me. I only identified the bird by moving to the side of the tree. There was no mistaking its exotic red crest and large size. It was the closest I have ever been to such a woodpecker. He stayed there tapping on the wood for at least fifteen minutes. I tried to get my wife’s attention so she could see the bird but she let the dogs loose in the yard and the commotion must have flushed the bird. I have only seen several in the time I have lived in this area although I hear their wild cackle occasionally.

Tags: bird-watching, birds, dogs, my wife, Pileated Woodpecker, the exotic red crown of a pileated woodpecker, the wild cackle of a pileated woodpecker, woodpecker tapping wood on a dead tree
Posted in beauty, birds, local, nature, time | No Comments »

“Tilly, Willy”, as I affectionately call him, and I fall asleep together. Lately he jumps on the bed right next to me as I fall asleep. My eighty pound dog is comforting to be within reach. I stroke him as I fall asleep. My wife who sometimes goes to sleep an half an hour later says he is gone from the bed by then. He is my buddy. I have a special relationship with him–all eighty pounds of him. He is open about his affection toward me: Sometimes he will jump on the bed when I enter our bedroom just to be hugged and hug me. And jump off when I leave the room.

Tags: dog hug, dogs, my affection for my dog, my dog jumps on the bed, my wife, pets, Tilla, Tilly Willy, When I go to sleep
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships | No Comments »

We had to put Pax to sleep last night. My wife could not witness it. He was a great dog–fourteen years old. This did not make it any easier. He had a full life as a big dog. With much difficulty we got him into my car. I had to wait in the waiting room about fifteen minutes. Pax was in such bad pain. He could hardly move. He had two ripped knees and just got worse with his medication. He would not stop panting. I talked to him softly, stroked him lightly while we were waiting.

Finally we got into the room and he lay on the stainless steel. I did not stop stroking him lightly and talking to him. He lay there and I kept softly stroking him on ___ and talking softly to him. It was his last few minutes. The vet explained to me what was going to happen, shaved one of his legs and gave him his injection. I talked to him softly and lightly patted him as he went from one realm into another.

I burst into tears uncontrollably when he became still. I knew him for twelve of his fourteen years. He had such dignity. In the end no matter how difficult it was for him to exit into our yard and navigate the steps, he still went out into the yard to pee.

We did this for him not us. Now he can run freely, with no pain. Maybe, one time we will meet in heaven. He was a great dog. I loved him but I had to let him go. He is now in a better place.

Tags: a great dog, big dog, burst into tears, dog fourteen years old, dog had such dignity, Doggy heaven, dogs, had a full life, his last few minutes, I saw Pax slip from one realm into another, in a better place, Maybe I Will see him in heaven, my wife, Pax, Pax and his last minutes, Pax was now pain free, pets, putting my dog to sleep, vet
Posted in animals, death, God, life, local, marriage, pets, relationships, time | 1 Comment »

Hopefully the black bear will stay away. He visited us twice and wrecked our gate to get over our five foot fence. Then he tore down all our bird feeders and got into the container of sunflower seed. My wife actually saw him. I am guessing his sex. I never did find the bird feeder we kept sunflower seed in. I bought another inexpensive one. The birds are slowly coming back. It had been a few days we had no feed for them. My wife was sound asleep in the living room which has a large front window. He came to our property at night. It just so happened I was away when this occurred. Yesterday a carpenter built us a sturdy gate. Let us see if that keeps the bear from entering our property. My wife is terrified of the bear and stopped sleeping in the living room. She wants nothing to do with this “critter”. This is the first time we had a bear on our property since we built a fence around part of it.

Tags: a visit from a black bear, bear climbed five foot fence, bird-feeders, birds, dogs were all asleep, my wife, our birdseed and the bear, our torn down gate, sunflower seed, the bear and our front gate
Posted in animals, birds, local, marriage, nature, time | No Comments »

Tilla joined me in my bed last night.  My wife and I had just completed a game of Scrabble and I lost again.  I was feeling completely demoralized.  It was only a game.  Nevertheless, I was pretty depressed and I went straight to bed.  Tilla followed me and jumped on the bed.  This time he gave me room on the bed to lie on the right side.  This was unusual behavior for him.  He stayed there till I fell asleep.  I believe he wanted to comfort me.  I wrapped my arm around his body as I fell asleep.  I was glad he was there.

Tags: dogs, my depression after the game, my dog comforts me, my wife, pets, Scrabble, Tilla, Tilla fell asleep right next to me, Tilla jumps on the bed
Posted in animals, local, mental health, pets, relationships | No Comments »

I could not figure out what Tilla, one of my dogs wanted.  He was jumping up and down on me.  He did not want to go into the yard.  Finally my wife commented, “He wants to go for a car ride.”  I was all set to go into town for for a quick errand.  I said, “Okay.”  And in the car he went.  I forgotten how much he loves car rides.  He even put the car into neutral, which I quickly corrected.  He stood on the passenger side, tail wagging, alert –very happy.

Tags: dogs, my wife, pets, Tilla, Tilla and car rides
Posted in animals, local, pets, relationships | No Comments »

Coco immediately found the chocolate bar.  It was a Hershey bar that my wife put down briefly on the table after tearing it open and taking a bite.  She was not paying attention.  She heard a rustling of paper.  One of my dogs Coco was slowly making her way through the medium sized bar.  She thought no one would notice but the crinkling of the wrapper gave her away.  My wife took the chocolate away from the dog and I put the remains on top of the refrigerator.  There was no way she was going to eat the chocolate after Coco nibbled it.  I was not that particular.

Tags: Coco, Coco and the chocolate bar, dogs, Hershey chocolate bar, my wife, pets
Posted in animals, humor, local, marriage, pets, relationships | No Comments »

I put out all my birdseed.  I was out of all my different kinds–regular, sunflower, suet and thistle.  A nuthatch immediately found the birdseed (regular) on the platform I laid seed on.  I put fresh thistle for the goldfinch.  My wife said they all migrated away.  I suspected the thistle (which I had bought months ago) had gone stale.  I will see who is right.  I almost never run out of feed for them.  It was only a day so they were not out of feed too long.  Anyway, I now will continue to watch the visitors that come to my feeders.

Tags: bird feeding, bird-watching, birds, birdseed, goldfinch, my wife, nuthatch, suet, sunflower seed, thistle, watching the birds out my window
Posted in birds, local, nature, time | No Comments »

NYC is another world.  I was there briefly–forty-eight hours.  So many people.  All, seemingly, in a rush.  Surrounded by thousands of people.  I took the subway to get around.  It is a world I am not in too often any more.  I was glad to get back home surrounded by trees and quiet.  My dogs gave me a terrific greeting jumping all over me when I entered my house.  I left my wife for my trip.  It is difficult for us to go away with our menagerie–all four dogs and seven cats.  Maybe, once a year my wife and I go away usually to the NJ shore.  I was glad to get home.  To peace and quiet although I was glad to see part of my family in New York if only briefly.  NY city is just another world.

Tags: dogs, four dogs, my wife, New York, NJ shore, NYC, peace and quiet, pets, see my family, seven cats, subway, the peace and quiet of a small town, thousands of people, trees and quiet
Posted in local, love, marriage, pets, relationships, time | No Comments »