February 16, 1981
There comes a time in every soldier’s assignment where he can no longer say, “I’m sorry, I don’t know. I haven’t been here very long.” I usually try to use that excuse for the better part of a year. But, as to this assignment, the excuse is long gone.
Shortly after I arrived here, certain concerned parents brought a very serious problem to my attention. The problem was child abuse and the inability on Fort Riley to remove a battered child from the home. It was believed that the state courts had no jurisdiction to act concerning matters on the post. We could remove the family from the post and then let the state wait for another incident, but that was not acceptable. The concerned parents explained to me that they expected my support, or they would have to assume that I beat my children. Their argument was not logical, but extremely persuasive. Seriously, it took some period of time before they could convince me that we even had a chance.
Eventually, we were all convinced we had a fighting chance of changing 30 years of Kansas law. We solicited the help of Steve Opat, Geary County Attorney and his assistant, David Platt (they are the ones who would be carrying the workload burden). Our sessions with them were fruitful. We then jointly posed the question to the Attorney General of Kansas, Robert T. Stephan.
In an opinion dated January 16, 1981, Mr. Stephan gave us exactly what we wanted. He concluded that when the Federal Government ignores an area of law (such as child abuse), then the state district court may “hear and adjudicate proceedings pursuant to the juvenile code, with respect to neglected, wayward or abused children, concerning incidents occurring on the Fort Riley Military Reservation.”
This little victory doesn’t solve the problem. However, it does give us one more tool to use in combating child abuse.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
All posts by pajarice
Obooma and Gas Prices
Obooma says on gas prices, nothing can be done,
It’s trouble in the Middle East, it’s the position of the sun.
Maybe global warning, but that would be strange,
That’s a tough thing to accept, so we’ll call it climate change.
Gas prices just keep climbing, the situation seems quite grim,
But the environmentalists and Obooma, treat it like a hymn.
Obooma says on gas prices, nothing can be done,
What was the Keystone pipeline, just politics to be spun?
Obooma blames the Republicans for not giving him time,
Like waiting till after November, so he can hide his crime.
What about the Arctic Refuge, with a zilllion barrels of oil?
Can’t our American know-how keep the Refuge free from spoil?
Obooma says on gas prices, he’s working really hard,
When votes are at risk, he becomes quite the bard.
With sky-rocketing prices and fewer cars on the road,
It reduces our carbon footprint and helps the endangered toad.
(This will help the toad get across the road).
Obooma said three years into his term, things would be OK,
Well it’s time for him to pack it up and move without delay.
He’s truly Nero fiddling, while our country goes to hell,
But his voice is quite appealing and he bows exceedingly well.
Parties at the White House give him chances to get down,
But for the good of our nation, we need to get rid of this clown.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Fun Ball – MIZZOU B-Ball
What a fun season. Fun, fun, fun. Watching the Missouri Tigers play basketball is really fun. The word “fun” when used with competitive sports usually sets me off. When I hear a coach say, “I just want my boys to go out and have fun.” I say, “Oh yeh?” Fun is a code word for winning.
Think this through. Is it fun to lose? Is it fun to win? Be honest now. Well, there was the one coed volleyball game we lost in junior high. Nah, it sucked. If it is truly a competitive sport, how can anyone have fun while they are losing? I’ll just mention in passing that during the three years I was in high school, we never lost a football game. Old East Side High. Fun.
So if MIZZOU is fun to watch, they must be winning. But it is so much more. It is all the things they do in the process of winning. First, in the era where seven footers are bumping into each other on the court, MIZZOU’s starting line up is short. They play a four guard offense. The four guards range from 6′ 6″ to 5′ 10″. Ricardo Ratliffe is the only decent size player on the floor. He is 6′ 8″ and is leading the entire nation in field goal percentage. Sure, a lot of his baskets are from around the bucket, but all these seven footers are also scoring under the bucket. As soon as his hands touch the ball, it is in the basket. No bouncing the ball, no faking one way and then the other, just fast as a magic trick. Ratliffe was a two-year JUCO first team All American before he moved to Columbia.
Next, in an era when college basketball teams are permitted to have 13 players on scholorship, MIZZOU has seven. Laurence Bowers would have been number eight, but he tore his ACL before the season started. Well, I guess he is still #8, he just can’t play. So in the course of the battle only two subs come off of the bench. Coach Frank Haith, in his first year at MIZZOU, has done a great job of shuffling players so as to keep them fresh.
So they are small and there aren’t many of them, and right now, they are 23 and 2 and ranked 3rd in the nation! Talk about fun! On the one hand, they would have made great boy scouts because they are constantly helping others. Exceedingly unselfish. Then, on the other hand, they are a group of artful dodgers pilfering the ball with great skill AND turning in fast break points.
Michael Dixon started last year and has been relegated to “sixth man” this year. He could have bitched and moaned, but he has just accepted the roll and has played a key part in some of MIZZOU’s victories. He has Bobby Knight’s vote for the NCAA’s sixth man. I didn’t know there was such a thing. I wonder if there is a 7th man or an 8th man. Did I mention the Dixon and Marcus Denman shoot over 90% from the free throw line? Couple all that with the fact that we have five players who can hit a clutch 3-pointer (they average 8 per game and make close to 4 out of every 10) and you are beginning to see how much fun it can be to watch them.
Flip Pressey, our point guard, is leading the Big 12 in steals and second in assists. They are just an unselfish bunch. Kim English opted for the NBA draft two years ago and wasn’t picked up. Last year, he was nothing special, but this year the senior has won games with every aspect of his skills.
What lies ahead? Well, teams lose and I expect MIZZOU will get upset somewhere down the line. That won’t be fun. They have to play Kansas in Kansas in a couple of weeks. Then there’s the Big 12 Championship and the NCAA finals. Regardless of what happens, it’s been fun. MIZ-
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
The Cursed Costa Concordia Captain
There is something almost mystical about sea captains. In the early days, they took their ships to places never seen before. What courage it took to take a ship over the horizon and into the unknown. Well, sea captains may no longer be as mystical. Perhaps it’s because the unknown has shrunken so. They are still quite special and usually held in high esteem.
Then there’s the Costa Concordia captain, Francesco Schettino. The only thing mystical about Captain Schettino is how he mystically ended up in a life boat while his 4200 passengers were still fighting for their lives on board the ship (some, of course, lost their lives). Should we give him the benefit of the doubt? I think not. He says he was helping others into the life boat when the ship lurched and he fell in. I guess he could have climbed back out. But, as luck would have it, it was the same life boat that his Moldavian girlfriend had climbed into. But most telling was when the port authority ordered him to return to his ship, Schettino mentioned that it was dark and cold out (and he didn’t have his blankie).
Italy can’t win for losing. They have an image problem. Listed under The World’s Shortest Books and right before “The Amish Telephone Book” is “Famous Italian War Heros”. Then along comes the activities of the cowardly Captain Schettino.
I guess by now most people know that the captain directed the ship off course so he could do a nautical “fly by” for a friend who lived close by. He planned to blast the horn in a form of a salute. The ship never got to the horn part. But his friend, a retired Costa admiral, will be able to look out toward the island of Giglio, perhaps for the next year, and see a reminder of the abortive salute. “All this for me?”
Follow this, the ship hit the reef at 9:45 PM on January 13 (Friday the 13th). Twenty minutes later (10:05 PM), the captain was contacted by the company and he told them he had a problem. At 10:25 PM, forty minutes after the gash was cut into the ship, the crew was instructing people that there was an electrical problem and they should go to their cabins. It wasn’t until 11:00 PM that the captain directed the abandoning of the ship. And he really meant it, because that is exactly what he did.
One of my friends who knew that we liked to cruise inquired whether the Costa debacle would cause us to change our plans. Absolutely not. I can’t think of a safer time to cruise. The recent experience will cause every ship captain to be a better Boy Scout, paying close attention to that which is important. They will save their stow away Moldavian women for deeper, calmer waters.
I have been told that Winston Churchill once was overheard saying how he preferred to cruise on Italian ships. He allegedly said, “First the cuisine is unsurpassed. Second, the service is superb. And then, in time of emergency, there’s none of this nonsense about women and children first.” The quote was probably not Churchill’s. But on the Costa Concordia, it wouldn’t be the women and children that would cause him delay, it would be the captain and his officers.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricwquips.com
The Judge Says – Judge is a Short-timer
The United States Army is rich in tradition. Among others, the change of command is particularly impressive. All the troops standing on line and then marching in review. By the time you place an entire brigade on line your eyes will be really, really big.
Well, change of command requires a commander and we in the JAG Corps have very few. The last time I checked, The Judge Advocate General, the Commandant of the School and the Chief of the Claims Office were our only commanders. So staff judge advocates, in charge of offices on post had no change of command. This led me to write the following article back in 1982 as I was getting ready to deploy for my next assignment.
Judge is a Short-timer (April 9, 1982)
Guess what? I’m a two-digit midget. Yep, after three great years here at Fort Riley, I’m going to check out in the middle of July.
A couple of people have asked me if the Staff Judge Advocate has a change of command. I’m not a commander, so that means no parade, no band and no little munchies afterwards.
Now when the Adjutant General moved on, he had a change of stewardship (whatever that means). But, of course, he had the 1st AG company to stand tall. Maybe my last official act here will be to submit a suggestion to the Suggestion Awards Program recommending the creation of the 1st JAG Company.
Just because we don’t command or know what stewardship means doesn’t mean we won’t have a ceremony. At my last assignment (in the Puzzle Palace), each chief in our office used a different colored ink. The division chief used green, the deputy used red and the branch chiefs used blue. The actions officers wrote their draft opinions in black. This was necessary when four attorneys were all correcting the same draft legal opinion. You only had to know which ink outranked which.
A poorly drafted opinion would come back to the drafter looking like a Christmas tree. Anyway, when I moved up from branch chief to deputy, the deputy bundled up all of his red government pens in a rubber band and presented them to me. I was moved.
The ceremony we have planned here at Fort Riley will be held in our crowded little law library. The entire office will attend, each bringing their own jelly donut in a small brown paper bag. We have selected 200 Supreme Court cases. The ceremony begins when I stand up and begin to read the first case. I will continue reading case after case until I become exhausted and collapse. At the time the new SJA takes over and it is done. Then everyone can eat their jelly donut
I forgot to mention that I am entitled to receive assistance from members of my office. While I am reading, should I begin to doze off, they can all rattle their paper bags to revive me. Whether they actually will assist me may depend upon how hungry they are.
This column should satisfy even the hard to convince that I have never let the absence of quality nor the lack of a topic stand in the way of meeting a deadline.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Why I Will Never Buy an Audi
No, it’s not the commercials. I like watching commercials, but I don’t think I would stop drinking Coke because their commercial offended me. The old Snickers’ commercial where a “Snickers deprived person” destroyed other people’s property offended me, but I never stopped eating Snickers. Now, Snickers has a commercial where Roseanne Barr gets clobbered by a great big swinging log. I kind of like that one.
I don’t care for the Audi commercials, but that’s not my reason for not buying the car. I do, however, believe the commercials reflect the arrogance of the company. The commercial I’m thinking of depicts the owners of Mercedes, Lexus and BMW as mindless sheep following the pack. While the owners of Audis are superior people who are able to think and decide for themselves. I thought the arrogance of the commercial reflected the arrogance of the company.
Back in the mid-80s, the Audi 5000 received a lot of bad publicity when the owners claimed the cars were subject to suddenly accelerating for no good reason. I’m satisfied that the sudden acceleration wasn’t Audi’s fault. It was later determined by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that the cause of the problem was “pedal misapplication” (the drivers were stepping on the gas pedal and not the brake pedal – and guess what, the harder they pushed, the faster they went). Even though Audi did not feel responsible, they did move the gas pedal and the brake pedal a little farther apart. They were also one of the first companies to put in a brake interlock system, so that the driver could not shift out of park until he had his foot on the brake.
The problem with the sudden acceleration fiasco was that Audi wasn’t quick enough to respond. It doesn’t matter if you have an engineering masterpiece if no one is buying the car. Duh! Their arrogance kept them from being proactive.
I want to digress for a moment. Don’t worry, I will tell you why I will never buy an Audi. But I want to mention something that keeps auto manufacturers from quickly improving safety features. It is product liability law suits. If the manufacturer is being sued over, let’s say a stablility/rollover issue, then, if they widen their wheel base, the plaintiff’s attorney will point to that change as proof that the earlier model was unsafe. Product liability law suits are like a game where fair play is off the table.
It was late in the year 2000 and I had just been hired by Bridgestone/Firestone to assist them in their major tire problem. The Firestone ATX and Wilderness tires were involved in accidents where the tread had separated from the tire. Since I was representing the company, they asked me to assist them in a small problem they were having with tires on the Audi TT.
The Audi TT was, and probably still is, a neat little sports car. Bridgestone provided the high performance tires for the TT (225/45R-17/91Y). They were quite wide, but the distance from the tread to the rim was only about three inches. This only became a problem when the driver sped through a deep pot hole. This could cause the sidewall to pinch the rim and cause a bubble or blister on the tire. In Europe, where the tires had been around for years, the driver would recognize that he had abused the tire and go out and purchase a new one. In the United States, the driver would return to the dealer and claim the tire was defective.
I think both Audi and Bridgestone knew there was nothing wrong with the tires, but Audi wanted to have a meeting to discuss the problem and, quite frankly, Bridgestone wanted to help their customer. The meeting was set up in Washington at 11:30 AM at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center. I attended the meeting along with the account sales executive and a senior Bridgestone engineer.
When we arrived in Audi’s reception area, we could see that another meeting was going on in the glass enclosed conference room. We got comfortable and waited. Around noon, the meeting was still proceeding and catering carts arrived from some eating establishment probably buried somewhere in the enormous building. I thought, hey, I may get a free lunch out of this. Free lunches are good. The meeting broke up about 12:30 PM. The Audi officials came out and greeted us and then disappeared for a few minutes. Lunch was wheeled into the conference room. Things were really looking up. Then, the Audi officials came back, proceeded into the conference room, closed the door and ate their lunch for the next 45 minutes. We got to watch. I would have settled for a slice of cheese. Hey, are you going to eat that pickle?
We started our meeting about 1:30 PM. The meeting went as expected. Everyone agreed there was nothing wrong with the tires and Bridgestone agreed to assist Audi in replacing damaged tires at no cost to the costumers. Of course, nothing was said about the shabby way we were treated. Because of their superior attitude, it probably never occurred to them that the peasants had to eat too.
It is hard to be politically correct when dealing with such jerks. I will just say that in the United States Army we make sure the troops are fed. And we have been pretty successful. Is that subtle enough? As I have grown older, I have mellowed. I now will agree to ride in the back seat of an Audi, as long as I am being chauffeured by an Audi executive.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Too Late for a New Year’s Resolution?
I’m not a big New Year’s Resolution guy. This year, I didn’t give it any thought at all. A couple down the street threw a New Year’s Day reception. I told some neighbors present that I hadn’t done anything about New Year’s resolutions. A woman said, “It’s not too late. You can make New Year’s resolutions anytime.”
This really got me thinking. I always thought you had to make them before the year started. I realized that I didn’t know the rules for New Year’s resolutions. I needed to find the rules and study them. Maybe it wasn’t too late. In fact, the longer you wait in the year, the better your chances are at being successful.
So I Googled “New Year’s Resolution Rules.” Of course Google has something on everything. I found one article entitled the Seven Rules of New Year’s Resolutions. Rule one and two were exactly the same. “Do not talk about New Year’s resolutions.” I think the idea was, if you don’t talk about it, you won’t have a “falsely inflated self image” (whatever that means). Sounds pretty hokey. I doubt if many people spend time bragging about New Year’s resolutions. But, again, I’m not a NYR guy. Then, rules number 5 & 6 were “commit your New Year’s resolution to a friend” and “have the friend hold you accountable.” I am struggling with not talking about it but telling a friend. Wouldn’t telling a friend falsely inflate something or other? I was grateful to learn that none of the rules demand penalties. That’s because I think breaking New Year’s resolutions is right up there with death and taxes.
WinSoft is holding a contest for people to submit (on their software) the most funny or crazy resolution. What’s exciting about this is that the contest deadline is on January 16, 2012 at Midnight in Paris, France. This is exceedingly important because it proves that New Year’s resolutions don’t have to be made before the start of the year.
So I think I still have time. I’m having trouble coming up with a resolution. I would like to discover a full proof remedy for stopping hiccups or building an invisible teleprompter, but I’m not qualified. I thought about saying, “I resolve to be a better person this year.” That sounds lofty. But better than what? Better than I was last year? Better than somebody else? That seems vain. There are some people that it would be impossible to be better than, like Superman. Faster that a speeding bullet, more powerful that a locomotive. Not bad for a mild mannered reporter. If I were better than President Obama, the media wouldn’t tell you. Fox News might. You know – fair and balanced.
Speaking of politics, I could resolve to get my man elected. If I do everything I can and my man loses, where does that leave my resolution? I think there should be a Federal advisory board to answer such questions. We could call it the New Year’s Resolution Resolution Board.
So where does that leave me? I clearly have until January 16th. I could pass or have a stealth resolution. Stealth resolutions are not subject to the Resolution Resolution Board. I think I will make a resolution to publish more blogs this year. It is obvious that I don’t put much emphasis on substance. Go Daddy, my web meister, keeps all kind of stats for me. So far I publish .76 blogs per week. That comes to three and a third per month. I should be able to do better. When you write the junk I write about, you don’t have to worry about writer’s block. I think I will resolve to publish a blog a week. I have a few subjects lined up and think I can rock right along until late January!
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Christmas Commentary – 2011
It grieves me to report on the national level, Everything seems to have gone straight to the Devil. The wars in the Middle East have lasted too long, Incompetence of our leaders is like a country song. Solyndra and Fast and Furious, these things are criminal, The corruption in Washington is truly seminal. Fifteen trillion, I say, that’s quite large. Fifteen trillion, I say, who’s in charge. I think there’s a solution, but we have to be stout, Do what’s best for our country and throw the bums out. Christmas came early in 2011, It happened in St. Louis, it seemed like Heaven. Tony was so jolly, all dressed in red, Yaddie, Albert and Carp all pulling the sled. The miracle in St. Louis, it was hard to believe, They pulled the win out of their sleeve. To the top of the fence, then over the wall, Freeze dashed away, dashed away, dashed away all. Mary and Blanche are 96 and 94, Their bodies aren’t that willing, but their spirits still soar. Mary lives with daughter Karen, who supports every night, Blanche has son Will close, who keeps everything right. We overdosed on travel, but February was great, Disney World, Ledbetter Golf and Missy at a pleasant rate. But June thru August took its toll, our suitcases were never stored, Myrtle Beach golf to RAJA in C’Ville, there was no time to get bored. Then the family reunion in Branson, Missouri, turned out to be a cool fit, We ate and played, we laughed and shared, and Silver Dollar City was a great hit. So we made it to August, but no time to snooze, We joined the Holdaways on an Alaskan cruise. This was the best, mucho glaciers and whales, Each time more exciting as we retell the tales. A 55th high school reunion finished the trek, Three months of exhaustion, but what the heck. We saw great friends and family, it was like a spell, Too bad Jack’s golf game simply went to Hell. Most grandchildren entered the college years, We remember the fears, or was it the beers? It’s Central Florida for Tyler and Kristin and Josh at Virginia Tech, Brandon’s at Northern Arizona, the teachers must be a wreck. Grant is working a computer gig, that’s tedious but provides a need, Jack’s our only middle school child and he’s growing like a weed. Thanksgiving in Roanoke with Paul and Sandy, The feast was fantastic, the warm feelings just dandy. Another Crystal Cruise before the end of the year, The Mexican Riviera, I know that sounds queer. But we’ll be home for Christmas, the tree’s already up, We’ll be toasting our dear friends with an overflowing cup. So to all our loved ones at this special time of year, Have a blessed Merry Christmas and Happy New Year cheer.
It’s that time again for my Christmas Poem. Please enjoy.
Christmas Commentary – 2011
A year of good news and bad news I publish in haste,
The clock is running, I have no time to waste.
The Rices are well, a year older and wiser,
Carole in her robe and Jack in his visor.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Jack and Carole
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
Redskins – One More Stinking Loss
Monday’s headline in the Washington Post sport’s section read “For Redskins, Tough Losses.” The article on the game’s loss mentioned we gave up three touchdowns in the 4th quarter. The problem with the Redskins’ game plan in the 4th quarter was that they weren’t trying to win, they were trying not to lose.
At the end of three quarters the score was 13 – 13. With about 10 minutes and 30 seconds left, we pinned the Jets back on their 11-yard line. The defense held and after three plays, the Jets were punting from their own 20. Banks ran the punt back for the Redskins and guess what? We had the ball on the Jet’s 31 yard line! Just 31 yards from a touchdown. But rather than try to score, we went into a shell. I said to my wife, “We aren’t trying to score, we are just positioning ourselves for a field goal.” We ran the ball three times, gaining very little and then kicked a 46- yard field goal. That gave us a three point lead.
I am satisfied that not going for a touchdown on that series destroyed our chances of winning. The Jets came right down the field and five plays later, we were behind. Then, our uphill battle went to hell in a hand basket.
My problem is who is in charge? Who decided that three points would do, when everybody watching knew we needed a touchdown. When you go for it, is there a chance that a pass will get intercepted? You bet. There is also a chance for a touchdown. In the words of the state lottery, you need to play to win!
I am a board certified, level 7, armchair quarterback and kibitzer. From my years of observing, I have determined that if you pass on running downs and run on passing downs, you will have more success than doing the obvious. Against Seattle, we did pass on running downs and we were quite successful, but I didn’t see much of that against the Jets.
I think that the owner, Dan Snyder, is a big part of the problem. He has done some really stupid things like firing Marty Schottenheimer after one 8 and 8 season in which Marty won his last five games. And who did Snyder hire? He hired the “ball coach,” Steve Spurrier (12-20), who is probably a decent college coach (probably also a good high school coach), but he turned out to be a rotten pro coach. Another disaster falling on the shoulders of Snyder is the hiring of Jim Zorn. Jim was a nice guy, but had no business being a head coach (12-20). After six games in his second season, Snyder stripped Zorn of his play calling duties. Snyder could have fired him rather than humiliating him. But that might have cost Snyder more money. If he could get Zorn to quit, he could save some money. Never mind what this stunt was doing to the football team. As long as Snyder is making money, I don’t think we can get rid of him.
I am not a big Shanahan fan. He was 6 and 10 his first season and probably won’t be any better this year. But firing the coach every two years doesn’t seem to be the answer. Who knows, things can’t get much worse. Give him a couple more years to put a team together.
Of course the headline regarding “tough losses,” also referred to our two players (Trent Williams, starting left tackle and Fred Davis, starting tight end) who have been suspended for the rest of the season for smoking pot. They were tested three times over an extended period and failed the test each time. They both knew if they failed the third time they would be suspended, but they did their thing anyway. I love Thomas Boswell’s line about it in the Post where he said, “Sometimes a drug test is really an IQ test.”
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com
A Typical Morning
I remember when I was efficient. From the time the alarm clock went off, everything was planned and executed on time. I was a stream-lined efficiency machine. Now in retirement, there are less alarm clock settings. Setting the alarm at 8:30 hardly counts.
This morning was kind of typical, except Carole left early to go to the dentist for a teeth cleaning. That left me with no adult supervision. I let our sheltie, Nikki out in our fenced-in back yard, then ate and looked at the paper. The Washington Capitols changed coaches, but not the inability to make crisp passes, losing to the St. Louis Blues.
Then, I decided to do a little doggie pickup in the back yard. The back yard had had three to six inches of leaves everywhere until Monday. Now it was free of leaves and I would be able to ferret out what shouldn’t be there. I put on a light jacket, even though it was cold, because this was going to be a quick trip. I had moderate success. I know what moderate means, even if Herman Cain doesn’t know what “reassess” means. While I was wandering around favorite back-yard routes, I heard a really loud bird. I didn’t recognize the call, so I stood still and tried to find it. It was a red-bellied woodpecker that feeds often in our yard. Maybe the bird was upset because my sunflower seed feeder was empty. I wandered out to the shed to fill the bird feeders. I thought I could still make this a quick back-yard trip. The shed was locked. I always leave the shed unlocked, but because we traveled over Thanksgiving, I had locked it.
I went into the house, grabbed the keys and headed out. There was one feeder I could reach without the ladder. The shed was now crowded with hose containers. In the winter I put them in the shed because the chipmunks like to hide in them and Nikki goes crazy. Nikki actually knocks the hose containers over, but with no luck. I filled the bird feeder and then tried to get to the ladder. While trying to step over a hose container, I knocked over the bird feeder. I hadn’t secured the top and the bird seed went everywhere. Fortunately or unfortunately, this has happened before, so I was prepared. I had a dust pan and brush right there. My hands were now getting cold. I should have changed jackets when I got the keys.
Ten minutes later, I’m in the house. The feeders are filled, I’m sniffling and trying to remember what I was supposed to do today. I’m sure it wasn’t writing this.
While I have been fumbling around, the red-bellied woodpecker has checked out. Damn fickle bird.
Written by PJ Rice at www.ricequips.com