Sunday, April 7, 2013

The Willy Wonka Prize

In every handful of goat chow thrown down each morning as breakfast for the mice there are one or two really large kernels of rolled corn and those are called the Willy Wonka prize.  Yesterday's lucky winner was at first thrilled, I'm sure, but then found that it wasn't so great after all.  It was a very little mouse and he had a hard time carrying his trophy corn, let alone holding it to eat.  Then his troubles began.  Other mice became jealous of his prize and wanted to take it from him.  If he dropped down into a burrow, he immediately popped back out, followed by a would-be thief.  I watched this mouse stop for a few nibbles, dodge a mugger, go to another corner for another bite or two, fend off another attacker, and on and on.  I imagine that today he'll settle for small oats and leave the Willy Wonka for some other "lucky" mouse.

All of the plants I was gifted are potted now and seem happy in their new homes.  Since the only way we were able to find them in the tall grass was by their blossoms, the deck now has all the bright colors of the cheery violas and pansies.  Camille had also given me a couple of columbine plants that are now in a pot on the shaded side.  I couldn't put any of the plants out in the yard; that was what Steve called "feeding the deer." 

1 comment:

Kathryn said...

The deer's loss is your gain, and I bet your deck looks wonderful all dressed in its spring finery!!