Which Way

A long time ago, not quite back in the day, but a l-o-n-g time, there were a couple of cartoon dogs, one of which was a big dopey sheepdog whose tagline was, "Which way did they go, George?  Which way did they go?"  It's a question I often ask myself.  I've been feeding birds of all types and sizes for years, always the same amount every day and every day it is eaten.  For the past week or so I've noticed that quite a lot of birdseed is left on the ground.  What's up with that?  I see and hear birds all day long, but then realized that it had been a while since I'd seen any turkeys.  I did wonder if it was turkey season and the big guys had gone into hiding.  As if conjured by the thought, six big toms paraded past while I was hanging laundry on the line yesterday.  I don't know where they'd gone, but it's reassuring to see them back.

I also don't know which way the hummers have gone.  From filling three feeders at least once a day, I'm down to filling one maybe once a week.  I know they're migratory, but where do they go?  It seems awfully early for them to take off for the winter, but what do I know.

Either I missed the awesome vulture migration last month or they've changed their flight pattern.  That would be so disappointing.  At least I knew which way the big birds were going when they left, down to the Owens Valley in the Mojave desert.  There are still quite a few in the area, thank goodness.  As I've thought before, the world would be a pretty smelly place without the cleanup crew.

I felt so bad for Bessie Anne yesterday.  I got my exercise getting up to let her out so she could hunt for "her" squirrel.  She coursed back and forth looking for the darn thing and, boy, did I ever get the dirty looks for taking it away from her.  She hears next to nothing anymore and is half blind, but her nose works perfectly well and it worked overtime all day trying to find which way that mummified critter had gone.

I know which way I'm going today (for a change).  I'm meeting Kit and Tinka to go into P'ville for Chinese food for lunch!