It’s a surprise. I don’t know a thing about it. I’ll distract you with an amaryllis photo (Lene, that’s yours in the white container, far left). 
Michelle was wondering out loud yesterday what the family should get me for Mother’s Day. My friend Robin then sent me a link to one of her favorite stores when I mentioned to her that a birdfeeder would be really cool. Our next-door neighbors have one, with the result that I’ve seen a red-tailed hawk right outside our window here, and there was the never-to-be-forgotten moment when I pulled into my driveway, got out of my car, and there, perched at the edge of the neighbor’s roof at the closest point of it to where I was, quite close, stood a golden eagle. It looked at me. I looked at it. It looked at me. Hmm. A little big for prey. Came in a crunchy container, and it might get back in and you know how hard it is to undo that overpackaging with one’s talons.
So I wanted something that would help pull the outdoors up closer to my window, a little friendly competition with the feeder next door.
Robin’s link was to the local Wild Bird Center. Michelle and I hopped in the car today and headed down to Los Gatos. We were helped by an enthusiastic ornithologist who wanted to know what kinds of birds we wanted to attract?
“Pretty ones.”
She laughed. Ooookay… Obviously a fussy customer here.
I asked about the feeder I’d seen online that flips the squirrels off. No, literally. She told me the price of those (yowsers!) and that they have a $30 part that has to be replaced about once a year, and added, the squirrels learn quick to avoid them so then where’s the entertainment? She doesn’t sell them.
Ah. Well, it was just a curiosity. Besides, then I’d have to keep the feeder close to the ground and I’d be watching the little beasties anxiously like a mom whose 16-year-old just took off on their first solo trip behind the wheel.
She sold Michelle one that closes up the restaurant at the weight of a squirrel and is perfect for songbirds.
And I don’t know a thing about it till Sunday. (Michelle wanted me to come with her to make sure the one she got would be one I’d be pleased with.)
I’m all a-twitter. Heh.