Los Gatos Birdwatchers
Friday March 25th 2011, 9:18 pm
Filed under: Friends,Wildlife

I knew they did this but had never really asked about it before, but it was time. I called the Los Gatos Birdwatcher shop a few days ago and asked about their delivery days. No way no how was I going to be able to get myself down there nor would they want me to.

And so it was that on yet another rainy day today, my doorbell rang and I ran and opened quick as one of the shop owners stood trying to hold my heavy bag of non-sprouting no-millet no-hulls no-mess sunflower birdseed out of the drips. John offered to put it anywhere I wanted and I motioned to right there just inside the door, thank you so much.

And he handed me my little suet cake.  I keep one hanging and another for crumbling into bits where the Bewick’s wrens can reach, replenishing the supply when the one black squirrel that’s taken a liking to it goes after it. (The others wrinkle their whiskers and go ewww, dude, you *eat* that stuff? But in normal life all I have to do is reach over and touch the supersoaker and he’s out of there.)

Although when I was too ill to manage doing even that, I saw one wren actually fly up to the caged one, alternating stabbing away and frantically looking down at the ground and around. Munching high up on the vertical was clearly not in its comfort zone–but one must eat.

Since I’ve been up and about and more helpful again, that’s been the end of that tomfowlery.

John asked if I were doing better now; yes, mostly, but still, I promised not to breathe on him. (Ignoring the autoimmune side to things–but that is indeed thankfully easing off too.)

And it struck me afterwards that just being asked by someone to whom it clearly mattered made me take stop and take stock and think to myself, Wait–it’s true, I AM a whole lot better. Remember Tuesday? And and? And the Tuesday before? Honey, I got nothin’ to complain about.

Just a little moment in a life.  And yet the way he carried it out was beautiful: he wasn’t just delivering a product, he was serving and doing for me what I could not at that moment do for myself, and serving with grace. For my birds too.  Glad to help. There they were, just outside the glass that is the back wall, chattering away at the feeders, and he looked over at them and smiled.

Shame he didn’t get to see the Cooper’s.  But just imagine all the birds he could tell about.


7 Comments so far
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Thanks for the link to the store – looks interesting! If you need a pickup, I can also do that for you; they’re on my way from home to anywhere I go.

Comment by Kathy in San Jose 03.25.11 @ 10:37 pm

Fabulous customer service and care! Hooray!

Comment by Channon 03.26.11 @ 5:39 am

Good, caring helpers re hard to find. I think you deserve them.

Comment by Sherry in Idaho 03.26.11 @ 6:37 am

I love my bird store owner with their enthusiasm for the birds and for me – one of the reasons I shop there rather than buying from a possibly cheaper source. That and the unique seed blends. I didn’t know about not feeding millet – I think I’m going to have to switch. I do use the hulled stuff – so much cleaner and I feel like I am putting more feed in the feeder.

I am so glad you are having one of those, “gee, I feel better than I was” moments. It’s so good to look back on serious illness. And it does calibrate you – my recent cold was nothing compared to the lay-me-on-my-back one of last December and I smiled all the way through it. I’m glad you are doing more smiling these days, too!

Comment by twinsetellen 03.26.11 @ 7:03 am

HOORAY! You’re feeling better (weller?, you”re doing better. Thank Heaven.

It is always so good to have people – stores – and the like that you can depend on. I have a number of them, and wouldn’t trade them for ANY supposed cost saving.

Darling pic of Parker!

Comment by Don Meyer 03.26.11 @ 11:43 am

those Los Gatos folks are pretty nice glad you’re edging back toward normal

Comment by Bev 03.26.11 @ 5:17 pm

My feeder has been a hawk feeder, too. Thrilling, because the front yard is only 10 feet deep, the feeder is about 4 feet from the window. They sit ever so still, wings at the ready, zoom in between the window and th feeder and Wow! freaks out our pet cockatiel, which I also find amazing. As far as I know, he has zero personal experience with hawks, but deep in his birdy nones, he knows trouble when he sees it.

Are you eating enough salt (BP query)

Comment by Laura 03.26.11 @ 8:17 pm



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