I have adapted the saying, “When the cat is away the mice will play”
I have a bench that is under a tree in the yard and that bench is cool even when the temperature gets too high. Trees are wonderful and perfect for survival in warm weather…
But, when you have a yard full of sparrows (monkey birds, as I call them), born and raised in the yard and happy as pig in a Mud Waller for this bear loves his monkey birds and makes sure they have water and a safe place to exist. These same monkey’s like to play when the bear is away…
I can be at the home all day and never one time do these little tykes get on my bench. They stay away and know that I sit there. They watch me from the plum trees and even sit in the beautiful cool birch tree and squabble with each other as I enjoy life. Yet, they have something they do the minute I leave for the Big Village…
They sit on my bench and while they sit on my bench? They do what birds do best, poop all over the place…
If I am at the home all day and never leave? My bench is safe from monkey attack…
But let me leave and my bench becomes a place that monkey’s enjoy and I come back hours later and am faced with a bench covered with little birdy droppings. So nice to be loved…
I have a system down and just clean the mess up. Yet, it dawned on me yesterday that there is a pattern to this invasion of my favorite bench…
When the bear is away the monkey’s will play…
I have an image in my head. These little devils watch me leave and they do watch. Little birds know everything that is going on in their territory and they know my patterns. They enjoy sitting on my bench when I am gone. They know that I will be gone for hours and they know that all I can do when I get back is grumble at them all. It is as if they want to experience what is bear’s bench all about and if bear is happy there? They will be happy also…
I have at times had a dozen of these monkey’s sitting in the plum trees, quite as church mice and watch me clean up the bench and it is as if they are giggle silently among themselves. Their not even interested in squabbling as they watch. It is as if they are watching a show, a show that they concocted? I have to clean my bench, for there is no way that I can sit on it after the monkey party time when I am gone…
Then the bench is safe the rest of that day. They do not get on it and they are busy doing what little birds do all day. Bugs are on the list of importance and for that I am grateful…
If I do not leave? They never mess the bench up, except for some passing bird that does not know the rules, my bench is safe. Clean and I can sit when needed in the heat and rest times…
Interesting the interaction between humans and other animals. I decided that humans should interrelate more with all around them. For really the ones in nature are watching us…
I am glad that the monkey’s are able to enjoy life and play on my bench!
“Grumble Rumble”, says the bear…
WtR