Poltrack Blog

  ALERT! At 3:00 PM I received a text alert on my phone about a a snow squall. I didn't pay much attention because these things are only a problem if you are on the road.  I remember a time when I was working in Acton, MA, I left work in the afternoon traveling along Route 119. The sun was out and the roads were clear. All at once the snow came. Visibility was down to nothing, the roads became slick. I creeped along following the tracks of the car in front of me. Thankfully I am now retired, so I can look out at the chaos without being part of the story. It is eerie how fast this came on, One minute the sun was out and then it was a white out. The birds didn't care, they are tough. Fifteen minutes later the sun returned. I'll be happy when Spring is here.

Saturday is Caturday Saturday is Caturday , a time to post photos and videos of our feline companions. While reviewing some of my scanned slides and negatives I found this purr-fect collection to share. Our old friend Mojo didn't mind being dressed up. He was a gentle soul who could actually play catch with corks We had a black and white cat when we lived in an apartment in 1973. This cat was hit by a car and I now suspect he suffered from congenital sensorineural deafness which is common with blue eyed white cats. In the Navy I was stationed in California. I spotted this guy in a flower bed. In the 1960s my sister found a kitten which she called Andrew, Eventually that became Fat Andrew. Fat Andrew wasn't fat she was pregnant. Like all cats she did her best to disrupt any desktop activity I was involved with. In this photo I was working on a Linocut  for a Christmas card. My mom had a Siamese she named Abigail, a beautiful creature with deadly claws ...

UPDATED POST I came across this old blog post from 2014. There are some changes that have taken place since the initial posting. The Green Center will have been in operation for 13 years in September 2022. It is still as popular as when it started, the the inventory is just as interesting as it was in the early days. Because of Covid some changes were made to the schedule that actually make it a more pleasant shopping experience. On the Saturdays where the center is open there are two distinct time slots Shopping Only - 9AM - 12 NOON  Donations Only - 1 PM - 3 PM This cuts down on the congestion at the door which was a problem even before Covid. Also it gives the volunteers time to move items around without bumping into patrons. "Excuse me" was the phrase I always found myself saying before the change. The schedule is now posted on the Life in New Ipswich  Facebook Group page. A printed copy is also available as well as a posting on the NI Town Office signboard. The Original...

  A few years back I found a "squirrel-proof" feeder at the Green Center (our local recycle center). It was in great condition and for a while it worked as a barrier to gray squirrels. The smaller red squirrels could squeeze between the wires.  However over time the gray squirrels worked around the lid of the tube. They chewed the plastic so they could stick their head inside. Eventually I expect to find one these guys completely inside the tube.

  I should have guessed it was too good to be true. All winter I was enjoying the bluebirds visiting my feeder. I bought a huge bag of dried mealworms . They are expensive but the bluebirds absolutely love them. All was good for several weeks. One day I heard a ruckus and saw a bird I hadn't seen before. It was a European Starling. It is not a native bird. In 1890 Eugene Schieffelin  released 60 Starlings in Central Park after two other failed attempts. The rest is history. They thrived and reproduced. Starlings love mealworms and swarm down to gorge on them. They are not polite to the bluebirds. They spook easily so I can chase them away if I see them. I haven't found a feeder that will defeat them. This one has a cover which I lower to make it harder for the starling to feed since they are a larger bird. Fun Fact, Mozart had a pet Starling and it could sing   part of his  Piano Concerto in G Major  (KV. 453).