No wonder the hummingbirds were staying away from the feeder! I went out into the garden to see why they were ignoring all that nectar, and why the level wasn't going down. I still don't know the answers to those questions, unless hummingbirds hate ants as much as I do.

Not only were ants crawling all over the feeder, but there was a line of them all along under the eaves and up and down the cord that the feeder was hanging from. Eck! I can live with spiders (not that I have any choice) but when I see ants anywhere near the house, I go a little nutty.

I ran back into the house and got my stepstool and a can of unscented Raid. Then I sprayed massively, until I couldn't see any more movement. I pulled the feeder down, emptied it, washed it out thoroughly and stowed it in the garage until I could decide what to do next.

The hummers are perfectly happy, for the moment, with all the various blooms throughout the garden, and there will be more plants coming to life now that spring is finally here.

The fumes must have got to me, because I had to sit for awhile with my eyes closed until the light-headedness went away. I guess I should have been wearing a gas mask, but I understand those are in short supply these days. After I got my senses back (shut up), I went back out and flushed the area with water, to try to minimize any collateral damage.

When I thought it was safe to call it a day (and a week!) work-wise, I slunk outside to try to get rid of some particularly unsightly weeds growing just in front of the window and blocking my view of- uh, other weeds. But that's not the point, is it? It has to start somewhere, so I chose to make a decapitation strike on a target of opportunity.

The Boss must have heard the screen door creak open from way on the other side of the Sierra Nevada, because I'd barely made it outside when the fax machine started spitting out new demands on my time. It's never completely safe to call it a day (or a week) when you work at home.

After I typed his letter, I did get my hands dirty. It was a pleasant diversion from the cooped-up stir-crazy feelings I've been having. I didn't last long, but I didn't want to fill up the newly-emptied yard waste container on the first day anyway. It'll be full by the time I drag it out to the curb again next Thursday night.

When I pulled myself away from the news for my run to the post office this morning, I encountered the two lady turkeys wandering around at the far end of the driveway. I slowed down so that I wouldn't startle them (or run over them, they're just that slow). One was already on the other side of the fence, and the other took to the air and flew over the fence. So those wings are good for something after all, even without stuffing and cranberry sauce.

All three, the tom that had been in the garden and the two lost hens, were nowhere to be found when I got back from the post office.