Category Archives: Critters

Aviary

Posted on November 13, 2018 by sputterpub

A sparrow flew into my room last week. The doors were open and the weather mild. The creature panicked – flailing wings and beak against three window panes, freaked out and wild, till finally it managed to exit – in … Continue reading →

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The Other Fog

Posted on September 11, 2018 by sputterpub

Had to fog the house to choke summer’s immigrants – rat fleas and rat mites

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Pests

Posted on September 3, 2018 by sputterpub

My neighbor thought that she was getting bites from fleas, although she doesn’t own a pet. When I got bit my research led to mites from rats beneath the house, who must sublet from all the skunks and possums I … Continue reading →

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Birdbath

Posted on August 20, 2018 by sputterpub

Creek seepage to street: a year-round lagoon for a sleek murder of crows.

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Familiars

Posted on August 16, 2018 by sputterpub

I liked to think I had a magic touch with animals, as if they knew I meant no harm or hunt. Respecting them as much as people, deeming them intelligent, I noted critters never made me cry. (I almost felt … Continue reading →

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Outside Cat

Posted on May 29, 2018 by sputterpub

Your kitty is a house cat – not a beast of prey. And though I’ve seen her kill a bird, her instincts are dim echoes we’ve decreased with centuries of breeding. It’s absurd to think she wants a veldt or … Continue reading →

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Squirrel Time

Posted on February 13, 2018 by sputterpub

Surveying my environment, I see a harbinger, appearing to embody now: a squirrel ten feet up a tree, supporting in his mouth a large biscotti. That cookie’s winter fare – it’s not a food suggesting February leads to spring. And … Continue reading →

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Avicide

Posted on October 23, 2017 by sputterpub

At half past nine this morning, as I sat beside my window, reading news and clues to puzzles, I was startled by the flat concussion of a missile off its cruise: a sparrow struck the pane and fell on deck. … Continue reading →

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Web Weather

Posted on October 5, 2017 by sputterpub

The peach I bought was mealy. Local plums are past their prime, and golden nectarines look better than they taste. The season comes of evening chill and wafting wind that cleans the air and scours faded leaves from trees. It’s … Continue reading →

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Stripey and the Yard Birds

Posted on September 18, 2017 by sputterpub

I saw two hummingbirds beneath the crows that visited, the bold above the shy. The corvids sat the looming tree, in rows of roosting gossip, as trochilidae sought nectar from the blossoms in the yard (the nicotiniana over sage). The … Continue reading →

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