Books, Critters and Snow

Three and a half inches of snow fell yesterday - today the sky is cloudless, bright and sunny.  Even though it's 8 degrees outside, I keep seeing pieces of icicles and clumps of snow falling from the roof and balcony above me, and snow is falling from the leaves and branches of trees in the back yard.  The majority of college football teams that I like were able to win, with the exception of Mississippi State, which fell to the Alabama Crimson Tide.  Gamecocks won, Northwestern upset Notre Dame, and Mizzou won handily.  It was a good football day for me.  I also finished reading The Bootlegger by Clive Cussler and Justin Scott - a lively read, as always, from those two.
   The kits want to go out and hunt, but I won't open the doors when we have flocks of birds on the patio.  Rodney, next door, has three hanging feeders, but perches to feed are limited.  My wide, flattened bowl of food draws flocks of small birds, and most get seed that is being tossed out or scratched out by others inside the bowl, seeking the best grains.  There is a mixture of sunflower seeds, safflower seeds, and several small grains... There are usually five to fifty birds on the patio, and my kits sit on the cat tree, or on the floor at the patio door, and watch intently.  I had forgotten how much I enjoy the sound of small birds chirping in concert.
   I found a delightful series of books to begin gifting to my grandniece - the author is Judy Schachner, and the main character is a Siamese cat named Skippyjon Jones.  Skippyjon firmly believes that he is a Chihuahua - and performs acts of daring-do wearing a black mask, like el Zorro.  There is also an English/Spanish book titled Say It With/Diga Con Skippyjon Jones.  Since Evie's father attended the university in Columbia, and he speaks Spanish like a native, I think it's a good choice.