Shops, Cars, and Birds

 All our convenience stores sell booze, or at least beer and wine, cigarettes, and things like that. Now that I think of it, that's the principal difference between them and the old mom and pop stores. There is one old fashioned butcher shop, not in Cheboygan, but on the road between Petoskey and Harbor Springs. It's considerably larger than the old neighborhood butcher shops, but not as big as the supermarkets. I find it interesting that they still have the old mom and pops in some Chicago neighborhoods. I suppose it is at least partly because many of the residents don't have cars. I have read that, in some cities, it's a disadvantage to the poor people because they can't get to the supermarkets and have to pay the higher prices at the mom and pops.

I saw your finch picture on Face Book the other day. I don't know if we have finches here or not. I don't remember seeing them, but we have some birds that seldom come out in the open, and we know them only by their calls. We have a book and a recording of some bird calls, but there are still a few mystery birds out in the swamp that we haven't been able to identify yet. Judging from the behavior you described, I'd say that your first two finches are a mated pair and the third one is an unwelcome interloper in their territory. It's funny how some animals will become used other animals being around and not pay them much attention. The new kid on the block is always at a disadvantage but, after he's been around awhile, the regulars grow to accept him, or at least tolerate his presence. With  animals of the same species, the new guy has to find his place in the pecking order, but animals will generally ignore members of a different species if they don't consider them to be a threat, or something good to eat. Your cats probably leave the birds alone because they are well fed and have no hunting experience. Trying to catch a bird on that balcony of yours could prove to be dangerous for a cat, but I don't know if they're smart enough to figure that out. Do cats ever fall from tall buildings in your neighborhood?

I went to that tractor store I told you about today. I had just been there a week ago to get a part I needed, only to find out that I actually needed two parts and had to make another trip. You know, it's only 30 miles, but it seems like a long was to go to buy something. A 30 mile drive around here is nothing, really. A lot of people drive that far to shop or work and think nothing of it. Since I retired, though, I don't get around much anymore. It's not that I can't, it's just that I don't have to, so I don't. I can't remember the last time I was  more than 50 miles from home, and most of my trips are less than five miles. I used to spend a lot more time on the road when I was younger. I enjoyed it at the time, but I don't miss it now.