This Little Gal Has a Drinking Problem

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading." ~ Woody Allen.

We keep two hummingbird feeders clean and full on the clothes line above the deck. There are frequent visitors, including several ruby throated hummingbirds, plus the occasional downy woodpecker.

This is the female downy, and she comes by several times per day for a sweet sip. The male has not figured out how to do it; I guess he's not as coordinated, somehow. But the female has gotten good at it. She lands, steadies herself, and drinks her fill.

This is not actually a thing that bothers me at all. In fact, I think it's adorable. But it bothers my husband. "She's mocking us!" he says. He thinks the feeders should be for hummingbirds only. In fact, if he could, he'd probably put up a sign to that effect: "No woodpeckers need apply!"

But downy woodpeckers' natural diet includes insects, fruits, and sweet tree sap. Their tongues and beaks are built for snacking on bugs hidden in the wood, and they (apparently) work pretty darn well on a hummingbird feeder, too!

I couldn't decide between these two duets that feature a favored country music topic: boozing it up. So here they both are. First up are Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley, with Whiskey Lullaby (don't you just SWOON when her angelic voice comes in?). Second up are Alan Jackson and George Strait, with Designated Drinker.

Bonus, quite possibly related, and funny, on Instagram: how southern people say someone is drunk.