"You can't hide, Winifred!"

Dear Diary,

My birds are slowly returning and Winifred, a downy woodpecker, is a regular visitor.  Unfortunately, she is not visiting the suet cake I've left hanging for her.  Instead, she likes to peck at the feeder holes until she spills all the seeds all over the place.  She doesn't like seeds, she is looking for bugs and, of course, not finding any.  She is very cheeky and I have to go out and shoo her away and then she tries to appear inconspicuous in Auntie's tree.  If I approach, she hops around to the back, "Can't see me now!"  Playing hide and seek with a woodpecker...fun!

Really, I am not terrible aggravated with her, or Winston her mate with the red cap that sometimes joins in the fun.  The other birds usually find the fall out so nothing is wasted in the end.  It all seems to work out.

I had a very good visit with the surgeon yesterday.  He said all the tissue biopsies from my surgery came back negative so that was the greatest Christmas gift I could get.  I wished him a Merry Christmas and said I hope I never see you again!  He laughed.  My cold seems a bit better too although I think I may have a sinus infection now.  Sigh...this too shall pass.