I have 3 birdfeeders and a birdbath that I keep open with a heater (yes, I schlep out every morning with a bucket of water before I go to work),, so we attract a lot of birds all winter. One afternoon I counted 7 Cardinal pairs in our little backyard at the same time...it was quite a sight! I have never seen that many in other years, so maybe there are more this year. ( BTW, I think one of the most beautiful sights of a Minnesota winter is to look out the window to see a huge Pine tree laden with snow against a vivid blue sky with a bright red Cardinal nestled on a branch. And when he starts to sing....heaven!) I also noticed a Robin this lat week, but I'm not sure if it's "Jack Germond"....so named because he has a huge belly! And I think I have seen a couple of juncos..they migrate through, don't they? And of course we have had chickadees, nuthatches, pigeons and crows (huge ones) all winter... As long as I am posting, a few other observations.... As a 26 year resident of Mpls. with no party affiliation, (I used to lean Democrat, but I went to one caucus meeting and emerged as a confirmed "swing voter"), I have tried to keep myself fairly well-informed on the goings-on of the Mpls.City Council, and I can tell you that most of the time I have agreed with Lisa MacDonald and Steve Minn, (when he was there), and I am often shocked at some of the stupid decisions the majority have made and dismayed on how these decisions over the years have RUINED downtown. DT Mpls in the '70's was absolutely charming, and being from Chicago, I used to brag to all my friends about Mpls. and what a livable city it was. No more... My friends, who always remark how charming my SW neighborhood is, but all live in the suburbs, have often come DT for plays and dinner. I can guarantee you they won't be coming to Block E to see a movie and eat at a franchise sports bar. But, things aren't all bad...at least they don't allow RV housing in the driveways of my neighbors! Seriously, I am concerned at how the DFL dominates the politics of the city. I think better decisions were made when there was more diversity of opinion. It's too bad the Republican party became so socially conservative that they drove out the "Steve Minn" types. As much as I am concerned with the DFL, I could never go Republican. Too risky. So I have nowhere to go, and I bet I am not alone Lisa MacDonald: have you considered running as an independent? I think there would be middle-class, HIGH property-tax paying people coming out of the woodwork to support you. Just a thought. If you made it to the bottom of this post, thank you for your persistence! Janie Bygness Avid Lurker SW Mpls _______________________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - Minnesota E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
