Shopping for Santa

continued

year ago. These days his reaction’s an eye-rolling “Yeah? Santa and what army?” On the other hand, he’s still capable of burbling on about all the things he wants Santa to bring him, his blue eyes big as Santa’s belly.

While he’s compiling lists, I’ve been scouting the town to see if what he wants is even available. Though I’m beginning to suspect I’m being played, my search has an upside: it’s given me a chance to see what’s out there, and to pass on my finds.

Here’s something I didn’t know: the primary job of a squirrel feeder isn’t to feed squirrels—it’s to bribe squirrels to stay away from bird feeders. If you know someone with a bird feeder under constant assault, wooden squirrel feeders start at $12 at the Wild Bird Center at Traver Village. If the thought of bribing squirrels is ethically repugnant, for $130 you can test your ethics even more severely with Wild Bill’s Squirrel-Free Bird Feeder. It’s harmless to birds but gives squirrels a small electric shock if they climb aboard.