HAPPY BIRTHDAY BUDDY (BELATED)

Yesterday was Buddy's 3rd birthday! It was another toasty one outside and Buddy tried to chill in his fur pj's.

I'm glad Dad has the fan on!

Ahh, nice cool cement!

A nice breeze came up late and things began to cool. Mom and Bud did deck yoga together.

Mr. Redbird has a snack

In celebration of his birthday, Buddy's meal was freshly killed chipmunk.

The back deck has had several generations of chippers in residence over the years. There's a main entrance via a corner by the fountain. Auxilliary escape holes were burrowed into the long stretch along the grass. While we were eating supper, Bud was fixated on these holes. Just the scent or was a chipper under the deck we wondered as Bud began to peer through the seams between the plank. We tried to distract him with treats which were enjoyed but failed to direct him away. We finished our meal, cleared off the table and C took care of the dishes. I heard her say something in dismay and I looked out at the deck. Indeed there was a chipper and it had emerged from his hidey-hole and was prairie-dogging on the deck. "Run, you idiot" I said, but it was too late. I had looked away for a second and I returned to see Buddy tossing the chipper into the air several times. This behavior is a typical strategy used by cats to tire out their prey to reduce the danger of getting injured themselves before they kill and eat it. Thankfully, Buddy took his kill out of our sight before dining. So, something we learned about Bud on his birthday: he's a kill tosser. Molls was one, too.