This is Sheriff Peanut Butter Brickle. Once in awhile, someone has a better idea than me. Once in awhile. And on the days I choose to, I recognize them. And today I’m going to tell you about the day that Boy Person turned trash into treasure. I’m going to tell you about the day that we took discarded items and used them to make others happy. Today, I’m going to tell you about the bird feeder.

One day, Boy Person found a jewelry box thrown into the street.  It was kinda broken, but not all the way broken. And he moved it out of the road to throw it away.  But then he thought that perhaps its life should not have been lost in vain. And so he saved it for a rainy day when he thought he could use it.  I’m not sure if he knows this or not, but I think he was secretly hoping there was hidden treasure in that box.

Little did he know, the treasure was the box.

If you follow this blog at all, and if you don’t, you are arrested, you will know Scarlet Pimpernel.

Yes, the red bird that loves to peck at our RV day and night.  Night and day.  He loves to eat, he loves to watch his lady eat, and he allows other birds to eat. It’s an all you can eat buffet around here all day.  They don’t even need plates.

But our plastic bird feeder was not doing the trick.  Boy Person thought very hard.  What could he do to feed the birds, but not have to buy something to feed them?  Was it necessary to buy everything new all of the time and throw away things that could be used to make something else? That wasn’t very smart.  That was kind of wasteful.

All of us are under pressure. Pressure to make a living. Pressure to rush around. But letting those pressures shape us into uncaring individuals isn’t right.

Although rescuing animals is certainly kind, is there more that each of us can do to help other animals, other persons, the environment, or the earth?  This was a chance to do such a thing, we thought. And Boy Person gathered up what trash we had, which is a lot. Used wine corks, (how did we get that many), and miscellaneous items. But this trash was going to be used.  This trash was saved for a rainy day, although it certainly wasn’t raining outside, I felt it was raining kindness. Can’t you tell by my face?

Some may wonder why a bird feeder is necessary.  But some may wonder if kindness is necessary.  I suppose that no one is going to know if you aren’t kind in the ways that you can be.  Each of us has something to use to be kind. Whether that is the paper money you use, time, or supplies.  But if you don’t have much of that stuff, chances are, you have trash.  Can you recycle, repurpose or reuse what you have to make someone else’s day and life more enjoyable? Can you find joy in doing something for others?  Let us show you how the bird feeder came to be.

I had never really thought about what birds eat before we started camping here.  I never realized that different birds liked different kinds of feed.  I suppose that wasn’t kind on my part.  When we don’t recognize all animals as individuals with different tastes, it is easy not to care.  When we do acknowledge that, a lot of things change.  Are you ok with that?

A bird feeder may look like a bird feeder.  Unless Boy Person built it and it is made out of trash.  But to me, it is beautiful.  It makes us realize that little things add up to big things.  Imagine that you are the Scarlet Pimpernel or a bird that wakes up and breakfast is already made! I imagine that they love that as much as Digby Pancake loves pancakes.  What they like is no less important.

So maybe it is time we all think about items that we have that can benefit someone else.  Maybe it is time we use what resources we personally have to help someone else.  Being kind is not just about animal rescue.  Being kind means recognizing what we each can do to make the whole world a better place.  Maybe it can start with a bird feeder!

–Sheriff Peanut Butter Brickle

The Bird Feeder is part of our new series, the 2 Traveling Dogs Secret Pawjects!  Have an idea for our next show?  Let us know! We may use YOUR idea!

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