Dorothy, I'm offering up seeds and insects during the winter when nothing else is around. And hoping they will deal with some of the worst offenders. Birds are hard on tomatoes, which isn't necessarily the best bird crop, it's simply opportunist.

A visit to Tractor Supply yesterday landed me the dog food I needed and bird seed that has a mix without millet. I don't want milo, most of the companies add it as a filler, and millet in the hanging feeder just ends up all over the ground (I found an Audubon site explaining how it should be used) and I think I'll get more of the black oil sunflower seeds, and sweep the shells into the garden to mulch. If I get a setup for smaller birds then I'll add milo back in. I do enjoy the bird watching but by the end of winter they're sucking down that bird seed like nobody's business. It can be an expensive hobby.

Sorting through the sun room today, flattening boxes and re-discovering things I'd forgotten were stored in there. I need to clear off some countertops for holiday baking - I'm so glad I remember the pie safe, I'll be using that a lot this afternoon and over the next couple of weeks.