Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1941-01-16
MONTGOMERY
Nl SIDELICHTS
BIZ ELSIE WHITE HAINEs

SWSANO yOol OAu gill lSSChtAJ SCA'
from England to stay in New
York with friends for the dura-
ton of the war-she wrote that
one of the worst things about the
war is that the English are learn
ing to dread the sunshine-in bad
weather the air raids slow down
but when the sun shines the
sirens sound and the children run
and hide.
Like our English friend who
visited here last Spring, the child
is amazed at the friendliness Of
the Americans-she says "Even
the birds and squirrels are friends
the pigeons futter down to cal
from my hand, and the squirrels
run to me as if they had known
me for years"
Remembering that a Red Gross
worker in Belgium at the time Of
the World War spoke of the
arresting stiffness Of the country
side after the devastation-no
birds to sing-no frogs croaking
or even insects to hum-we have
wondered how much the bird and
animal life has suffered in the
present conflict.
Have you wondered why we
have mentioned our birds so sell
dom lately? We just have moi
had the heart-we lost several OF
our best loved birds during the
year-the mocking bird that had
been with us for so many years
the cat bird, Caruso, the tamest
of our pets-he would sit on a
chair back near us-or get in the
bird bath and splash US with
water-and since neighbor
cleaned up a fence row and put
up a new fence, we have not seer
the fox sparrows-sandy mocking
bird to you perhaps.
True the mocking bird had
nestled in a tree in a neighbor's
yard since his favorite apple tree
blew over-but in summer, all we
had to do was to call out "Where
is old pretty, pretty" and he would
answer-in Winter he was usually
sitting in shrubbery near the
house-scolding if we failed tt
put out warm water and ar
apple.
We are now trying to train 8
shy, young mocker to come to us
not much luck so unfortunately
bird is a bird to us-we love
them all-even the sparrows and
the starlings-tho the latter has
a voracious appetite.
So far we have had no visit
from the cardinal who came daily
last Winter-no snow to drive the
snow birds to the feeder-but we
have the chickadees with their
tight jockey caps-the downy
woodpecker-sociable little fellow
and a few sweet singing song
sparrows.
Then we have our little chip
enthusiastically seen running
gaily around the trunks of the
two English walnut trees-he
lives between the floors Of the
house - visitors are sometimes
startled when a walnut rolls down
between the side walls-rats?-
they inquire.
We never found time to tell
you this summer, how much we
enjoyed the wild rabbit family
that lives under our front porch
we used to sit in the yard and
watch mother rabbit lead Pete
the retriever to the rye patch
that grew in half of our garden
lose him, and come looping back on
the same trail.
Speaking of gardens-we found
one of our neighbors in a deep
study recently, in response to 9
query she said she twas planning
her next years vegetable garden
Coming from the city-this fam.
lily had their first real garden
last year-got much pleasure
from it-,and afforded their neigh.
bors much amusement!
Their garden did look rather
queer-no nice straight lines
just a patch spaded up here and
there, and seeds dropped in any
old way-dire predictions were
made-but do you know those
seeds did not care one bit whether
they were sown in straight lines
or crooked?
We secretly enjoyed the look Of
chagrin on the face of the mar
of the house when a vegetable
from the neighboring garden sur.
passed his. We had much friendly
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