It's Just Not Fair!

Day 357: Oh, those jaybirds! It's been a week or so since I checked on the grapes, and the first thing I noticed was that the rampant sprawl of vine which normally covers the back side of the garage had fallen from its supports, undoubtedly brought down by the recent rains. I peered into the jumble of leaves expecting to see one or more of the two dozen bunches of small green fruit in the tangle, but no, there were no grapes among the greenery. I searched more deeply and found one bunch, a dozen grapes, no more, and the work of the jays was evident in a neatly severed stem. They'd left me nothing but a nominal tithe as thanks for my cultivation. "It's just not fair!" I said. "You stinkers cleaned me out again!"

In all honesty, I'm laughing. A human being wants the sweetest fruit and therefore waits for the first frost to set the sugar. The jays are not so choosy. Even the lightest touch of sweetness is sufficient for them, and a pleasant addition to their diet. These few were still a bit tangy on my tongue. Yes, I could foil my corvid cousins with a net or bits of flashy foil, but my taste for grapes can be satisfied by a trip to the grocery store; they don't have that option. I grow grapes for jaybirds, and should be more appreciative of the size of my allotment.