Subject: [Tweeters] Re: HB food
Date: Feb 16 23:50:11 2006
From: Pterodroma at aol.com - Pterodroma at aol.com



In a message dated 2/16/2006 5:14:30 P.M. Pacific Standard Time, Ladyshrike
writes:

Tell me you don't put red food coloring in it...


Well, but of course I do. And why not? I know, I know, some people think
it's bad for the hummingbirds. I don't put a lot in there, just enough to add
a splash of color which goes nicely with all the lush greenery around here.
Why would I want just plain ordinary clear watery gray when we have quite
enough of that as it is around here naturally, especially in the winter? This
ever so slight amount doesn't seem to harm the hummingbirds except maybe
cause them excessive exuberance and a tendency bark explosively during, ...ughm,
"the dive noise."

Actually, the added red coloring is very, very, very carefully,
methodically, scientifically, and ceremonially measured using an exact same highly
scientific and complexly simple technical methodology. Wanna know? Well, I have
this chop stick, you see; I used to have two but I broke one long long ago; so
now I have this one orphan immensely ornate Japanese chopstick that doesn't
of course go with any of all the other pairs lying around. But it is this
one orphan chopstick that gets more use than any of the others, in fact
probably more use then even an ordinary knife, fork, or spoon. It's my stirring
stick for both cups of morning coffee, stirs my hot cocoa when I have some, and
tea when I have that. I also use that very same orphan chop stick to dip
into the little 1 fl oz bottle of Schilling Red Food Color. In fact, this is
the only such bottle I have ever ever owned in my life and it has been used
exclusively for every hummingbird feeder refill and absolutely nothing else for
the past 15 years!! And I probably still have enough for another ten at
least. That same little bottle has a lot of mileage on it too for when it's not
being used here in Bellevue, WA, it's been on the road and my at least one
most consistent companion for all of the past 12 consecutive springs at the
coastal gray whale field station study site at Pt. Piedras Blancas, California.
Talk about getting my money's worth, eh! So, there! :-))

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA