Long day today -- house and home, cats, guitar center and compound bows

I joke about the hummingbirds eating me out of house and home. This evening, when I came back, it got serious... I maintain two 48oz (three pint) feeders. I have a third and rotate them to make sure they stay clean and sanitary. The hummingbirds feed mostly at dawn and disk. I filled the two this morning around 11AM before leaving for town -- well after the dawn feeding. I came home tonight to find one with a few ounces of nectar and one completely empty. I have gone through over fifteen pounds of sugar this season and it hasn't started yet. Bought a 50 pound sack at Costco last week -- wonder how long that will last and seriously thinking about ordering another couple feeders. Got a gallon of nectar simmering on the stove as I type. I really like the Perky Pet brand -- assembling them after filling them is a little fussy but you get the hang of it quickly and with a 48 ounce capacity, you don't have to maintain them as often. The other big plus is that the "flowers" come off the body of the feeder. This is where the mold can grow so it is nice to be able to wash the feeder body and soak the flowers in dilute bleach to really sanitize them. Went to interview the kitty this afternoon -- all black, a little pudgy (she used to live on a farm and now lives in a condo) and a real sweetheart. Still really uncertain about me and the other critters but she should shape up in a week at most. Swung by the Guitar Center grand opening. The line as out the door with about 300+ people -- didn't even bother parking the truck. I have to go in tomorrow for some other stuff so I'll cruise through there then. Finally, I had been thinking about getting some archery equipment for the last couple of months. I used to shoot back in high school and loved it. I really like shooting firearms and my pellet gun so figured this would be a fun addition to the farm. Ran the idea past Lulu a week ago and she was very enthusiastic -- she likes shooting (and is damn good at it) but is a little put off by the noise. Stopped in at my favorite sporting goods store and the clerk was a bit rueful as to the dearth of archery equipment but he recommended a nearby store and they are the archery emporium of this area. Spent about $100 more than I was hoping ($250 instead of $150) but came away with a really nice setup and 24 arrows. The guy (Bill Stinson) at the store took some measurements and set it up for me and also took the time to show me how to change the setups for larger and smaller people -- couple turns of an allen wrench. A busy day...