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Miss Irene Whigham's Birds still frequent Century Ah, 'tis Spring! The squirrels and birds have lost their minds as evidenced by their antics around my feeding stump in the backyard. Now before you criticize me for wasting precious hours of time observing the backyard wildlife, I must tell you that it is all in the interest of the history in this area. Do not sneer! I have before me Mrs. A. L. (“Miss Irene”) Whigham's Day Book for 1958 in which she recorded the day-by-day account of the weather and which birds came to her feeders in the morning and again in the evening. For example, April 19, 1958, was a cloudy, mild day. Among others, she noted starlings, grackles, martins, swifts, thrush, red-wing blackbirds, chipping sparrows, towhees, painted buntings and even a barred owl. We continue to see these today, but not as many as once seen. Around my feeders I no longer see the towhees, which were once quite abundant. We rarely ever hear the beautiful call of the thrush, but do have woodpeckers that she does not mention. The painted buntings have not arrived yet. Hopefully they will come as they are such a visual treat. We used to hear the owls down in the swamp at night but their haunting calls have not been heard lately. Climate changes, habitat destruction, pollution etc. have all been considered causes for the changes in the bird population, but probably the critters have flown to more sumptuous feeding fields. You see, Miss Irene used to have her cook prepare special food for her flock and her place was a designated bird refuge. My critters only get store-bought rations. You will be pleased to learn that in the new cookbook there is a recipe for chicken bread and another for dog bread. When you custom-bake your wildlife and domestic pet food you know there won't be any danger of their dying from gluten, or whatever that poison was in the recent rash of animal deaths. Don Sales and Sandy Collier are diligently collecting the many interesting family recipes from the past. Now they especially need the suitable pictures and anecdotes to go with these gustatory delights, so submit yours as soon as possible. By the time you read this there will only be a couple of days left until the BIG BIRTHDAY BASH in The James Houston Jones Historical Park. Surely, you have marked this on your calendar and are planning to attend. Be sure to bring a lawn chair to use while enjoying the entertainment and just enjoying fellowship in the Park. A lot of great entertainment, food, and vendor booths have been lined up. Of course, two of the museums will be open. Unfortunately, the Boxcar Museum will not be open due to the fact that climate control has been disconnected in preparation for its move to the new track prior to the arrival of #100. This could not be arranged in time for Saturday, but we have great plans for a HOMECOMING PARTY when we get all of this train project in order. The Train Committee has worked long and hard, along with the help of CSX, Town of Century, and Escambia County, and citizens such as Mrs. Leola Robinson. We are keeping a photo record of the various stages of the work and eventually will have a complete record of who has done what. We are especially grateful to each and every person or organization who has contributed in any way. This is truly a multi-group effort. Some of you may not have heard that our beloved (well, mostly) President, Jerry Fischer, has recently undergone serious surgery, so if he doesn't seem quite as spry as usual you will know that he is using his energy now to recuperate. We continue to remember him in our prayers and to wish him well. Don't forget his long-suffering wife, Elena, who has to put up with him! To return to previous page, use the BACK button This page last modified on Saturday, May 19, 2007 |