Oh, those are adorable shots, Joyce!!! They do offer a lot of 'kodak-moments' don't they!!! More--more!!!! :o)

I am wondering whether the red pepper has any effect on the soil or the plants? I feed the birds in our backyard and have a wonderful view of them at the feeder. Brings me a lot of joy. My favorite is a pair of cardinals. Generally the male and female are usually close by each other, but not generally in the same spot at the same time. Spring has changed that---they now can be seen eating together---and the best part is when they fly to each other and the male feeds the female. How cute! So feeding the birds means I have a lot of squirrels. One thing I noticed is that they spot anything new in the garden---new plants planted, new pots appearing, pots moved to another spot---and they have to "check" it all out. I have a lot of hostas in pots, but in the early spring when I have to bring them out of the garage, I put them on a table or overturned garbage can because I know that the squirrels are especially hungry in the spring and they will definitely be digging in them. (Only problem is that I am getting more hostas, more pots and running out of room!) I don't know if you may remember my other method of deterring the squirrels in pots---plastic mesh that fit to cover the soil and held down with clips (previous thread). I also have been known to put decorative rocks on the soil around my hostas. I do all that until everything else is growing and then there is more available for the squirrels to eat and they seem less of a problem.

Well, maybe a neighborhood possum had a little meal. That wouldn't be so bad, would it? :) I accidently ran over and killed a big leopard frog. I felt badly about it, but I gave him to one of my possums. He loved it. The possums always want to eat their yogurt first...but he had the frog in his mouth, holding onto it, and trying to eat the yogurt too. Ditto for a mole that the cats killed. I never put out poison, so when I find a recently dead mouse or any other small thing...I give it to one of the possums.

Sadly, PBS has had to rely more and more on contributions from viewers like us because their funding has been progressively diminished over the decades by legislators who disapprove of such things, so no, they are not largely funded by tax dollars. Most programs are paid for by donors and grants as well, and say so at the start of the show. I subscribe here for only $5/month, since we cut our cable awhile back. It's the only streaming TV I subscribe to. Are you sure you can't donate a lower amount? There was an option to enter the amount I wished to pay.