Waiting for the next course

I love to feed the birds, especially in winter. Maybe it's the maternal me, worrying about how and where they will get their next meal. But I think a lot of it is for selfish reasons; I love to watch the birds and feeding them brings them close to my vantage point.
I have been filling feeders and tossing bird seed on the deck railings since we first moved into this house. During the periods we were traveling I expect "my regular" birds wondered what happened to the free meal. One of the first things I do upon returning is to fill the feeders once again, asking the birds for their forgiveness for having left them hungry and watching anxiously until the first bird returns.
Of course the bird feed brings the squirrels as well. Those damn squirrels. Now any true nature lover would say, well they are hungry also. Which is true but the squirrels in my neck of the woods are greedy little things. I can fill a feeder and within a 2 hour period the squirrels have emptied it. They have chewed holes into many of those flimsy plastic ones. So I don't waste money on on those anymore. I bought into the theory of the "squirrel proof feeder" more than once. They know their way around any obstacle, even hanging upside down to keep the lever from closing on a particular type that touts itself as an antisquirrel device. I bought a book from Plow and Hearth entitled: Outwitting Squirrels, 101 Cunning Stratagems to Reduce Dramatically the Egregious Misappropriation of Seed from Your Birdfeeder. The one thing that I learned from the book is to forget about trying to keep squirrels at bay if you live in Virginia.
I shouldn't be too surprised by their antics. My father had a box of Godiva chocolates he was saving "for good", something he did with many things. One day the squirrels at his home in New York chewed through the screen to get at the chocolates. Now in my opinion he got what he deserved, for who in their right mind saves a box of chocolates!
So I have refilled the feeder since my return home. The birds have returned after all. I suppose they are indeed forgiving, or very hungry. The squirrels have returned as well, although not nearly as many, not yet anyway. Yesterday afternoon I looked out and saw this guy perched near the top of the bird feeder with his paws, if that is what they are called, wrapped around the feeder hanger. There he sat, all afternoon. I wondered what he was doing; waiting for me to refill the feeder? Welcoming me back after 2 months away? Or just giving me ample opportunity to take his picture? Finally around 5 pm, after sitting there for hours, he was gone.
So I make my peace with the birds, and the squirrels. Guess I'd better get out there and refill the feeders....there are some hungry creatures waiting for me.