Ok understand where you were going. Like @Oldskool between my wife and I we have netted more than any standard investments available in the market. Of course there are better schemes that are higher risk where you need to lock in your money that will potentially provide a higher return. The key is to diversify where you put your savings. But for me bonds are a safe option along side other higher risk products.
Wow! I didn't realize there were so many dinosaurs here! LOL! I bailed from the police job in 2000 after 26 years and started drawing my police pension. I walked into a great position as a fraud investigator at a major American insurance company just by sheer luck (right place at the right time). I did that for almost twenty years, retired in 2019 and got a nice pension from them. I took my Social Security at 66. You can wait till your 70 for a few more dollars, but you could also die, so I grabbed it. I had started an annuity a long time ago and we draw from that as well. Add in Lori's Social Security and we're doing OK. I spend my time riding, fishing, shooting and fixing my fixer-upper house. It was a mess when we bought it in '77, but after all these years it's starting to be "livable." I am also the chief handyman at my three daughters' houses. So, I keep pretty active. I've been working since I was fifteen. Prior to that I delivered papers, cut lawns, shoveled snow and did odd jobs for neighbors. However, there is nothing like waking up in the morning and not having to go to work. Lori and I enjoy sitting on the porch in the good weather in the morning with coffee and bird watching, Yesterday I decided we needed to attract more birds, so I built three bird houses which I will hang on the fence nearby. We're both still blessed with good health. We travel a bit, dine out a bit, go to my eldest's shows and have fun with our granddaughter. Life is good. I think we deserve it.
We're all dinosaurs on this thread. Hang some bird feeders with variable seeds in them to really attract a good variety of birds. I get around 8 species either on the feeders or clearing up what has fallen to the ground.
I made a small birdhouse/table with a covered section to keep out the large birds and give the little fellas a chance. The table on top has a mesh covered area, also to keep out the large birds (Pigeons + Magpies) and the damn squirrels which will empty the entire table in one sitting.....if I let them of course!. The suspended feeders hold seeds, peanuts and suetballs. I also make bird "cake" by saving the fat from any meat products we cook, then melting and mixing it with dried breadcrumbs, seeds and any other food scraps, to form a kind of avian flapjack when set. They love it. We also gat rats occasionally and well placed piece of lead in .22 cal sorts that problem!
That's what I do with the squirrels around here. TIP:- one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/131984264837 over each of your feeders stops the squirrels sliding down and noshing the seeds. Drill a hole or slot to get the hanger through. They also help keep the seed dry.
We do use a mix of seeds in the feeder and get a great variety of birds. The squirrels? We don't mind them. They're antics are kinda' fun to watch. The feeder hangs on about a six-foot shepherd's staff pole outside the kitchen window and the squirrels have different feeding techniques. We have the roof sitter, the pole dancer, the wraparound, the upside-down hanger, etc. Meka really enjoys watching them. She wants one SO bad.
Is that a Red Squirrel? In most parts of the UK we're overrun with Grey Squirrels which are an invasive species and classed as vermin, in fact, if you trap one alive it is illegal to release back into the wild but it must be humanly despatched. They can also be quite destructive if they get into buildings. The only real stronghold of native Red Squirrels is in Scotland. They are, as you say, very agile and can move like lightning if spooked. They do have a habit of freezing though when on the lookout for danger which makes them a sitting target.
Another notch on the .22's stock tonight. It's been gorging on our bird table for a few days now, one of the fattest one's I've seen in the garden.
The UK grey squirrel are of course immigrants from the US. They were originally released in Cheshire, during the 19th century, when immigration was actually thought of as a good thing. Now that we've taken back control of our borders no more will be allowed in, even if they turn up in small boats. The current government has a brilliant plan to ship those already here to Rwanda and has paid millions to construct squirrel homes, although it seems not a single squirrel has actually been sent there yet but I'm sure the government knows what it's doing with tax payers money. The Scots keep talking about building a wall to keep English greys from crossing the border..that's bound to work.
You know peeps when I started this topic it was telling all I was retiring. You know since then its all garbage about every thing else. If you want to talk about you premium bonds or squirrels start your own topic stop picking on me i don't want to know. Joe
@beerkat Thanks Mate. Maybe its just me I have had a bad head cold lately and am snapping at everyone. Joe
