Window on the World

From: Mia Cope with updated bird info

One of my primary duties at Casa de Togo is neighborhood security and threat analysis. While I regularly monitor local law enforcement radio frequencies and bulletins, I vastly prefer visual reconnaissance.

I spend a majority of my real-time viewing at the front door. You’d be surprised at the number of vehicles, individuals, cats, squirrels, and birds that parade by in a given shift. Frankly, I might be surprised, too, since I also use this time for napping.

Good law enforcement theory applies here, though. Even though I might not be totally awake, like a police officer at a coffee shop, my presence is a mighty deterrence to crime. Granted, we don’t have a lot of criminal activity right in front of my door,¹ but I’m proud of our safety record just the same.

The key is to be ever-vigilant and proactive in identifying and eliminating threats.

Just yesterday, I hustled Daddy out to take a picture of a bird I’d never seen before. We have a pair of blue jays and a mockingbird who make regular appearances, along with the ever-present doves (both whitewing and Eurasian collared), but this little missy caught my eye.

Female Ladderback Woodpecker

Daddy says that with the help of our friend, Carisse Berryhill, he’s identified this bird as an eastern downy woodpecker. Abilene is a little far west for most of these little birds. Nonetheless, there she was! Since I had no previous history with the species, I directed Daddy to go out and demand an explanation of what this fine-feathered friend was up to.

Daddy returned, somewhat breathlessly, to report that she was merely going about her woodpeckerly duty of eliminating small bugs and ants from the bark of our tree. Evidently, the eastern downy woodpecker is a sprightly fowl and Daddy had a hard time keeping up with her during his investigation. Hence, the breathlessness.²

The front door isn’t my only outside view. Momma also keeps the window in the bedroom open just for me. When I spot someone going by on foot, I high-tail it into the bedroom for a secondary glimpse. Regular drills are necessary to remind Momma to stay out of my way when I travel from door to window. However, Daddy seems to absorb my full weight well when I’m traveling at high speeds. Thus, I tolerate his absence from those trainings.

I’ve also mandated that Daddy provide me access to the windows in his study. He claims that this interferes with his work. Momma told me not to worry about that since Daddy is retired, doesn’t really work anymore, and is prone to complain a lot.

I’ve already noted that there are lots of people walking by everyday — with or without their dogs. I have detained several of them for questioning, but usually let them off easy if they scratch behind my ears.

I plan to file frequent reports about observed activities in the area. One thing is for sure — there’s always a view of a pretty sky over Casa de Togo from my window on the world.

1. National statistics also make it clear that the high rate of criminal deterrence in coffee shops may be less about the presence of police officers than the fact that drinking coffee doesn’t tend to encourage rampant misbehavior. Although a case may be made that, at the price of coffee these days, those cash drawers are brimming with large and small denomination bills that could attract unsavory types.

2. Daddy can barely keep up with me when I take him out on patrol each morning. And I’m already going slow on those walks due to his advanced age.