THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606280172
SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Jennifer O'Donnell and Eric Feber
LENGTH: 67 lines
If you're wondering why your hummingbird feeder isn't attracting any birds, it's probably because they're all at Mary B. Vincent's house off Ballahack Road.
``I've never had so many hummingbirds in all my life,'' Vincent reported one day recently. ``I'm going through 25 pounds of sugar a week.''
A suggested ``food'' for those who want to attract hummingbirds into their gardens and back yards is a sweet ``nectar'' of sugar and water which the tiny birds slurp up with their unique forked tongues.
Vincent has put out feeders of this nectar for several years and with good results.
``But it has never been like this,'' she said.
Vincent has to add sugar water to her six feeders three times a day to keep the swarm of ruby-throated hummingbirds well fed and happy.
``I'm buying my sugar at Sam's Club because I just go through it so fast,'' she said.
Vincent thinks the hummingbirds are getting used to her.
``They're letting me get closer to them than they ever had,'' she said.
While Vincent's guests enjoy the spectacle from lawn chairs in her front and back yard, she suspects her neighbors might not be as happy about her swarm of hummers as she is.
``My neighbor has a feeder up, and I don't think she's had any hummingbirds yet,'' Vincent said.
Must be something in the water. Skin language
When Miss Chesapeake 1996, Thomanita ``Nita'' Booth, was on tour with the USO several years ago, her skin helped her break through the language barrier.
The 17-year-old Booth is currently in Roanoke trying to win the Miss Virginia crown.
But several years before she became Miss Chesapeake, the 1996 Indian River High School graduate was a Mouseketeer for the new edition of ``The Mickey Mouse Club'' television program that's still shown on the cable Disney Channel.
As a Mouseketeer, Booth was on a 2 1/2-week USO tour of Germany, Iceland, Scotland and England during the winter.
``We had little opportunity to tour so my Mom would videotape a lot of the tourist sites and then we would watch the video later,'' she said.
Booth said while in England she and her other Mouseketeer buddies were able to visit one of the English Queen's residences and had the opportunity to visit several English and Scottish castles.
But while in Germany, Booth had to use her pluck and intelligence to tell a snack shop worker that she wanted some chocolate ice cream.
``I couldn't speak German, and he didn't speak any English at all,'' Booth said. ``I did get the idea across that I wanted some ice cream, but he had no idea I wanted chocolate. I didn't know the word, so finally I pointed to my face, my cheeks, with both index fingers and said, `Chocolate! Chocolate!' Finally it dawned on him what I wanted, and I was able to get the flavor I wanted.''
So, was the combination show-and-tell and mime worth it?
``Oh yes,'' Booth said with a smile. ``The ice cream was wonderful!'' ILLUSTRATION: Here's a 1950 Cushman three-wheeler package car, Model
No. 69. Richard Spratley has restored it to replicate a favorite for
everyone from the 1940s and '50s. If you'd like to look it over,
just go to the big Fourth of July party Thursday at Lakeside Park.
Richard will be driving it in the parade. by CNB