Mary Poppins, meet Alfred Hitchcock

Last year, we barely had any birds eat from the feeders we strategically placed around our backyard. A local birder told us that it wasn't our choice of seed, the locations of the feeders, or even the loud dog (Mugsy) chasing them away. Most likely, the bird population had suffered from the avian flu (the fowl version of COVID-19?)

That has changed because this year, the birds are back. The other morning, I glanced out the back and saw flocks of birds energetically attacking our feeders. My first impulse was to prance around the yard like Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins singing, "feed the birds."

However, as more birds began dive-bombing the feeders with voracious appetites, my thoughts went to Tippi Hedren in Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. I decided to keep my distance and enjoy the show, avoiding avian attacks or bird droppings on my head.

I haven't figured out why I am so mesmerized by the birds, other than I'm easily entertained. My proficiency in identifying them is about as good as with plants. I can tell a robin from a cardinal (the colors help) or spot a yellow finch (or was it just a yellow bird?). After help from my birder friends, I can now identify Quail and Doves. Though very entertaining, the rest are just a blur of feathers.

In Los Angeles, there weren't many bird feeders around, except for hummingbirds. I thought about getting one in my yard. I had a hedge of rosemary bushes that the Hummingbirds seemed to love. They would flit around like crazy but then hit a window and take a header, never to fly again. I decided I wouldn't add to their torture or be responsible for reducing the hummingbird population in Los Angeles.

What we lacked in birds, we made up for in possums, rats, and mice. Nighttime tennis games were frequented by bats swooshing overhead or an owl screeching from the court's light poles just as I would set up a serve. I'm guessing that the coyote population kept the birds from getting too abundant.

Now, in addition to being entertained by the returning birds in our yard, we have been watching food-related movies and TV shows.

We watched "The Menu," a weird and gory movie. Daniel watched "Pig," I didn't see that one. I enjoyed "Toscana," which was my kind of movie. It highlights fine dining with great local Italian food in a sweet romantic story. I'm watching the British TV mystery "Pie in the Sky." It is about a police detective who wants to retire and work full-time in his restaurant.

Daniel and I love the extravagance of fine dining. We can easily find random occasions to celebrate. Influenced by the birds returning to our feeders and our food movie binging, it was time to visit the newly reopened Kinglet in Walla Walla. It is named for a bird, so it seemed fitting.

Chef and owner Maximillian Petty and his crew offer impeccable dishes. General Manager Chauncey Arkfeld is an exceptional host and has amassed an extraordinary wine list. Living with Daniel I have learned that for a chef, fine dining experiences are the "staff of life," and the Kinglet turned out to be even better than we anticipated.

Like the swallows returning to Capistrano, or the birds we have welcomed back to our yard, we returned to Kinglet the next night. Tomorrow, we return to Safeway and reality, dining finely at home.