Can you pick up a baby bird and put it back? This can happen, because baby birds do leave nest a few days before they’re ready to soar.

The NWF says, “The parents will keep feeding it on ground and in bushes. Leave it alone and keep children, cats and dogs away from it. You can pick it up and put it in a bush if it is out in open. Birds have very little sense of smell and touching it will not make parents abandon it. After several hours, you probably will not be able to find bird.”

INSECT REPELLANT

Concerned about environment? According to researchers from Iowa State University, catnip and some spices work well. “The aromatic oil in [catnip] is ten times better at warding off mosquitoes than DEET, chemical used in most bug sprays,” they say. "It might simply be acting as an irritant or they don't like smell," says Chris Peterson, who led study. "Nobody really knows why insect repellents work.”

WHAT CAN YOU DO NOW?

Start planning now and thinking ahead. What critters need in cold months, says NWF, is “high energy food, reliable water sources for drinking and bathing, and safe shelter from weather and predators.” Here are some things you can do:

·Plant vegetation that produces berries, nuts or seeds, such as native hollies, like possumhaw, Joe Pyle weed and black-eyed Susans (if you leave seed heads on), and native evergreens that provide cover and food for migratory birds ·Provide bird feeders. ·Leave dead trees if you can for habitat - pileated woodpeckers and flying squirrels, for example

·Install winter roosting boxes. If you put out birdhouse in winter, it will be seasoned and ready for spring nesting time. Won’t that be fun to watch?

·Create a brush pile with yard debris as shelter for birds and small mammals and also hibernation places for turtles, salamanders and insects.

·Butterflies too! They lay their eggs in bush piles.

·Use other debris as mulch to protect plant roots from freezing for more habitat

·Put out birdbaths. Did you know birds need to bath in order to stay warm? According to NWF, “it keeps their insulation feathers in tip-top condition.” Keep it free from ice, however, or you can buy a heated one. DECORATE A TREE FOR WILDLIFE

The NWF has some wonderful “recipes” here http://www.nwf.org/backyardwildlifehabitat/decorating2.cfm for food you can hang on trees to invite birds and small critters. With such enticing names as Ga Ga Over Garland, Wildlife Wonder Bread, Birdy Bagels, Groovey Grapefruit Feeders and Muffin Madness, there are many to choose from, with great illustrative photographs.

PLAN FOR SPRING

Here you can get wildflower and native grass seeds online, with recommendations for your area: http://www.wildflowerfarm.com/ .

Here http://www.wildflowerfarm.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=1&Category_Code=PI you will find tips for planning an ecological garden.

Wildseed Farms (http://www.wildseedfarms.com ), just up road from me near Fredericksburg, TX, is nation’s largest working wildflower seed farm, and you can purchase seeds directly from them.

When to plant? Planting dates depend upon seasonal precipitation in your area rather than temperature, and can be planted in fall or early spring. Go here for a schedule: http://www.wildseedfarms.com/faq_main_page.htm .

Start planning now. With your yard bare as it is now, take a walk around, then use some of these resources to plan your habitat.

The fees associated with RAL’s are expensive. For example, let’s say IRS owes you a refund of $2,000. In order to get a RAL you pay following: RAL loan fee = $75, Electronic filing fee = $40, tax preparer’s fee = $100. Total fees associated with your RAL = $215 which is more than 10 percent of your estimated refund. The APR on your refund loan equals a whopping 142 percent!

Many low and moderate income workers are without bank accounts and wind up paying an additional fee to set up a one-time-use account so that their IRS refund can be direct deposited.

Before giving in to temptations of refund anticipation loans, ask yourself if you really need your money that quickly. If you can wait just a bit longer for your refund you’ll line your own pockets with extra cash rather than forking it over to a RAL lender.

A great way to save money at tax time is to go to a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) site. VITA sites provide free tax preparation to low and moderate income taxpayers and are sponsored by IRS. They can be found in libraries, community centers and other locations during tax season. To find a VITA site call IRS general help line at 1-800-TAX-1040 or visit www.tax-coalition.org.