Porch Woes

My front porch shows the wear and tear that come with birds and squirrels and other critters. Despite my better judgment, in the first week I moved here, I hung a bird feeder from the arbor above the porch so my cat and I could enjoy the view. I have loved watching the birds. Their variety has been delightful: woodpeckers, flickers, gold and house finches, bluebirds, tufted titmice, wrens, chickadees, and even indigo buntings. But . . . they have worn the rails below the feeder, as have the nightly visitors, especially the raccoons. Now it's time to power wash, sand, and repaint. (I'm pleased to have found a young woman painter with two young children to feed.) I could avoid part of the problem in the future if I were to move the feeder, but then I'd also remove the pleasures of winged things that have often lifted my days.