I’m not aware of any woodpeckers that would peck into rope, so I think Lewis is correct here. He’s also calmer, because you can’t just worry about every branch you’re standing on or under to rot and fall. If that was the case, I wouldn’t draw any strips with the birds standing on branches. I do draw them, because I find them less tedious to draw. Trees, on the other hand, like the one in this strip (and the two previous strips, in fact) are a joy to draw. Why do I draw grass, then? Well, I don’t figure birds stay in trees all the time. They stand other places, too. Perhaps they’ll get a change of venue soon.

Anyway, the real question is why Lewis is still hanging around the tire swing, and whether he’s found those acorn ear plugs yet.