What about “Shane”? That’s what Western movie lover Richard Hauser of Lewisville asked last week. Indeed, “Shane” is recognized by most Western movie critics as one of the best of all time. Played by Alan Ladd, former gunfighter Shane tries to abandon his past and take up life as a farm hand only to be forced to defend his employer against a land baron and his ruffians.

I had many “what-about” movie lovers second-guessing my all time Best 10 Westerns list from last week.

I’ve never pretended to be a movie critic, but I know what I like. I even liked the new “Lone Ranger,” which certified critics last week labeled the worst movie of 2013.

In addition to the 1953 classic “Shane,” there were readers casting votes for:

• Support Your Local Sheriff (1969)

• Once Upon a Time In The West (1968)

• Tombstone (1993)

• The Magnificent Seven (1960)

• Rio Bravo (1959)

• Red River (1948)

• For A Few Dollars More (1965)

• The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)

• My Darling Clementine (1946)

• Pale Rider (1985)

• Dances With Wolves (1990)

• The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007)

• Cat Ballou (1965)

• A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

That’s the problem with making a Top 10 list. You have to leave some out. There are 15 additional movies listed above. It would have been easier to make a Top 25 list.

Over the weekend, I watched “Quigley Down Under” with Tom Selleck. He makes a fine cowboy. And, yes, I liked it too.

Bluebirds go wild for mealworm treats

Getting serious about recruiting bluebirds to my boxes, I purchased a tiny bag of mealworms last week. It’s like cocaine for birds — they love it.

At one point, six bluebirds were on the deck railing clamoring for the dried worm narcotic.

How expensive? Per ounce, it’s higher than filet mignon. I had long heard mealworms are bluebirds’ favorite food. Carolina wrens like them too.

After feeding them like royalty, the birds better build their nests in my boxes.

Parkland knows wrestling

With my youngest son wrestling this winter, I have gone to a lot of Davie High matches. Davie’s wrestling bona fides are legendary under coach Buddy Lowry. The team rarely loses.

But it lost big last week to undefeated Parkland High, 59-6. Davie’s six points came on a forfeit. Similarly, Parkland beat a very good West Forsyth team 67-6 earlier this season.

Parkland is in a league by itself with a 39-0 record going into this week. Etch the school’s name on the state championship trophy.

– Dwight Sparks