starring....Chip!

There's no mystery any more why Chip was upset about the hosta plant removal.  Although I hadn't seen it, there must have been one of his entries to his burrow under the porch.  I hadn't thought he was under there (where the last one lived) because I always saw him running along the bank and through the garden. I must have covered up his entrance while I was digging up the plants.  He's opened it up again. But now I feel sorry for the little guy since there's no protection there, at least until I plant something else there.  To add to it, it's to rain today. a LOT of rain. possibly 5" of rain today with the potential for something heavier. I did come up with something I can put over the opening to have the rain run away from the opening. he's right under the awnings gutter, which will overflow in this kind of rain. But if the yard floods....my little friend will be in danger. 



  Do you ever wonder why some animals are sooooo adorable?  Cute, and antics enough to make most sane adults smile, yet they can be nuisances. And on top of that we can fall in love with the furry creatures that are way too easy prey!

Here he is, mouth open, ready to eat a black oil sunflower seed.  How can you look at this and not go...awwwww...

Apparently the birds and critters know bad weather is coming.  They've been very busy at the feeders. Some birds I hadn't seen for a few days at least, coming back and spending hours at the feeders, including the downy woodpecker.

Two squirrels were so busy gathering up food, and eating it there was no chasing each other about.  They were in serious food mode.  They were not shy, in fact, when I'd open the door they'd look expectantly at me, come a little closer.  They were rewarded with peanuts in the shell.  The titmouse and cardinals were sneaking about nearby, usually in the big butterfly bush, waiting for their opportunity to swoop in to grab a peanut for themselves.  The titmouse made a good haul for one so little.  It's amazing to watch them grab a peanut and fly off...when it must weigh as much as they do.  They drop down, usually look at it, tilting their head at it, then POKE...their beak pierces it and off they fly.

this cardinal was looking for some seeds and maybe some bugs in the planter.

The hummingbird still hanging around, watches from a tree, all the birds at the feeders.

An American Goldfinch

A young cardinal watching, contemplating how to get seed from some of the smaller feeders.

Watching the smaller birds feed.

Waiting for an opening in the nyjer seed feeder.

This goldfinch is getting a little testy with his feeder mate.

The last time the water rose over the yard, depositing yet more rock, can some times bring a bit of interest to the yard.   Mother natures own bit of art perhaps?  To me, it looks like a joyful dancer, arms outstretched,  kicking up her foot, wearing her heart on her chest.

That's all I got!  It was a cloudy, slightly humid and mosquito ridden day. The animals of course are my distraction, but I did get up all the plants that are in pots to keep them from floating away.  My biggest concern is for my newly planted paw paw tree.   In late October the guys from the fire station I run with are to come to my place for a work detail. We were going to move some rock in the stream and along the banks, to shore up my banks and to slightly alter the waters path so it doesn't beat so hard against my yard.  Over the past few years, when the airport came and cut all my trees down, I've lost at least 3 feet of my yard. A small bridge downstream is so low that everything jams up underneath it, adding to the problem, as does the counties new development where they changed the drainage...bringing it into this small stream.  It can't handle it but no one really seems to care.  So we'll do what we can, keep bugging people about it and see if something can't be done before we are all washed away. 

I love where I live. There's a sense of privacy because there's no one in front of me.  All the animals that come about. A stream in my yard.  Where else am I going to get that :D  At least on what I make for a living!

Hope it's safe and dry where you are.