Squirrel World ~ Part 2

One week later - the squirrels are growing & seem to be doing really great. Ma & Pops have really been busy caring for them - but their TLC really shows. The squirrels are quite steady on their little feet, and getting more lively & can almost scamper around. They can climb & cling to things really well now. They still enjoy their bottles, but have started nibbling on peanuts & puppy-chow. It will soon be time for them to live in a cage, instead of their little home-made hammock-nest of towels because they will be chewing on things & climbing all over the front porch getting into mischief. But a cage will only be temporary... When they can crack & eat an acorn we'll know they are ready to be on their own. I think Ma is looking forward to that day...but Pops will miss taking care of his babies. But I bet they will hang around nearby ...because Pops always puts food out for the critters.
He keeps a never-ending buffet for the birds, squirrels, chipmunks, 'possums, and raccoons open 24/7, 365 days a year.

Squirrel World

This afternoon we had the pleasure of meeting Blake's mom's newest fur-baby friends...2 baby squirrels she had rescued. One had fallen out of a tree in the yard & was on the ground squawking in distress. High up in the oak tree above it was it's brother - also in distress. No mama squirrel anywhere in sight...a hawk may have got her. So Ma & Rusty rescued both of them after they determined the mama was indeed gone.
The babies are living in a hollow gourd on Ma's front porch and every few hours she feeds them warm goats milk.We estimate their age to be around 5 weeks. So far they are doing great. Their eyes have opened & they are getting more active.



I think this one was looking for a warm, fuzzy & funny-smelling place to hide....but for some reason, Ian just wouldn't let a baby squirrel hide in his arm pit. *G*






Baby squirrels are very difficult to raise. They just don't do well without their real mama, but we're hoping these little guys will make it. Meanwhile, we all enjoyed feeding them, and snuggling with them.



Look how precious they are with their little squirrel-arms wrapped around each other as they sleep.

Signs of Spring... (part 3)

What's has to be one of the most delightful signs of spring?

A Bluebird....

A bluebird enjoying a morning bath!






Blake watched this bluebird taking a bath just outside our kitchen window this morning. (Does that make Blake a "Peeping Tom"...or maybe a Peeping Blake?!)

It's been rainy & cold around here for almost a week. But today was BEAUTIFUL! The sun was shining, the sky was brilliant blue and it just feels wonderfully light & cool. And this little bluebird was having a a good time splashing around, tossing water drops all over the place. Flittering & fluttering - really relishing his bath. If you listen close, you can almost hear him singing "Oh What a Beautiful Mooooorning. Oh What a Beautiful Day..."


Blake told me he quietly went outside & hid in the bushes for awhile, hoping for a better photo opp....but unfortunately, the bird never returned.
*G* But at least now I know what my hubby does while I'm at work.

Signs of Spring...(part 2)

What else says 'SPRING!'?


The Redbuds blossoms.




It's funny - REDbuds bloom purpley-pink. In fall the leaves turn yellow. So who named them REDbuds? But either way ~ they're very pretty.

Other early spring bloomers we've seen - daffodils/jonquils, pretty but stinky bradford pears, bright yellow forsythia or yellowbells, and some violets are peeping up.

And a SURE sign of spring - camping and fishing fever have hit hard.
We're planning a springbreak camping trip for the 1st weekend in April. Let's hope & pray we have pleasant weather. We really need a good de-stressing camping trip.

Signs of Spring... (part 1)

How do you know it's spring? Well there are lots of telltale signs around here.

First - the peach trees bloom.


Then, the bees come a-buzzing around the peachtree blossoms.








Can you say BUZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Their Own Sense of Style

My nephew went to his Senior Prom tonight. I took a few pictures....
To protect the innocent, this is the only picture I'll share...
but his shoes matched his vest,
and his tie matched the color of her dress.

It kind of made me speechless...

Room with a View?

Our old scarecrow has spent the entire winter underneath the mulberry tree. It has really gotten 'weathered' and I'm sure the shirt & jeans are pretty rotten by now. But someone thinks it's perfect. A squirrel has been hanging around the scarecrow, crawling in & out of it, and even tugged & pulled at the fabric...tearing off pieces for a nest, maybe?

The first time Blake noticed it, the squirrel was tunneling up and down the inside of the pants legs. At one point its fuzzy tail was hanging out the zipper area. THAT would have been priceless picture! THEN the squirrel turned around and had it's head poking out the fly/zipper area! Just looking around, checking out the view. Blake has been trying to get a picture of this comical squirrel. So far - this is the only picture of the the scarecrow & squirrel together, but we're patient...maybe that silly squirrel will pose for Blake again, soon. We'll keep watching.

Meanwhile, here's what I think our little squirrel is cooking up. I think its a SHE, being a picky female - wanting the new home to look just right before she invites her guy over. She's setting herself up in a squirrel penthouse and is getting ready for her hunky boyfriend, Super-Squirrel, to come sweep her off her little squirrelly feet, and take her to land of nuts & honey a-plenty,... where they will live happily ever after.

March comes in ..... like a snowy lion!

We had a wonderful blessing today - SNOW! We get snow so rarely that it's a treat for us. A fun day to enjoy. The boys are really hoping school will be cancelled tomorrow, but we'll have to wait & see.

A week ago we were seeing the robins & gold finches acting all twitterpated. The flying squirrels were literally flying all over our backyard at night. Everything in the air said 'spring is almost here'....


Now the early daffodils are drooping because of the heavy, sloppy wet snow on them. The irises are trying to come up out of the ground...but now they are not sure that's such a good idea.
Bare tree branches are outlined with the snow. The fig & peach trees have a layer of snowy-frosting that makes them really cool looking. It's hard to capture the beauty of this in the photographs...especially when my hands were freezing! But it's hard to wear mittens & handle the camera, so 'art' won, and the mittens stayed inside.



Cole had a blast time playing in the snow. He romped & played on the church playground until he was soaking wet. He changed into warmer, dry clothes as soon as we got home... then he romped and played in the yard until he was even more soaking wet & cold. But that's what a day like this is for! Look at that mischievous gleam in his eye - (lower left photo)....yes, that was right before he threw that big ol' snowball at his Mama. Rotten kid!