Oh! So that's where those holes in the yard are coming from!!!

We have had two precious dogs die in the past two years.  Blue and Hershey. The most recent was Hershey, a 17+ year old Rat Terrier, she died in December of 2009.

So imagine our surprise when walking around the yard and finding mysterious holes that have obviously been dug in the lawn and dirt. No dogs back there.  SO - What, when, how, where could this be coming from?

No problem. We have so many creatures roaming in and out of our yard all the time, it could be any one of them. Owls, herons, possums, birds of all kinds, squirrels, cats, turtles, and who knows (I don't think I want to know) what else!


Here's what our squirrels do.  Either sit under one of the bird feeders and eat the fallen seed like this:

- OR - sometimes they will get into the hanging feeders like this:

Imagine my surprise when I looked out my bedroom window yesterday morning and saw this! Digging by Miss Squirrel! It's becoming very clear where the holes are from now!

Success! She found what she was looking for - probably all over the rest of the yard too.

Can't you just see her taking a little bite out of the acorn! SO cute, really. Yes - really.

Oops! Exit, stage left! I think I moved too close to the window and she's off with her precious find. Climbing high into the trees and fleeing the danger. However, I'm quite certain that she will be back today or tomorrow or next week to dig and look for more tender treats.

Happy Cinco de Mayo!!!


With love, Laura

Today is Tuesday

This morning I sat outside and watched the birds fly through the trees in our back yard. We lost so much this last winter to the snow and cold and that is very unusual for this part of Texas. This spring our plants are thinner with less places for the birds to hide if they feel threatened. Steve and I (mostly him) have worked in the yard getting it somewhat back to how we love it. We still need to replace some of the bushes lost in the freeze so our little feathered friends will have more places to hide.

I sat in a rocker that one of my sisters gave me, and thought about her and how sweet to share something she knew I would love so much. I rocked and watched the birds. The sprinkler was going, off to the left, and the Blue Jays were really enjoying bathing in and flying through the water in the air.

There was a parent Blue Jay with a toddler. The first toddler Blue Jay I've seen. All of the babies just quiver and shake and flutter their feathers. They cry for food, for mama, and for daddy all the time. You can hear them this time of year all through the trees.  There was a male cardinal, Red as we call him, feeding his baby. I just love to watch this process every year.

The humidity was down this morning and so it was wonderful outside - rocking, thinking, watching. We have feeders up in the backyard so that the birds and squirrels can feed. I know some folks don't like squirrels, but we do. Their little fuzzy tails are so cute and the way they use their "hands" to eat and dig is fun to watch. We have one baby squirrel this year that we are watching closely. It has been severely wounded in some way. We think it might have fallen and damaged a limb or two as well as it's motor coordination. It mostly flops around to move anywhere. It's painful to watch. We are keeping extra food and water around the yard to give the poor little thing some help. One of the special things about this little creature is that its mama stays very close by. I think that Mama is still helping it, even as it's gotten a little older. Mothers are so special.

As I was rocking, I started thinking about my blog and how I go in spurts to write and then stop for a while. Life just seems to get caught up in itself and rolls all over the place and then suddenly days and weeks have sped by and I haven't written a thing. I probably never really breathe during those times, I hold my breath until I'm done with the project, or work assignment, or whatever it is, then I finally take a little time and breathe. So today, I'm breathing and writing.

For me, life is most perfect when it is slow - filled with nature - peaceful - filled with love.



With love, Laura