Camera Shy Neighbors Caught

As I sat at my computer here in my study early this morning, I happened to glance up to see my under the deck neighbor saunter across the lawn to the edge of the glen. I grabbed my camera to take its picture and there was the other neighbor, too. Unfortunately only one of the photos came out because it would only pose for one.

New Neighbors

I wish I had a photo to show the new neighbors we have .... living under our deck!

We've seen them a couple of times and most recently early this morning. In the latter case I believe the raccoon was returning from a night out. It calmly walked across the backyard from the feeder to the deck and ducked underneath. We've seen at least two and we've heard them squeal. At what? We don't know.

My one hope is that they have moved out the previous occupant - the groundhog - because I don't think the raccoons will eat my plants like the groundhog loved to do.

Disappearing Act

It's nice to see the snow disappear. However, it may just be a tease.

A special thanks to Matt, my son-in-law who helped me rescue all my iphoto pictures which had mysteriously disappeared as well from iphoto.

Have You Ever ...

... seen a squirrel pee? I hadn't either until this morning.

I was on the return leg of my mile round trip to get the newspaper (The NY Times now - no longer the Baltimore Sun, but that's another story). As I was passing the stone wall that borders the lane for a portion of it, I heard the sound of falling water hitting leaves. I knew it wasn't warm enough to be melting snow nor was there any snow left in the upper branches of the trees. I looked up to see the source and spied a squirrel. He was laying on a branch of a very old cedar tree, one of three that has been growing along this old stone wall for a very long time. I looked again at the spot where the "water" was reaching the ground then back at the squirrel. Yes it was coming from him/her. To paraphrase an expression of someone very dear to me: "All the world is a squirrel's room."