The untamed garden...

Our poor little backyard garden...

 ... has been sorely neglected.

There as been no weeding, grass planting, gravel path making, or any of the projects we had planned for this year.

Thankfully none of the backyard critters or birds seem to mind.

They continue to visit us regularly, which is always such a delight! The birds and squirrels are constantly knocking my faux birdhouse off its pole. A simple project requiring some nails and glue, yet there never seems to be time.

The only thing being tended to in the garden this year is watering and changing the hummer's sugar water on a regular basis.

And, of course, filling the bird baths...

... and tossing peanuts. Mr. Blue Jay has made the tall birdhouse at the center of the garden his lookout tower when I toss peanuts into the yard.

Of course there are those who also prefer a lookout tower closer to the ground...

... as evidenced by this little guy...

... and this one.

I've been super busy with both transcribing and some other issues (sick car, sick hubby, and sick me) this past month, but there is light at the end of the tunnel so hopefully I'll be able to visit many of you in the near future!

And I'll definitely be sharing some photos of my Sammy's and Chip's in a future post.

This week I'm joining Brenda at Cozy Little House for Tweak it Tuesday and

Cindy at My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday. 

Till next time, have a wonderful week!

Donna

Wild thing, you make my heart sing...

You make everything... 

  Groovy!! 

(talk about dating myself!!!)

You've all heard the phrase "you can't teach an old dog new tricks," 

but apparently you can teach a young squirrel some new ones!

At least with the help of my fearless Chip

(who has a bit of an alien "Take me to your leader" look going on in this photo!)

Chip is delighted to come and visit me (it's actually the peanut basket he enjoys visiting, but I pretend it's me). The birds and the squirrels? Not so much. They typically hold back a bit and wait for something to be tossed in their direction.

Needless to say, Chip gets a lot more peanuts than the other critters since he's not one bit shy about helping himself.

One evening a few weeks ago, I watched while Sammy Squirrel, over on the chair, studied Chip's comings and goings in and out of the peanut basket.

 He was clearly in awe of Chip's front row seat at the self-serve buffet.

The aroma of roasted peanuts was clearly seducing him.

And before long, Chip and I had company on the settee.

First one paw on the basket...

...and then the other. Sammy was a happy camper as he grabbed a couple of peanuts for the road.

Not wanting to miss out on this action, Mr. Blue Jay also swooped in for a peanut or two.

All in all, a great way to unwind after a hectic day, 

spending time with all the little critters who grace our backyard with their presence.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

For more posts about our sweet backyard Chip(s)
Click Here

This week I'm joining Claudia, Mockingbird Hill Cottage for A Favorite Thing Saturday,
and Cindy, My Romantic Home for Show & Tell Friday

COMMENT UPDATE:
No, the photos weren't take through a window. I was enjoying the backyard, sitting on the wicker settee right next to the peanut basket. That's the only way I could possibly get decent close-ups with my little point & shoot Canon Power Shot!

Donna

Feeding Time at the Zoo...

A couple of weeks ago I paid bills on the table outside. It was a gorgeous, sunny afternoon, much too nice to be stuck inside. It wasn't long before I had some friends join me. (The peanut basket I brought out with me is like a beacon.)

(click on any photos to enlarge them)

This is one of the many bluejays who visit our yard. But this particular little guy is the only one brave enough to come right up to me to get his peanuts.

It's taken a while for him to feel comfortable enough to come this close. I doubt he'll ever trust me enough to eat out of my hand like my chipmunk friends, but I feel honored that he trusts me enough to come this close.

I was almost out of peanuts on this particular day, so he had to hop down into the basket to retrieve his treats, with me sitting right there. Another act of great bravery on his part.

I know bluejays can be mean birds, but I still have a soft spot for them.

Now Ms. Titmouse isn't nearly so shy. She always makes sure I see her when she comes to visit, hopping from chair to table and from side to side to catch my attention. I think she likes to be admired and told how cute she is.

Of course my little Chips are ever present. Today I made Chip get his own peanuts out of the basket instead of hand feeding him since I was busy paying bills (and taking pictures!).

Here he is with his cheeks full, on his way out of the basket while Sammy Squirrel decides whether or not to join him.

My little Chips are fearless creatures, always eager to become friends with the peanut lady (me). 

Another picture of Sammy deciding whether to join us while Mr. Blue Jay watches over the peanut basket from the top of our wrought iron planter holder.

It really was a perfect afternoon. I even had a visit from shy Mrs. Mourning Dove, who braved the feeding frenzy in order to get a drink from the fountain. Having all these little creatures around sure took a bit of the sting out of paying bills!!

Have a beautiful week... Donna

Squirrel gulch...

I’m not sure how it got dubbed “squirrel gulch,” because it’s not a gulch at all, but that’s what we now call the girls’ 20-year old swingset.


The swingset used to sit next to the treehouse, but when the shed was put in, we moved it next to the deck until we decided what to do with it.


It took a day like this (brrrrr... this photo was taken 3 years ago) to make us realize that we should leave the swingset right next to the deck…


...because these little guys, who brave even the nastiest winter weather to get their peanut treats, discovered they could come down the tree branches and scurry across the swingset to the deck, not once having to go down to the yard to work their way through the (sometimes) knee deep snow! The squirrels realized it was the perfect shortcut/bridge to the deck...


Well, the word spread, and before long birds started coming. They realized that if they sat and looked adorable, that we'd put nuts out for them as well… First the bluejays came…

They tend to be greedy/hungry birds, so they come a lot… Just look at Sammy down at the end, horrified that the blue jay got one of his nuts!

Then the shy cardinals started coming. This is a young male; the female is never far away... (And once again, you can see that the squirrels are ever present when peanuts are being handed out!)...

And now the mockingbirds have started coming (no photos of them yet)... But most of the time it’s these guys... day in & day out – rain or shine - morning, noon, & early evening – 365 days a year.

And then there are those days when it's just too hot to eat, and the swingset is the perfect place to just flop… I took this photo yesterday from inside the house...

When I ventured outside to get a photo, Sammy heard me coming, but it was so hot he didn't even try to move…

Now I know many people think of these little guys as rats with bushy tails, but we have a soft spot in our hearts for them (even if they do rip up my plants)... So the swingset (a.k.a. Squirrel Gulch) has now found its permanent home.

"Okay, Sammy, I’ll be right back with a nut for you…"

Donna