Elk, Squirrels, and other little creatures

I haven't written in so long! I was in Colorado visiting family. It was a stunning drive through New Mexico. As always, the crows flew alongside our truck as if guiding us to our destination. They always surprise me with their size and deep, dark beauty.

It snowed as soon as we reached Colorado. This was not surprising in one way. Colorado generally gets one last wet, sloppy snowfall in the spring, but this year, winter just seems to be going and going. We were surprised, however, to run across a herd of elk in town. Apparently, they have made themselves at home in a field on the outskirts of Loveland and are perfectly happy there. I posted pictures and discussed them on Facebook and many of my friends sent messages to tell me they had also seen them in smaller or larger groups. The herd we saw consisted of about ten or twelve adult elk.

We spent some time in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on the way home. I have been distressed about the move, worried about leaving all of our little creatures that live around our home in Texas and worried that I will not make new friends in New Mexico, but I was very happy to see lizards scooting about everywhere we looked, so I know there will be some friends for me there. I already know there are crows! We often see red-tailed hawks as we drive through New Mexico, as well. I suspect they also have raccoons, and know for certain that they have ringtails. The trick will be in finding the right house. I hope we can find some squirrels to make their home in our trees. I don't think I've ever lived without squirrels.

The young man who watched our house was diligent about keeping the feeders filled with corn cobs. I found many cobs scraped clean in the yard when we returned. As soon as I set out the seed, the animals returned and the gardens were filled with sparrows, cardinals, squirrels and lizards.

The day we returned we discovered a small lizard on the back screen. He was walking up and down, catching bugs. I told him he was welcome to keep this as his regular job. He stopped and cocked his head while I spoke to him. Then he let me pet his back, which really surprised me. He seemed to recognize my voice and I suspect he is the creature that has been living just outside my bedroom door, the one I feared might be a scorpion. He is very cute and dragony-looking with a white spot on his head. I think he was either beneath someone when they were painting or was pooped on by a bird.

The next day, my husband was working outside and the same lizard blocked his path. Steve tried to explain that he needed to get by, but the lizard wouldn't move. Steve finally knelt down and spoke with it a bit and after awhile, when it was ready, the lizard scooted into some nearby ivy. My stepson walked up a few minutes later, though, and the lizard ran out of the rocks and blocked his path. I think he's either being friendly or declaring his territory!

Snakes, Birds, and Squirrels

I was outside filling the seed dishes and the little golden squirrel was sitting in the tree chewing on a corn cob. He watched me work, but he didn't run off, or even stop eating. I think the workers on the roof are making so much noise that the squirrels are getting used to the constant disruptions and actually adjusting to having humans around while they eat!

As I was leaving this afternoon, I saw a snake slithering up the driveway. I was afraid it might go under my truck tire, or worse yet, into the wood pile and bite one of the construction workers, so I gently guided it with my shoes and hands back into the forest. It was very docile. Not the least bit threatened. It took a little help to identify it, but I think it was a Regal Ring-Necked snake. It was about a foot long, maybe longer, a shimmery silver color with a yellow band around its neck and a black head. I took some pictures, but a few people on facebook responded just from the description. Apparently, there is a similar snake called the Northern Ringneck that lives, of course, up North
There is a flock of teeny, tiny birds in the oak tree at the foot of the front steps right now. Their song sounds like a high-pitched chirp. I had to stand beneath the tree for quite some time before I could actually see them. They are the size of hummingbirds. They have cream-colored bodies and dark wings and heads, and when they fly from branch to branch it looks like they're hopping and skipping on the air.

The mustang grape vine is filling in on the den patio and the baby sparrows--who are obviously a year old now--are still hanging out in the vines, but they're not eating as much as they used to. In fact, they seem to prefer the back picnic table, perhaps because the construction workers are on the den patio so much of the time. I haven't seen the hawk since I put the fake owl on the fence.

Mrs. Toady was not in the garden shoe today. It looks as if she buried herself in a pot of mint on the patio, but I didn't dig around to check. I think she is also a little disturbed by all the noise. She does hide in the plant pots quite a bit, though, even when it's not noisy.

Ring-Tailed Cats and Rock Squirrels

We were visited by the ring-tailed cat again, but this time it was at dusk instead of in the early morning hours. My husband walked out the back door and saw the cat sitting in the tree, watching him. It is a fascinating creature with a head like a chihuahua--including the big, pointy ears--body like a cat and long, raccoon tail.

My husband spoke softly to the cat and the cat sat and listened. He didn't seem the least bit afraid. My husband stepped back inside the house and called for me to join him, and when we returned to the yard, the cat was still there, watching us. I talked to him for a good long time and he seemed to be enjoying the conversation, even if it was rather one-sided. After awhile, he simply stood up and made his way back into the forest.

My husband thought he had seen the cat come down from the roof, so I sliced some apples and put them on the roof along with sunflower seeds and corn kernels that I feed to the squirrels. The next morning, the apples were gone. He must have enjoyed the feast. I read online that miners used to keep them as pets. They would cut a hole in a box and keep the box by the stove. The ring-tailed cat would sleep all day, then climb out at night to eat the mice and rats in the cabins. Unfortunately, raccoons will hurt these cats, so I am hoping they don't cross each other.

The animals seem mildly disrupted by the roof construction, but I think they're figuring out a schedule. They know the workers come late in the morning, so the squirrels and birds have been showing up at the food dishes earlier and earlier. This morning, I heard them outside at sunrise. I checked the dishes and they were completely bare--not even a shell, which means the ring-tailed cat showed up last night. He's the only creature that doesn't even leave a shell. So, I filled all the dishes and shut the door, turned around and the squirrels came scrambling down from the roof to eat.

We had a rock squirrel in the window a few days ago. It was a small baby and I think he was looking for a bird to eat. He was in our bedroom window. My husband and I spoke with him in soft voices and he turned and scratched on the window, which was unexpected. Chewy the chihuahua ran through the house and out the back door, then straight for the window. Suddenly, he stopped, turned, ran down the stairs and stood quietly on the front lawn. I think he realized that if it came down to a battle, the rock squirrel would probably win! I went outside to get the dog and the squirrel ran between my legs, down the stairs, down the driveway, across the street and into the forest that faces our house. He will be back, I suspect, like all predators. Now that he knows we feed the birds, he also knows our house is a good source for food.

Construction

We are replacing our roof and the noise has been very disruptive. The little creatures are getting plenty of food and water and play in the mornings before the workers arrive, but I do miss watching them in the afternoons.

Chewy the chihuahua was almost nipped by the garter snake who hangs out by my bedroom door. I saw Chewy chasing something and knew it had to be the snake judging from the way Chewy was moving, sort of jerking and jumping. I grabbed him as fast as I could and tossed him into the bedroom.

There are so many wildflowers blooming right now the air smells like perfume and it fills every room of the house. The wysteria is in full bloom and its scent blends nicely with the huge patches of bluebonnets. There are short bouquets of white flowers that look like baby's breath and tiny pink pinstriped flowers, and flowers about three feet tall with bunches of three purple or blue flowers. The crimson clover is just starting to come into bloom, as well, providing a nice contrast.

I haven't see the red parrot-like bird lately, the one who tried to kill the cardinal, but I have seen a large blue bird that I don't recognize hanging out with the sparrows. He has a loud, lovely song and seems to get along with the other birds quite nicely.

I set up the plastic owl on the fencepost, put two small trees in pots and blocked the view of the sparrow feeding station in the den patio, then moved the grill to block the view, as well, and I haven't seen the hawk all week!

Hawk Action

The hawk is back and he's starting to make me...well, angry. I was sitting in the den today listening to the sparrows and he swooped down onto the patio and frightened the birds so badly that two of them flew into the window. I was talking to my sister about the situation and she suggested moving the fake owl to the den patio, which I did. The sparrows and squirrels don't seem particularly concerned by the owl, but I'm hoping it will intimidate the hawk a bit. Only time will tell.

They changed the forecast last night from 100% chance of rain to 70. It's been raining all night and morning. We are building an Ark right now. We have five squirrels on the bedroom patio, trying to avoid the rain. Actually, they're pigging out on sunflower seeds and corn. They keep chasing the baby squirrel off, and he runs a few feet, turns around, and runs right back in to the foray. He's a keeper.

The baby squirrel has been so funny. It was 85 a few days ago and he was on the back porch playing while his mother ate seeds. He kept running up to the door and putting his paws on the glass then peeking inside. He's absolutely adorable. His fur is so golden its almost white. The belly fur seems to take on a reddish color as the squirrels get older.

Uno, the one-eyed squirrel, has decided he likes the dish of food I fill by the second garage. He takes the seeds into his teeth, climbs to the top of the fence post then nibbles on the seeds while my chihuahua barks hysterically at the door. I think Uno likes intimidating the dog.

Chewy the chihuahua has decided he is not a morning person. After we wake him up for his walk, he climbs back into the big dogs' bed, buries himself in their blankets and sleeps until noon. He's still running off on walks. Now, he hides behind trees, waits until I pass, then races back to the house and sits by the door... with one paw raised like he's saying hello, pretending he was there all along.

I was watching television and noticed a tiny bird outside the den window so I went to look and sure enough, it was a hummingbird! I read on the Travis Audubon site that some early birds have been sighted, but they're in my yard! We ran to the garage and dug out the hummingbird feeders, cleaned them and filled them. Now I'm waiting...

Weather Rollercoaster

It is raining, then the sun shines, then it rains once more. According to the NOAA, we have set an all-time record for the coldest, wettest winter in the Hill Country. The animals are feeling the chill. They are eating far more than ever before.

The sparrows still spend their days in the mustang grape vine outside the den, then fly off in groups of five or more to sleep in the trees at night. They are very routine creatures and we have learned that they love to be spoken to, so my husband and I stop to talk to them every time we pass their perches.

There is another flock of birds, very tiny birds, like finches, that is spending time on the bedroom patio now. They share the space with the sparrows and the squirrels. They are so tiny, they look like miniature figurines. I have been tossing extra seed onto the ground for them.

I walked into the backyard and spooked a large hawk yesterday, one of the largest I've seen. It wasn't big enough to be a black vulture, though I know black vultures are actually in the hawk family. Nevertheless, it was a very large bird. Interestingly enough, I believe it was taking a bath in the bird bath I set out for the sparrows.

I figured out the mystery of the sunflower seeds in my garden shoes. Uno, the one-eyed squirrel is not only the squirrel filling my shoes with seeds, he is also the squirrel that likes to run across the driveway, and the squirrel that eats the seeds I leave on a tray beneath a tree just inside the forest. I was pretty surprised when I figured this out. I knew he was bold, I just didn't think he was bold enough to walk up to the back door where the dogs sleep. It's so amazing to me to think that he was the runt of the litter, at one time the tiniest squirrel on the block. He's come a long way...

Little Squirrel

The little one-eyed squirrel was on my bedroom patio this morning. I have written about him often. He was very tiny when he first appeared on my porch last spring, and there was an over-abundance of males in the territory at the time. The two boys from the year before were still around, and the mother squirrel had a girl and a boy. There was also the two males that live on the front of the property and the older male that hangs out by the garage that is separate from the house. Last spring, it seemed there was constant battles, and suddenly, the tiniest male showed up with a scratch on his eye.

At first, I thought he might have fought with another of the males, but there was something about the wound that made me think it might have come from a larger creature, perhaps even the hawk that makes its appearance in our yard. It was a pretty big wound, and it seemed infected. Still, he continued to come to my porch for sunflower seeds. He generally arrived later in the morning, after the older males had eaten their fill.

I prayed and prayed over him every time I saw him and I pictured him surrounded by healing, loving energy. I felt so helpless. I couldn't think of any other way to help him. I was afraid the infection would travel to other parts of his body. But somehow, the infection stopped. The oozing stopped, and slowly, gradually, his eye began to heal.

When the hawk showed up again this winter, all of the squirrels disappeared. I was particularly concerned about my one-eyed friend, who I sometimes call Uno, but most of the time, I call him Baby. Then he started appearing again a few days ago. It was such a relief, and an interesting moment. He was facing west when I saw him on the table, but I was certain it was him, and when I started to speak to him through the door, he turned his head to show me his eye, as if to let me know that it was him. The eye has healed, but I don't think his vision is completely restored. He still has a scar, and the eye only opens a sliver.

This morning, my husband noticed that some of the older squirrels were chasing each other and knocked the seed dish to the ground. It was broken in pieces, but the other squirrels had also eaten all the seeds. Then Uno arrived, and he sat on the table and looked at us through the door. My husband went outside and filled a bowl full of seeds, then took it to the porch, but when he walked through the doorway and poured the seed onto the table, Uno did not run away. Instead, he climbed onto the trellis, turned around, and watched. Steve said hello, then walked away. I think little Uno likes us. I am grateful that God has watched over him. He is a precious gift.

A New Visitor

We had a visitor on our porch last night that I have never seen before, but I knew what it was because the local paper did an article on them just last week. It's called a Ringtail, or a Miner's Cat. It was sitting on the back porch eating sunflower seeds around four in the morning. At first, I thought I was looking at my chihuahua! It has large ears, large eyes, the body of a cat and the tail of a raccoon. They are solitary animals that only get together to mate. They have a loud, barking sound, but they're generally very quiet and shy. They are also extremely agile and do things like flatten their bodies to squeeze into places. They even do cartwheels. They use their huge tails for balance. Their tails are much bigger than raccoons.

It was a wonderful experience. He was watching me through the window and sat on the table until the cat finally spotted him and ran to the door, then he took off. I had a feeling we've had more visitors lately because we've been going through so much food at night. Generally, after the raccoons leave, there's still a little food left for the birds and squirrels to hold them over until I get out of bed and fill their dishes, but lately, every last little seed disappears. My husband also said he thought he saw a cat leaving the garage late one night when he checked on the barking dogs, but when I looked out the window, I saw a raccoon tail, so I assumed it was a raccoon. I'm guessing it was the Ringtail.

Our house is filled with ladybugs. Our roof fell apart during all the rain and we had to wait a long time for the insurance agent to come check it out. When the roof started leaking my husband took down some tiles, and suddenly, our house is filled with ladybugs. They must be breeding in the ceiling. They are on my clothes, my computer, walls, ceiling, everywhere. I've tried to rescue as many as I could and put them back outside. It's sixty degrees out there right now so they should be happy!

The baby rabbits have definitely left their nest, but I think it's time to start watching for sparrow nests. I still have at least thirty of the original sparrows flocking around my house and I believe the hawk has moved on for good--we haven't seen him for a couple of weeks. I would love to set up some kind of sparrow apartment building for them, but it would be very tricky--between the squirrels, hawks, raccoons and ringtails, there sure are a lot of predators around here!

A Butterfly

I am having so much physical pain with all the rain we've had lately. It just doesn't seem to want to ease up, but this is normal for Texas in the winter. I was up most of the night with a headache and it was difficult for me to get up this morning, but I forced myself to get moving, to get dressed and do my yoga and greet my dogs because I knew they were standing at the kitchen door, waiting patiently for my loving arms.

We went outside to walk. It was such a light sprinkle of rain at the time I wouldn't even call it a drizzle. We walked past the carport and down to the road. While we walked, I was thinking about all of the changes I've experienced in my life lately, and how much I want to return to my routine of walking four and five times a day. I was also thinking about those lovely black and orange butterflies that kept appearing out of nowhere when it was warmer the past few weeks, landing on my shoulder or chest, just stopping by to say hello.

Then I called to the dogs and we all turned around to head back to the house, and as I raised my leg to step over a large rock, I looked down and saw a black and orange butterfly, resting on the rock, slowly opening and closing its wings. This, too, I know, was a gift from God. Not just the existence of the butterfly, not just the existence of the rain, and the fresh green smell and my precious dogs and the land we walk on each day, but the fact that the butterfly made its appearance, just at that moment, to remind me of God's love. This, too was a gift from God.

The squirrels have been eating more and more seeds lately. I think they eat extra to keep their bodies warm when its raining. I like the way they flip their tails up and over their heads like little umbrellas. There was a little boy on the porch this morning and he was eating very slowly, picking through the seeds, watching me as I typed on the computer. Then he put his paws down for awhile and just sat, watching me. I think he was enjoying the fact that he was out of the rain for awhile!

There was also a few teeny little birds on the back porch eating seeds. They looked even smaller than finches, but I don't think they were baby birds. I am hoping they will return today so I can get a closer look.

A Hawk Sighting

It's still chilly, cloudy and misty. I moved all seeds from the back picnic table during the day, but I put some out at night for the raccoon twins. When they climb onto the light it triggers the motion sensor on the back door light and for some reason, I think they like this. They spend a lot of time sitting on that table while momma eats on my back porch, watching them through the doorway. So, before I go to bed, I put some seeds out on the table. I moved the bird bath to the table outside the den where the sparrows play during the day, but I kept a small dish of water on the back picnic table for the raccoons.

My goal was to discourage birds and squirrels from sitting on the table because I think this makes them targets for the hawk. I thought I was successful because I haven't seen the hawk for five days. However, as he was driving up the drive this evening, the hawk flew in front of my husband's truck, very low, in front of the windshield so Steve could get a clear view. I think he was trying to let us know this is his territory and he intends to stay.

Unfortunately, after I found the pile of feathers indicating the hawk had eaten one of the rare white-winged doves, I have not seen another white-winged dove on the property. This fall, we had a flock of ten or twelve of them. I doubt the hawk got them all. They have most likely moved on to safer grounds.

My neighbor was burning wood in his yard a few days ago and I noticed he seemed to be upsetting the birds in the trees on the other side of the creek on our property. They were making quite the racket and flying from tree to tree. What surprised me was how many of them were over there at the time. I was also surprised that they didn't simply fly into the forest behind our property and wait for the smoke to clear. It was so noisy, it was almost as if they were yelling at him. It made me wonder if maybe there are birds on that side preparing nests already.

Although it does seem early, there are signs of spring. The early bulbs are popping up and I have one daffodil and three bluebonnets blooming on the property, which doesn't seem like much considering we live on four acres, but they are signs of spring!

Chilly Chilly Chilly

It is cold outside! The baby sparrows look like feather balls hopping about, trying to keep warm. I had to break the ice on their water dishes again this morning. I was late going out there, trying to avoid the chill, but they are so patient with me. They went to the pond instead. I think they're singing so loud now to keep warm!

I haven't seen the hawk for nearly a week and the squirrels have returned. I now see an obvious connection between the arrival of the hawk and the temporary disappearance of my beloved squirrels. There is a squirrel on the bedroom patio now. He climbed into the tree in the front yard then paused on a branch and turned to watch as I finished my yoga routine. He scampered across the roof and I walked into the bedroom just as he was climbing through the trellis. He poked his head through some vines and paused to watch me. I did the same. I spoke with him in a soft, loving voice and told him how much I loved and adored him and how welcome he is in my home. He continued to watch me for a minute, then climbed onto the table and started to eat.

I have always been attracted to squirrels. When I was young and my family traveled from town to town exploring old Colorado, we always stopped at gift shops and my father would give us each a few dollars to spend. My money went to squirrels, every time. They used to sell these little ceramic brown squirrels in all the gifts shops and I had a collection of all different sizes. I have no idea what happened to my precious squirrels when I left my parent's home, but I do miss them and wish I had them now.

The dogs don't even want to go outside, that's how cold it is. Chewy the chihuahua is hiding beneath a blanket on my lap and Buddy and Holly are creeping closer and closer to the wood stove. I had to move Buddy last night. He dragged his blanket right next to the stove and was trying to lie down on the rock hearth. Right now, they are both cuddled up with each other, leaning against the rock hearth. They are finally adjusting to Texas and missing the warm weather, I think. In the summertime, of course, they park their fannies in front of the air conditioner and whine about how much they miss Colorado!

It is late, and getting dark, but the birds are singing so sweetly that I think I'll go for one last walk before sunset. I wish I knew what they were saying to each other. We've had a few cardinals around lately, but nothing like the first year we were hear when they appeared at food dishes daily. I think the same mated pairs are returning. It's that time of year again when I need to dirty the windows and put stickers on them. During mating season, the males see their own reflection and will attack the windows until they hurt themselves badly. It's heartbreaking. I'd rather have soap smeared on the windows than see harm done to one of God's creations.

Home Again!

We returned from The Woodlands, Texas late last night where we were visiting my son and daughter-in-law. I was sitting in their living room yesterday when I noticed a black and white bird on the tree just outside their window. The bird was tapping at the tree as it hopped up the bark. I looked it up on the internet and sure enough, it was a woodpecker. I don't think I've ever seen a woodpecker up close before. It was a female because it had no red on its neck. Most of the trees in The Woodlands are towering pines that seem to reach to the sky, so it didn't take long for the bird to disappear from my view. My son's backyard is filled with shrubs and trees that have a wide variety of berries. Even though they don't put out seed, their yard attracts a wide variety of birds, as well.

Last year, I was dog-sitting while they were out of town and noticed twin baby squirrels chasing each other along the top of the fence every afternoon. I didn't see them this visit, but I'm sure they're around. There are plenty of trees in the area where they can make homes. Driving through The Woodlands at night is like driving through a corn maze--the trees are tall and very close together.

There is a problem with the trees in The Woodlands, though. Last year's drought attracted a large number of pine bark beetles that are slowly eating away at this beautiful forest. There is approximately 12 million acres of forestland including four national forests and five state forests in East Texas. It's called the East Texas Pine Belt, or Piney Woods, and it has plenty of food for pine beetles, unfortunately. I do hope conservation efforts can keep the problem under control.

Early this morning, the little one-eyed squirrel was on the back table digging through the sunflower seed shells. We arrived so late last night that I didn't put fresh seed out, so I grabbed my bathrobe and ran outside to fill the animal dishes. All of the water dishes were frozen solid and the garden hose was frozen, as well, so I had to fill their dishes in the den. It has been so cold that many people in central and east Texas are struggling with frozen and broken pipes--not a common problem for this area! I am hoping that the ground didn't freeze deep enough to harm the lizards, frogs and toads that bury themselves during winter to keep warm. Our pond was frozen over again, too, but just on the surface. It has already cracked and is working on melting.

Home!

Well, we're home from Colorado. It was a long vacation--nearly two weeks--and all the little creatures missed us. There was bird seed in the feeders, so I know our house sitter was thinking of our little friends, but the corn cobs were eaten to the core and the water dishes were empty. They're all clean and full now, though.

This afternoon, I was in the bedroom and a hawk flew onto the bedroom porch again. It was a large hawk with a creamy chest and gray back feathers. It looked from one side then to the other, then it stared straight at me through the window before it flew away. It happened so fast, though, that I couldn't get my camera or cell phone camera in time to snap a picture.

The baby sparrows are all just as I left them, huddled between the mustang grape vines on the side patio. I was walking the dogs this afternoon and they started making quite the ruckus, so I ran back up the driveway, worried that perhaps the hawk was bothering them, but the hawk wasn't there. Perhaps they had spotted her in the forest behind the house.

I woke up this morning to a tap, tap, tapping on the door. It was the cat, pawing at the glass. I could see a small mouse on the patio nibbling on some sunflower seeds. I tried to get the cat to stop, but he wouldn't, so I finally put him in the living room and shut the door. Then he started tap, tap, tapping on the bedroom door so I couldn't sleep. I let him back in and he immediately ran to the glass patio door to tap, tap, tap at the mouse. It was a long morning.

I had to run some errands and walked out to my truck and one of the black and orange butterflies flew up from the tire well and fluttered at my face. They are not particularly shy creatures. I do enjoy having them fly near me. There's something almost magical about having a butterfly's wings fluttering against your skin. Such a precious gift from God.

Predators, Bunnies, Squirrels and Raccoons

I was lying in bed early this morning when a sparrow flew quickly across the patio followed by the sparrow hawk. It saddens me deeply to know that he has chosen our home. I'm sure he's grateful that I am fattening up his food. He probably sees my mustang grape vine as his private restaurant since this is where the baby sparrows spend their days. I realize he has to eat, I just wish he'd eat somewhere else!

There are white bumps all over the prickly pear cactus near the road. I found a blog discussing them. They are left by an insect, and when you press on the bumps a reddish-purple, sticky substance squishes out. Apparently, the native American Indian tribes in this area used this substance to dye their clothing. I believe this--it is really dark and does leave a stain!

I was walking through the yard late last night when I noticed a baby bunny on my bedroom patio. I stopped walking, but the bunny had obviously seen me, so I started to speak to her in my soft baby bunny voice. She sat down. She was looking through my glass bedroom door, most likely watching the cat. She must have realized neither one of us could or would harm her. Then she stood up and hopped toward me to the end of the patio, watching me.

I continued to speak to her, and she stood and stared at me for at least ten minutes. I wanted to share her with my husband, so I slowly backed up, and she did not run away. I ran to get my husband, but when we returned, she was gone. I put a dish of water and some food out for her in case she returns, but I think I'll go back to shutting the garage door again so the dogs go out the other side. It's much better that way, anyway. The little creatures tend to congregate in the back yard and there is plenty of room for the dogs to roam on the other side.

The one-eyed squirrel was back for the third day in a row and I am so happy that he is growing bigger and still comfortable with my back porch, even though Chewy the chihuahua keeps marking his territory on the legs of the table. The squirrels rarely jump on the table from the ground, though. They generally scamper across the roof and down the trellis.

Speaking of scampering--I was just falling asleep last night when I heard a loud scampering across the roof just above my bedroom. It sounded like two large animals chasing each other. I am guessing it was raccoons. I think they climb the branches of the trees behind the garage and leap onto the roof of the house. A neighbor was sitting in our garage once late at night when he was watching our house and he said he saw a raccoon climb past the window. I didn't realize they could climb, but it would make sense that it was a raccoon on the roof last night--they are certainly large enough to make that kind of noise!

A Misty Afternoon

It was another cold one, but instead of the heavy rains that were predicted, we had a soft, cool, misty afternoon. We went for a drive near Austin and stopped near a field to watch a golden eagle that swooped down in front of our truck. I saw another large bird on a nearby pole and when I got closer I realized it was an American vulture. I tried to get close enough for a cell phone picture and he seemed to be posing for the camera--vultures are not as shy as I once believed.

While we were sitting in the truck, I heard a twitter and song that I recognized immediately as a flock of sparrows. They were small, with alternating yellow and black stripes on their heads, much smaller than the birds living on our back patio. Their song was so sweet, and precious. They appeared to be hunting for bugs.

This morning, there were two squirrels chasing each other in the backyard and a small group of sparrows bathing in the bird bath on the picnic table. I saw the dove, but only for a few minutes. She is a white-winged dove, and not very common to this area, so I am excited to have her here, but I'm not sure why she's alone. I feel sorry for her and wish I could cater to her needs better.

There is a small moth in our den and I thought about chasing it outside, but it's so cold outside right now and it seems pretty comfortable flying around the room. If it warms up tomorrow I will open the door and chase it back outside.

Chilly!

It's cold out here! The sunflowers are still blooming madly in the garden, but it's beyond sweater weather in Texas and I'm actually wearing a coat outside! The squirrels and birds have once again taken over the yard as the toads and lizards are in hibernation. The goldfish are hiding at the bottom of the pond.

There are paperwhites blooming in my garden. I have always thought of these flowers as spring bloomers and I'm not sure if they have their seasons confused or perhaps they prefer a slight chill. They are beautiful regardless of their reason for blooming in the cold.

I threw a tarp over the mustang grape vines yesterday and secured it tightly to try and provide a little bit of protection for the baby sparrows. They are still in the same place, just outside my den. They seem to be very happy there and prepared to winter on my patio so I moved their food and water dishes a bit closer to the trellis. I have a clear plastic covering over part of the trellis to provide warmth and the tarp for security against some of the harsh winds we've had lately.

It didn't freeze last night as expected, but it got very cold! I was unsure of what the weather might do, so late last night I harvested in the dark. I brought in the last of my anaheim chilis and all of the basil and parsley. I have a huge bag of it waiting to be harvested. I also have tons of tomatoes still resting on the vine, but I think I will leave them there to take their chances. It is supposed to get cold again this afternoon, and I may eventually pull the plants and hang them upside down in the garage so the tomatoes can ripen on the vine.

There are standard yellow sunflowers blooming on the front slope. It is so funny, and glorious, to see blooming sunflowers in December!

Kissed by a Butterfly

I was kissed by a butterfly yesterday afternoon. I was walking the dogs and noticed a Mexican Sunflower, or Tithonia, bursting with flowers and covered in orange butterflies. I took the dogs inside and brought out my camera, and as I focused in on one of the flowers, a butterfly flew up and tried to land on my cheek. It was soft and gentle, like a kiss. They are so delicate. I didn't want to move in case I bumped her with the camera, so I held very still until she eventually moved away.

I had an interesting encounter with a snake, too. I was watching television and I had the strangest feeling that there was a snake in the yard. I can't quite explain it. It was almost dark and kind of cold, and I was strongly doubting myself, but I put on some slippers and grabbed a flashlight anyway. Sure enough, the snake was just outside the back door. It didn't slide away. In fact, it looked as if it had just finished eating. It was barely moving, and it's shape seemed a little, well, out of shape. I sat beside him speaking in a soft voice for about half an hour. I called my husband and described the snake, but neither one of us was sure what kind it was. It didn't have any rattles. It didn't rear back or slither away. It just watched me. Once in awhile, it stuck its tongue out at me. My feet started to hurt because of the way I was squatting on the ground and when I stood up, he slithered away.

I'm surprised by how many lizards are still out. I walked into the backyard and found a bright green anole on the picnic table. It started to run away, but I used my soft voice and it stopped and cocked its head to one side, listening. When I tried to pick it up, though, it darted into a pot that I was preparing to fill with a plant. I decided to just leave him be. I could see his little heart racing. I turned around to walk back into the house and noticed a baby anole on the aloe vera plants. It was so small, it looked like it had just hatched. It acted the same way as the adults, though. It started to run away, but as soon as I started speaking, it stopped to listen. So cute!

And something rather odd is happening in Mrs. Toady's shoes. It is colder at night, so she has obviously buried herself somewhere in the garden or in one of my plant pots. Most likely a plant pot. Anyway, someone has filled my garden shoes with sunflower seeds! It doesn't seem like the type of thing a bird would do. To be honest, I'm a little dumbfounded by the whole thing. I have no idea what kind of creature would fill a shoe with sunflower seeds!

Floods, Toads, Squirrels, and Sparrows

We have had a tremendous amount of rain in our area and flooding in our fields. The creek running through our property is running full force. I can hear it still from my bedroom. The wildflower garden by the road was washed away and is now filled with mud, but I ordered more crimson clover and purple prairie clover seeds to re-plant.

We are expecting more rain over the next few days. I am worried about all the lizards who were living near the creek bed. We have many living around the house, particularly the younger ones who realize it's a bit safer up here than it is down by the road where the road runner likes to hunt. But I did see quite a few by the creek bed before the floods.

The evenings are much cooler now and Mrs. Toady has left the toe of my garden shoe and has buried herself either in one of my potted plants or in the garden itself. I hope she is in the potted plants. This is the time of year when I rearrange my garden and it's so difficult trying to dig when I can only go down very slowly, a nudge at a time, searching for toads. I hope she stays safe. I have grown very attached to her.

I saw Uno the one-eyed squirrel on the back porch this morning. I continue to pray for him every night, though I know now that his eye will not heal. He does seem to do very well with just one eye, though. Of all the squirrels that visit our property, he also seems to be the most comfortable with me. When he hears the sound of my voice he always stops what he's doing and watches the door, then seems to calm quite a bit and hold his own at the seed dish in spite of the current competition with the flock of grasshopper sparrow babies who don't seem to want to share anything with anyone anymore. Uno is a tough little creature. I really do admire him.

The most exciting thing happened over the past few days when I noticed a momma squirrel with black dots on her belly, indicating that she is nursing. She was at the seed dish on the patio, but the flock of sparrows were pestering her, so I ran to the opposite side of the house with more seeds and the birds followed me over. When I returned to the bedroom, the momma squirrel was gone.

However, the next morning as my husband and I were surveying flood damage, we noticed the tiniest baby squirrel we have ever seen scampering up a tree. I was so relieved that the dogs did not see the delicate little creature. The nest is on the opposite side of the creek and I have decided to discourage the dogs from going over there until the babies are large enough and strong enough, and wise enough to stay out of their way. I have not seen them chase a squirrel in a very long time, though. Hopefully I have broken them of that habit.

I am still working with Chewy, the orphaned chihuahua, to teach him not to chase the little creatures, but he is learning. The biggest problem with Chewy is that he is very competitive and loves to bark, but this can also be a bonus. When we open the door and he chases after the chocolate labs, yipping and barking, he is actually very successful at warning the bunnies and squirrels and other little creatures that we are coming so they can scamper away to safety.

Flowers and Sparrows

It hasn't rained for four days, but the fields are exploding with flowers. The roses have seven or eight blooms at a time. The pepper and tomato plants all have fresh, young fruit growing, but we no longer have a bug problem, it seems, and plants and fruit look shiny and healthy. We do have bugs, but they disappear as quickly as they arrive. I find half-eaten grasshoppers all over the sidewalks and inside the garage, the remains of a grasshopper sparrow's lunch.

The grasshopper sparrows have taken over my house, and I love it. However, they also seem to have chased off the squirrels, and just about everything else, but me, of course. The flock started out as fifteen or so tiny birds that hatched in various nests in the garage and under the umbrella, then it grew to around forty. Now there are at least fifty that stay on the back patio in the mustang grape vines. I made a double-decker tray feeder for this group with trays that slide out easily for cleaning. The top tray holds food and the bottom holds water. There are fifteen or more sparrows living in the thick mat of vines covering the trellises around my bedroom patio. They now eat the seeds that once belonged to the squirrels. I do see a squirrel out there about once a day, but nothing like the ten or more that made daily appearances this spring. There's another ten or so sparrows that hang out by the back umbrella, munching on the bird seed we leave on the picnic table. They have a deep clay saucer filled with water that they use as a bird bath.

There is also a small group of mourning doves in the front yard that eat from a tray of seeds on the side picnic table, but they also share these seeds with a few sparrows that live in the trees by my bedroom picture window. It's quite a chore keeping their food and water dishes clean, and it's become an even bigger chore keeping the bird droppings washed off the sidewalks.

From inside, it sounds like the bird exhibit at the zoo. When I walk outside with the dogs, the birds are instantly silent. If I walk outside alone, they continue to sing and chatter, and only fly up into the vines if I get within a few feet. When I'm in the bedroom, they hop about the patio, chattering and singing, only a few feet away from me. I leave the door open now because it's much cooler here and they can hear me when I talk to my husband or talk on the phone, but this doesn't seem to bother them like it did some of the other varieties of birds this spring. The cardinals would hop back into the trees then fly away when they heard us talking. The sparrows are so much friendlier. When I speak to them in a soft, soothing voice, they grow quiet, but they stay close by, fluttering their wings and hopping about.

I did find one large grasshopper yesterday. He is huge and yellow and I took his picture, which you can see to the right. He is actually very colorful. In spite of the large sparrow population, I am still surprised by the distinct lack of bugs simply because we have so many blooming flowers!

Wildflowers, Rain, and Happy Creatures

The baby birds are chattering and singing and loving life with all the rain and the wildflowers taking over the land. There are billions of wildflowers in Texas right now as the rolling hills celebrate this welcome rescue from months of drought. You can hear the trees sigh with relief every time the clouds roll in and fat, noisy drops of moisture fall onto the grass and soil. Last month, the soil was so dry it was starting to look ashy, as if the dirt itself had died from heat exhaustion.

The lizards are still scampering about, in spite of the slight drop in temperature. I did find a few casualties on the road near our home, but most of the baby lizards seem to have made it through the most dangerous season when their tiny, darting faces attract the quick glance of the hungry road runners. It is wonderful to watch these delicate creatures increasing in size. The lizards with the pink striped tails had babies this year and their offspring have taken over the area near my bedroom pond. I see them scooting across the rocks all afternoon. Today, there was a very large lizard sitting on a log that appeared to be watching me through my bedroom window while two babies on the opposite side of the pond raced across the mulch and up the trunk of the pecan tree.

The most wonderful thing has happened with the flock of sparrows that follow me about. They seem to have adjusted to my presence and will continue to sing and play and fight and hop up the rock wall near their food tray even as I stand nearby, watching and talking to them. I scrubbed down a metal, two-shelf tea tray and placed a water tray on the bottom rack and a large tray of seed on the top rack. It took the flock a few days to figure out that this was their new feeding area, but they love it now. It is so much easier for me to keep clean and refill with fresh food and water, which I do two, sometimes three times a day now to keep up with the demand, and these tiny birds are surprisingly demanding! They are voracious eaters. Of course, they are also still eating the grasshoppers, and I am thankful.

The mother raccoon and her two babies now stop at my bedroom patio as part of their regular nightly routine so I scatter a little cat food, bread chunks and fruit on the floor before I go to bed each night. Sometimes I will wake up and find them watching me through the window. The little male prefers the sunflower seeds and he will push his sister away so he can have all of the seeds to himself as he sits at the table and chows down. When he raises his head, he almost always has an empty sunflower shell stuck to the tip of his nose. I don't know how he manages to do this, but he does it every time. It looks pretty funny.

Last night, Niblet, my massive black cat, fell asleep by the glass door and was awakened by the sounds of the raccoons. He jumped up and made the same chatter noise he usually uses when he spots a bird. This attracted the attention of the baby raccoons and they both rushed over to the door to look at him. The little male raccoon pressed his face up against the glass so he could see better. They watched each other for awhile, then the mother raccoon started to wander off and the babies scampered off behind her. I love watching them interact with their mother. They frequently stop to nuzzle her neck with their tiny noses. I have decided these must be raccoon kisses.