Bunnies=cute......squirrels, not so much...

Bunnies hop, sniff, and look cute...

You might just invite them to a garden party.

SQUIRRELS

you 

would 

not invite

ANYWHERE...

I spent the weekend planting

pretty little flowers

basil,

oregano,

thyme,

mint...

This morning 

while I was out

running errands,

They came...

and did this....

I might 

have to reconsider my 

stand on handguns

my strategy 

on squirrel deterrents.

Apparently they love red pepper,

cayenne, and black pepper,

which I had ground finely,

and sprinkled all over the plants.

I will no longer correct 

my son when he calls them

Tree-Rats.

no smiles. 

Meet Phred, the interior designer....

Phred is a DIY'er.....

he is very busy this time of year 

making his crib....

making it suitable for entertaining....

spiffing things up for the winter....

 Phred 

is a squirrel.

He lives in the tree

that my office looks out on....

My office is three floors up,

and looks out into a dense patch of trees.

As I type, my peripheral vision 

tends to catch sudden movement in the trees.

So

Monday, as I sat typing away,

I spied a twitch, and a rustle of tree limbs.

I looked directly out and still couldn't make out what it was...

It was Phred.

There about 30 yards out

Phred was stuffing leaves, still attached to small limbs,

into what remained of last winter's nest.

This is what I saw....

Yes, I would recognized him anywhere....

That perpetual scratcher of ears....

Whose tail seems to be longer than his entire body....

who remodels with the last remaining green leaves...

See him? peeking out from under that leaf?

perhaps he has esp, too.....

One paw on the entry limb, one paw holding on to his threshold...

then WHOOSH! he is off to procure more interior enhancements ...

Back, he stuffs them in the front door...

only to poke them further through the roof...

old exterior brush begins to be transformed...

The old dead cedar tree that Phred lives in, 

stands sturdy, 

even though it was stuck

 by lightening a few years ago....

Phred moves fast!(note the blur!)

One quick little look to make sure the coast is clear...

then hang up side down for just a minute,

 to stretch things out a bit...

Then back with another limb...

Just when I think I see him 

taking a short lunch break...

He surprises me again..

grabs the leaves in his mouth...

and up the trees he goes...

Now, I think he may be just showing off...

or sleeping on the job....

Subtlety is not his forte...

Ah Phred....it's been fun watching you...

hold tight there buddy....

keep things real...

and 

stock up for the winter yet to come....

smiles

This is what I saw.....

Well, close....

this photo is actually from a bit earlier in the year,

But it gives the general feeling for what I am about

to describe...

I woke up early

(sorry k, it's unexpected)

and was clearly not going to be able

 to roll over and shoot for another short dream

so....

down the stairs,

just in time to watch my sweetie start his car

and pull out of the drive....

poured myself a cup o' joe,

staggered into the living room

to scan the paper.

I always open the sliders

wide, early in morning

even on days that promise to 

hit the 90's,

because lately, I have been yearning for 

contact with nature.

I am not really able to explain this but 

suffice to say, I will endure hot flashes 

in order to hear the birds,

listen to the rustle of the leaves

as the breezes dance by,

and all that romantic stuff....

I figure it's just a side effect of the hormones

 that don't know 

how old they are 

(that's a whole different story).

This morning is glorious.

The breeze is light,

the birds are singing their littles throats raw,

and the hummers (birds)

are hitting the new juice like "Ali".

I finished what I could stand of the paper,

and grabbed my coffee for a sit outside on the deck.

The hummers kept coming to the feeder even though it was only

3 feet from where I sat.

The squirrels took a much needed break

 from eating all of my bird food.

And then,

the sun started to peak through the pines....

(I know it sounds like a James Taylor song, but it's true)

and as it did,

about 100 yards away, a spider web

was illuminated....brilliantly!

I was transfixed,

(actually still, and mouth open)

Wait! 

I have a set of binoculars@!

Once back in my seat,

"bios" in hand,

I took a couple of seconds to adjust the settings,

and wa-la!

there is was...a huge...

no HUGE  spider web at a "sissy comfortable"

distance away from me.

It glowed..

and before I could think,

a plane making it's initial approach to our local airport

began to pass within distance,

as I watched it thru the bios,

it passed in front of the sliver of moon....

WOW!

how cool is that, even with these tiny specs

I can see the craters on the moon!

Cool!

Then I was hooked..

how many other things can I get an unusually close look at

in this morning clarity?

Lots I am afraid...

I could be there still, as the air is till cool,

and the breezes are bekoning 

and the birds are enticing,

and the pines.....

well, they are as mesmerizing as JT,

and as feathery as goose down....

I know now what I will do in my retirement.

I will do as my father does,

I will sit on the deck,

with the small bios,

and a cup o' joe,

and watch.....

smiles.