June was Nice

I am not thriving in my mood, but I am certainly thriving in my life.

Squirrel Condo

Pedro’s first woodworking project was a future home for squirrels.

Squirrel Heads

I was so delighted with what I had done, I sent photos of the final products to the taxidermist on Etsy.

Spring critters

I caught a few pics of fawns in the last couple weeks. Their mommas have been extra skittish this year and I’m afraid I won’t get anything better till they’re grown. I’ll share with you what I have, because spotted babies always make me smile and I’m hoping you will smile too. . . It’s […]

Shifting season

Working hard outside is a good way to not think about politics.

Squirrel Whisperer

Quick note today. I just managed to snap this photo and wanted to show it to you. The squirrels and I have a complex relationship of both attraction and conflict. I’ve trained two of them to eat from my hand: Peanut, the fat red one. And Mushroom, the silver and white one. They are both males, […]

Bird Cache

I should have been focusing on my work, I know. But sometimes it’s much more interesting to gaze through the window at the backyard. One of the ubiquitous Western Scrub-Jays was digging with its beak. He must have been hitting a small rock in the soil, because it went “tink, tink, tink,” as the bird […]

Back Yard Characters

It’s hard for me to think of chickadees as big mean birds, since they’re about 2 1/2 inches tall.

Stepping in for Mom

I felt for a moment as though I was channeling her spirit.