.
We like our cute little black and white visitors…
.
.
They’re great for the garden, keeping bug and rodent populations down.
.
.
But occasionally they rumble.
.
.
And when the tail goes up?
.
.
The air is not exactly perfumed.
🤢
.
.
Our snow has melted but I had these kicking around the photo files and thought I’d share.
.
.
Squirrelly sentries.
.
.
I know there are people who dislike them, but we welcome our harmless grays.
.
.
They’re acrobatic and quite entertaining.
.
.
Mornings have been beautiful of late.
.
.
With lovely sunrises …
.
.
And colorful skies.
.
.
😊
.
.
Our gray squirrels are quite acrobatic and during a recent snow storm… when I brought in all the bird feeders except the one from which they have trouble stealing… this little guy went above and beyond for a snack.
I’m guessing he has six pack abs under that fur.
.
.
He fell quite a few times, but finally found a stable perch.
.
.
In other wildlife news, our first chuck of the season arrived.
.
.
In the middle of the storm with nothing to nibble but fallen seed.
.
.
Poor chuck.
.
.
I doubt that was the meal he dreamt about all winter.
.
.
Our weirdo resident buck never lost his antlers this winter.
.
.
And in all the decades we’ve been hosting backyard deer, that’s never happened.
.
.
Makes me wonder why…
.
.
And hope nothing is wrong.
.
.
It looks rather painful.
.
.
They stomp at us all the time.
I’ve spoken deer for years…
😉
.
.
Looking out the kitchen window while doing dishes last week… I saw an owl.
.
.
We hardly ever spot them so I was tickled to get a photograph, even if it was only of his back.
Then… about 10 minutes later?
.
.
There he was!
.
.
A beautiful barred owl perched on our back deck railing.
.
.
Sitting pretty and letting me snap some much better pics.
.
.
He didn’t even mind the deer showing up for dinner.
.
.
My husband and I were like little kids at the zoo and clicked photos like mad.
.
.
He was so beautiful!
.
.
❤️🩷❤️
.
.
Percy the opossum has become a daily visitor, cleaning up spilled seed under the bird feeders.
.
,
We also caught him on the kitchen landing during a snow dusting.
.
.
The garage door was open…
.
.
But he headed for the barn instead.
.
.
Mrs. Cardinal in the garage gutter.
,
.
Our buck still hasn’t lost his rack…
.
.
Which makes me wonder if he ever will.
.
.
Strolls with Lord Dudley Mountcatten are severely short in the winter.
.
.
As His Royal Highness does not enjoy the cold, wind, snow….
.
.
Or having wet feet.
.
.
Deer, heading back to the woods.
.
.
In the middle of a snow storm?
.
.
Deer, looking for the food we don’t put out in inclement weather because if it gets wet? It’s ruined.
.
.
Didn’t stop the herd from lining up in position to search.
.
.
Even the buck looked up at us through the windows as if to say, what gives?
.
.
Sorry guys.
Come back tomorrow…
.
.
The snow is getting deeper but our lone little opossum is still visiting.
.
.
When he gets scared or spots us in the window he runs for the woodshed.
.
.
Climbing what must look like Mount Everest to a marsupial.
.
.
He prefers melting snow that reveals grass and a few puddles from which to drink.
.
.
Yes, they’re good to have around.
.
.
And though they’re pretty humble looking creatures…
.
.
We like Percy and wish him the best.
.
.
We have one little opossum on our property.
.
.
During the spring, summer and fall… we occasionally see him at night but never during daylight hours.
.
.
Winters are tough in Maine and with thick snow cover, food is hard to find.
.
.
So now… every once in a while in the late afternoon?
.
.
The little fellow makes his way under our bird feeders for some fallen treats.
❤️
.
.
We’ve been having some pretty spectacular skies lately.
.
.
And I’ve always thought the sunsets over snow really make the colors pop.
.
.
This is our eastern facing backyard so the pretty pink is a reflection of the actually setting out front.
.
.
Less dramatic, more muted.
.
.
But still lovely.
.
River's world..... 