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Lately we’ve just had the junior woodchuck visiting the backyard. He was the runt of last year’s litter and though momma chuck is famous for booting all the kids out of the den as soon as they’re grown, this little guy is still living at home.
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But momma is not pleased.
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Every time he gets near her she barks and bites and drives him off.
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Watermelon is not to be shared with deadbeat kids who live in the basement.
🤣
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The weather is getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and Lord Dudley Mountcatten wants to go out for a walk every afternoon.
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Not to say that he actually wants to walk on the grass. No. His Lordship will do almost anything to avoid that. Nearly three acres of groomed lawn… and the wee beast sits on the concrete cover for the septic tank. WTH?
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He’s a very delicate walker.
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Hiding in the iris, hoping a bird will land nearby.
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Get lost mom. You’re blowing my cover.
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Face planting in the grass.
I have no idea, don’t ask.
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Giving the pear tree a good once over, but no attempt at climbing today.
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Now that the apple tree (I didn’t plant but grows better than those I do) is spreading it’s branches we have more squirrels coming to visit our feeders.
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We have a wide open backyard and they prefer tree cover for safety. Like this hefty momma hanging out on the garden bed border.
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What a chonk!
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This my friend, is the perfect bowl of chowder. Found at the Freeport Cafe, an unassuming little place on Route 1.
Thick, rich, creamy and loaded with clammy goodness. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Driving along Maine’s back roads you never have to wonder where the rednecks live.
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They tend to leave their calling card.
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Smaller than the pileated, but still pretty.
He’s called the Red Bellied Woodpecker. Though I never have figured out why.
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If you’re a loyal reader you’ll remember we had a massive wind storm two years ago that did serious damage to our beloved ancient backyard apple trees. We had a professional arborist in to trim and prune them back and last year they were barren. No blooms, no apples.
But this year?
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Ooh baby.
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They are positively bursting.
And if you’re wondering how big they are?
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That’s the Barn Mahal for scale.
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I wish WordPress had smell-o-vision because trust me… it’s glorious.
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My little you never planted me but I grew well anyway crabapple is starting to spread out, but is lagging behind in bloom time.
Now I just need to fill my new rock bordered bed with perennials for a burst of summer color.
🙂
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Yes, I’m still bird nerding out that a female pileated woodpecker has found our backyard .
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Two sightings in twenty years and now twice in one week.
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Woot!
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Needless to say I’m making sure that particular feeder is always full in case she drops by.
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A bag fills the cylinder once with 1/4 left over, and I have to fill it every other day.
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Pricey, but worth it.
(Photo includes another of my coffee table metal sculptures since you seemed to like the hermit crab.)
🙂
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten was eyeing our Bradford pear tree the other day during his walkabout.
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If you recall this did not end well the last time.
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Because while His Lordship likes the idea of climbing trees, his experience with execution is decidedly lacking.
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But the blooms must have been calling his name because up he went.
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It started with a pre climb scratch.
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And then a jump.
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And that was basically it… because the daft bugger has no idea what to do once he’s actually on the tree.
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So, yeah.
He literally just hangs there until he falls off.
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And then walks off the embarrassment on the rock wall.
🤣
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Every night when the sun starts to set?
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We have a visitor. Sometimes two…
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Apples, berries and some taurine rich grain free dry dog food are the reason.
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They come to nibble seed that falls from our bird feeders but I can’t resist putting out a better snack.
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❤️
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A little bit of this and a whole lot of nothing.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten … taking a break from strolling to survey his domain.
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You either get it or you don’t.
My husband went to the original Woodstock, then turned around and left… saying it wasn’t his scene.
Clearly he didn’t get it.
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Book banning?
Huge pet peeve.
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Funny how that works.
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King Eider’s is a fun pub on the coast.
Their sign is always equally as fun.
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I walked outside this morning to fill the bird feeders and found this.
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A pile of feathers.
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Having a hawk who uses our backyard as his personal hunting ground, this isn’t unusual… but seeing this around noon was.
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A young starling made numerous trips to the pile and gathered all the feathers in his (her?) beak.
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I’m sure they make wonderfully soft nest liners…
And are the perfect example of Mother Nature’s ability to recycle.
❤️
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It’s hard to watch, but alas… hawks get hungry too.
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And since mourning doves are plentiful in our backyard, not to mention slow….
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This is happening quite often.
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It’s the circle of life.
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River's world..... 