.
The bowl of deer grain is popular, with everyone but the deer for whom it is intended.
.
.
Our resident woodchuck, (named Chuck because we’re creative that way) loves it…
.
.
But so do our new friends the ducks.
.
.
It’s first come first serve at Casa River, and no matter how much posturing and maneuvering the waterfowl did…
.
.
Chuck reigned supreme.
.
.
And even barked at them when they got too close. I’ve been known to do the same around my margaritas, so I don’t judge.
.
.
A few weeks ago the waterfowl landed.
.
.
A pair of mallards who have since taken up semi residence.
.
.
They come to nibble under the bird feeders and have discovered that deer grain and fox food is tasty as well.
.
.
We wake to the sound of quacking, and when a thunder storm rumbled by the other day? They flew in and took shelter.
❤️
.
.
Night time visitors continue to surprise us when we walk back from the barn.
.
.
And while surprising us is no big deal? Surprising them can be.
🤢
.
.
A friend of my husband’s gifted him this Red Sox clock. He loved it and immediately hung it on the man cave wall. I on the other hand, realized it’s outdated. It says “7 time World Champions” when the number is currently 9. The reason for the gift is now apparent, at least to me.
.
.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten? He couldn’t care less.
.
.
Behold the wonder I found at the package store. Margarita wine! Taste test and review to follow..
.
.
Our neighbors have all the luck. They get an exotic bird with iridescent plumage….we get a red squirrel bitch with sharp teeth.
😡
.
.
We have a raccoon who visits nightly. And while he’s a cute, pudgy old fellow… he’s extremely destructive when it comes to our birds feeders. Every morning we wake up to one or two on the ground, often in pieces. A month ago I started taking them down at dusk and putting them in the garage overnight. When I went to bed early last week and forgot? The husband got lazy and left them on the kitchen porch.
.
.
Not a good idea.
.
.
Not at all good.
.
.
And damned if she doesn’t look like she just gave birth.
.
.
We’ve sealed up every hole we could find, but that won’t stop her.
.
.
She’ll just chew through another wall.
.
.
How can something so small can be so destructive?
.
.
Lord Dudley Mountcatten spotted her from the window and was very interested.
.
.
Which might be just the incentive I need to allow him to go outside.
😈
.
Last year we had a mother woodchuck and five babies.
.
.
So far this year I’ve only seen one. One with what appears to be ripped abs…
A woodchuck 6 pack. Who knew?
.
.
He (she?) seemed to know exactly where the buffet was laid….
.
.
So maybe this is last year’s baby all grown up.
.
.
.
Just some random photos I cleared off my camera the other day.
.
.
This was the last sighting of our blue eyed fawn from last year.
.
.
Photos were taken in January and though we’ve seen some full grown deer this month, it’s hard to tell if he’s among them.
.
.
Can you see the visitor in this pic?
.
.
It’s a Red Tail Hawk who uses our backyard as his hunting ground.
.
.
Close proximity to the bird feeders makes for some tasty dove nuggets.
.
.
He’s a young hawk and is still mastering his technique.
.
.
While it’s hard to see piles of feathers litter the ground, these birds of prey really are fabulous creatures. And if he swoops down and claims a certain red rodent….. I can’t say I’ll be heartbroken.
😈
.
.
Yes, the husband bought another tarp in anticipation of another rain storm.
.
.
And yes, he decided to put it on the roof on a windy day.
.
.
What a good idea that was.
.
.
Was I helping?
Yes.
.
.
Was I also laughing my *ss off and photographing the endeavor?
.
.
Of course.
.
.
At least this tarp is heavier and smaller so it doesn’t hang over the side and flap in the breeze like the last one.
Will it stay on the roof during a storm? Doubtful, but not for lack of trying on the husband’s part.
.
.
Required shot of our backyard with the paltry amount of winter snow taken from the top of my ladder.
.
.
Grilling season and backyard barbecues are right around the corner.
.
.
And I’m sure you’ll all want to get a pair of these.
.
.
Subtle? Not so much.
.
.
But you have to admit, they are eye catching.
.
.
We have wild turkeys that visit our backyard bird feeders to scrounge what’s fallen on the ground.
.
.
We’ve had flocks for decades and it’s never been an issue. They’re goofy…. and honestly, I find them quite comical to watch. But this past year, in which my husband has been home 24/7 hogging all the bandwidth teleworking… he’s taken an interest in feeding the birds.
The man who used to complain I bought too much seed and spent too much money on suet nuggets now glares at me if the 50lb pound bag falls below a quarter. And since he gets up at an unfathomable time of the morning ( pre sunrise people… WTF? ) he’s usually the first one out the door to fill the feeders.
If the turkeys visit in the spring, summer or fall? Fine. But in the winter their prodigious piles of poo land on snow and ice which is not nearly as absorbent as dirt and well…. let’s just say Tiny Tim isn’t going to be singing about tiptoeing through that anytime soon.
.
.
Hence the never ending battle my extremely stubborn husband wages on a daily basis.
.
.
This will go on for hours.
.
.
Even when he’s on the phone for work dealing with a man in violation of FAA regulations.
.
.
He chases them, they run to the edge of the property line and wait for him to go back in the house, they return, he chases them…etc, etc, etc.
If you think you’ve never met anyone more stubborn than a retired Marine? You’ve never met a Maine wild turkey.
.
.
The funniest part of his new hobby? As soon as he gives up and goes back in the office….
.
.
The turkeys call in reinforcements and descend en masse. He chased a dozen…. 26 came back.
And so it goes.
.
River's world..... 