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Our pair of visiting mallards is so cute. The male follows the female around the yard like a lost puppy and sits patiently while she nibbles.
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But then….
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Two rival males arrived.
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He chased them, he flew at them, he put his head down and charged them but nothing worked.
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They just kept moving closer.
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Right after I took this picture he went full ninja duck on their ass and finally drove them off. The Mrs? She was not impressed and simply kept eating.
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The bowl of deer grain is popular, with everyone but the deer for whom it is intended.
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Our resident woodchuck, (named Chuck because we’re creative that way) loves it…
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But so do our new friends the ducks.
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It’s first come first serve at Casa River, and no matter how much posturing and maneuvering the waterfowl did…
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Chuck reigned supreme.
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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.
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A few weeks ago the waterfowl landed.
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A pair of mallards who have since taken up semi residence.
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They come to nibble under the bird feeders and have discovered that deer grain and fox food is tasty as well.
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We wake to the sound of quacking, and when a thunder storm rumbled by the other day? They flew in and took shelter.
❤️
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Night time visitors continue to surprise us when we walk back from the barn.
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And while surprising us is no big deal? Surprising them can be.
🤢
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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.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten? He couldn’t care less.
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Behold the wonder I found at the package store. Margarita wine! Taste test and review to follow..
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Our neighbors have all the luck. They get an exotic bird with iridescent plumage….we get a red squirrel bitch with sharp teeth.
😡
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If you’re getting sick of cat photos? Please feel free to skip this post, I won’t be offended.
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Though I can’t speak for his Lordship. He does enjoy being worshipped…
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He’s also obsessed with something new. Hummingbirds. They love the flowering quince bush and dart in and out all day… much to Dudley’s chagrin.
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The great outdoors is like a free streaming service for cats.
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And when the birds land in the bushes next to the house? He’s a riveted viewer. How obsessed is he?
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So obsessed he misses meals.
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And no, he’s not at all spoiled. What makes you think that…?
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It started innocently enough with me texting our neighbor this picture.
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She’s a retired psychiatrist who’s taken up stained glass as a hobby. While I appreciate the work that goes into such things, I’ve never been a fan of those run of the mill sun catchers… and the few pieces of her work that I’d seen left a lot to be desired.
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So when I saw that fun pot of glass agave leaves, I passed it along because she’s always looking for ideas. Next thing I knew she was texting me pictures of some of her latest projects…
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And I have to say….
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Her work has come a long way. (That frog!❣️)
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I was so impressed with this owl I offered to buy it, but sadly she had already given him away. But then she sent me this…
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And the husband fell in love, immediately pondering its placement the man cave. While I’m thinking this eagle might be a little large, our neighbor now wants us to visit her studio and browse. She even offered us a custom made piece. How great is that!
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For the first time since we moved here 20 years ago, we had bluebirds!
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They’re such bright, pretty little guys I had to run out and buy a few bags of mealworms to make them feel at home.
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They enjoy suet as well….
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Though you wouldn’t know it by their expressions.
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Is it me?
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Or do these guys just look seriously pissed off?
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Just some random photos I cleared off my camera the other day.
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This was the last sighting of our blue eyed fawn from last year.
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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.
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Can you see the visitor in this pic?
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It’s a Red Tail Hawk who uses our backyard as his hunting ground.
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Close proximity to the bird feeders makes for some tasty dove nuggets.
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He’s a young hawk and is still mastering his technique.
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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.
😈
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We had some lovely weather this weekend and it felt good to open the windows for the first time this year.
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As you can see….
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We weren’t the only ones who enjoyed the sunshine and warm breezes.
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Dudley, who so far has been an indoor only cat, got his first whiff of spring.
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And I do believe he’s hooked.
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He went from window to window and totally flipped out when he heard the birds he’s always cackling about.
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In our backyard, in April?
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That can get pretty noisy.
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Obsessed with the great outdoors…
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And it’s plethora of feathered inhabitants.
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It was my original intent to keep him an indoor boy… no fleas, ticks or fear of being run over. We live in a rural area and there’s not much traffic, but we’re also on one of the only straight sections of our road and people fly by when trying to pass. We lost a cat that way and it was heartbreaking.
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All our previous kitties have been indoor/outdoor.
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But I’m thinking how pissed he’ll be if we start traveling again and he’s stuck inside after a taste of freedom.
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Thoughts?
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