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Remember my pretty little petunia?
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It’s not pretty anymore.
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And my colorful little leftover flower bed?
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Not nearly as colorful now.
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Yes, the baby woodchucks are on the move and munching their way through my gardens… not to mention my wallet.
Cute? Yes. But cuteness will only get them so far.
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I spread this around my garden today and if it doesn’t work?
I may have to invite the real thing for dinner. ( Kidding, but tempting.)
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is getting used to being photographed.
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Though he’s not above showing his displeasure at my interrupting his nap.
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Sometimes none too subtly.
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He was also quite befuddled when it started to rain and the husband put the required bowl under our annoying soon to be repaired roof leak.
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Neither does chasing your tail….
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But it’s cute all the same.
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Lord Dudley Mountcatten is a well behaved cat. He’s a dainty eater who doesn’t bite, howl or beg. He does however scratch the furniture on occasion. Wanting to nip this habit in the bud, I purchased numerous scratch worthy substitutes…. none of which have worked.
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This is the latest, and his highness has absolutely no idea what to do with it.
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Enter a little well placed chronic.
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Scattering catnip on the scratcher elicited a response…
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But it wasn’t the one I’d hoped for.
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After rolling his entire body over it and becoming dusted in weed?
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He didn’t scratch, he napped.
Good thing he’s cute…. because he’s kind of clueless.
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I don’t know why I get such a kick out of seeing these little fellows in the garden….
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But I always do.
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Hummingbird moths!
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They don’t look anything like a hummingbird, or a moth for that matter.
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But they’re cute as the proverbial bug in a rug.
Without the rug, of course.
Of photos.
But after the post I did the other day, I don’t blame you for wondering.
Babies have grown up.
And venture out daily. Three in the above picture.
They are also getting fat.
Though I can’t imagine why.
I’m sad to say I saw a fox run off with one in it’s mouth last week.
And though momma chuck does her best, nature will occasionally have her way.
She started with 6 children, went down to 4…. and now it’s 3.
Quadruplets are now triplets.
But they’re still fun to watch….
I’m still trying to make friends…
And Momma still needs a good support bra.
Don’t get excited, it’s a photo dump. No one wants to see the other kind.
My files are filled with woodchuck pictures.
Mother and baby on the rock wall.
Mother bringing Junior to the back deck.
Junior checking out the back deck.
Junior checking out the new grill.
Two babies on the other rock wall.
Two babies playing tag.
Two babies eating apples.
You see how this goes? I flood you with woodchuck photos and you say awww.
Here’s a woodchuck, a turkey and a duck for variety.
Momma had 6 babies and I have yet to get them all in one picture.
But now would probably be a good time to say awww.
I don’t care how cute you are….
You can’t come in!
Well… maybe if the husband wasn’t home.
Do you see him?
There, on the end of the stone wall.
It’s a little baby chucker.
And I am totally in love with these guys.
They’ve started to use the wall as their own personal jungle gym….
And scamper around like little Tasmanian devils.
It’s entertaining as hell.
Remember how I warned you there would be more pictures of baby woodchucks than you ever thought possible future photographs of our backyard wildlife?
It starts now.
Calm down, they’re babies and they’re cute.
How bad can it be?
In the evening, it usually goes like this…
Mother woodchuck comes out to see if the coast is clear.
And must give some kind of silent signal…
Because before long….
The little ones are scampering around everywhere.
They love our deck and run back and forth so quickly it’s hard to snap a shot.
Two of them chase each other around and love hiding under the grill cover…
While the other two are busy eating deer grain.
With their mother…
Who is in serious need of an 18 hour bra.
Sorry girlfriend, but it needed to be said.
I know you can’t un-see that.
Apologies.
Maybe this bit of cuteness will make up for it.
He doesn’t quite have the hang of it yet…
But he’s trying.
River's world..... 