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It’s hard being a woodchuck.
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And if it’s not bad enough you have to battle your siblings for the daily buffet…
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Now you have to fight off a squadron of starlings when you’re trying to steal the fox food.
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Lots of little beaks make short work of the pile.
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Life is tough.
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The fact that you can’t use it is what makes it worth reading.
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I think canine love is in direct proportion to the biscuit level of a Milkbone box.
Full box? Adoration
Box almost empty? Derision.
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Is it? This almost makes me afraid to open the pantry door.
(In case you’re wondering? It’s coffee. )
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Of course it was, it’s Florida.
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And let’s face it, that beats Ron DeSantis any day of the week and twice on Sunday’s.
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To be honest, I’d prefer to talk with the donkey.
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The little nibblers are on the move and nibbling everything.
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They love carrots and lettuce and broccoli and apples.
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They also love our back deck.
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Unfortunately they love it a little too much.
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How much wood could a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
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Too much!
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🥴
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A few weeks ago I bought a lovely dragon wing begonia for the Barn Mahal/man cave porch.
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Thankfully the woodchucks don’t care for begonias and have left it unscathed.
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Until yesterday when I sat down to read and noticed the evidence.
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Muddy footprints.
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All over the table.
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They don’t like begonias and didn’t nibble, but clearly it wasn’t for lack of trying….
🥴
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If there’s anyone who puts on a better show in a garden than a peony, I haven’t yet met them.
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For a pure burst of color they’re hard to beat.
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I have a few small plants in the front of the house, but it’s this old backyard beauty that was here when we moved in 20 years ago that makes the biggest statement.
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Peonies can be fussy and hard to establish.
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But if you manage it, they’re carefree beauty that will be enjoyed for decades.
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I’m fascinated by insects.
My father used to swear he found a new one in the garden every year and I wouldn’t be surprised if that were true. They’re prolific little beasts.
Or in this case, not so little.
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I have yet to see one of these jewels, but rest assured I’ll be looking.
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This is one seriously impressive bug.
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What’s not to love?
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Okay, so I may have to hold my nose. It’s a small price to pay…
😉
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The baby chucks are growing and feeling their oats.
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Feeding time at the backyard buffet sees it’s fair share of squabbles these days.
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Carrots and apples are clearly worth fighting for.
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The little devils may wreak havoc in my flower beds… but I have to admit they’re fun to watch.
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Case in point…. the husband keeps his old garden cart in our woodshed.
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And the other day when I was out back weeding, I heard noises coming from that direction.
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Chucks.
They’re everywhere.
P. S. … did you notice my fabulous astilbe, aka false goat’s beard?
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It doesn’t look like a goat, but it sure loved all those dark rainy days.
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We spent a nice evening with some friends recently. Drinks and appetizers were shared outside in the garden.
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Which is where we met Dave.
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Dave lives on the property and hides his peanuts in dead trees.
Can you see him?
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Dave is an extremely spoiled chipmunk and quite well fed.
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He’s so well fed he came out of hibernation almost a month later than the other chippies because his larder was well stocked.
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Dave had no problem begging in front of company.
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Shy he’s not.
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And he does love his peanuts.
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🙂
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When it’s a wet and rainy afternoon you’re apt to find us in the man cave/Barn Mahal.
Sometimes alcohol is present.
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I’m blaming the Jack Abbeys blood orange wheat for that Scrabble tile arrangement.
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Red Sox game? Check.
Pizza? Check.
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Sweet Thai chili wings and more beer?
Double check.
Life is good.
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Looking out the window back at the garage, we saw a baby chuck perched on the woodshed’s extra room doorstep.
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They’ve completely taken over this little storage area and have dug such a big tunnel the door neither opens nor shuts. Good thing there’s nothing in there we need to retrieve…
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As we were leaving the A1 diner the other day we noticed a large group of people gathered on the bridge spanning the river next door.
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It only took a moment of looking down to realize what they were all there to watch.
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The sturgeon were spawning.
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If you’ve never seen a sturgeon take my word for it, they’re a big strong fish.
As I was taking this video some young men were on the far bank fishing. Since the sturgeon are a protected species this is highly illegal and a woman on the bridge starts screaming at them to leave at the end of this clip. Keep an eye on the water, one of the sturgeon jumped near the end.
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It was an interesting way to end the afternoon.
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