The baby woodchucks are everywhere.
Behind the barn, in the rock wall, on the porch, under the deck.
Which means….
They’re going to be saturating my blog for a while.
Because really….
If there’s anything cuter than a mini woodchuck eating apples?
I don’t know if I’d survive it.
Our resident buck with the felt covered mini rack has flown the proverbial coop, which is a shame, because I think most of you…. some of you?…. alright, at least one of you… was enjoying the fuzzy updates on antler growth progress.
But never fear.
Our old doe, who we call pregnant because she always seems to be, has last year’s progeny with her on a daily basis now.
So we’ll start from scratch.
Baby buck antlers.
At this point, they’re just little nubs that he keeps rubbing on trees and rocks.
And can you blame him?
The poor little guy looks like a four legged Frankenstein.
Have I mentioned how much I love the baby woodchucks?
If not, get used to it… because I’ve been spending a lot of time making friends with them.
I’ve found sliced apples are a great ice breaker.
And if I’m enjoying a little Crown Royal apple while making woodchuck friends… all the better.
It took a while for them to get used to me and they were pretty hesitant to come out with me so close.
But the lure of apples proved too much.
Admit it.
That’s pretty damned cute.
So, can you see it?
Look closely now.
Not until you get near enough to look up.
There.
The neighbor’s tree adjacant tree house, hidden from sight by trees.
I love trees.
Here’s the husband for size reference, holding the enemy of trees. The chain saw birthday gift I’ve lived to regret.
I neither know, nor want to find out what he was cutting down there.
I shall just enjoy the leaf cover those glorious trees provide.
And maybe do this –
I heard some Hellacious (Yes, that’s a word. At least in Maine.) chattering the other afternoon.
Looked out back…
And saw momma red squirrel perched on the plant hanger.
She was flicking her tail and screeching like a Hollywood starlet who ran out of Botox.
She screeched so hard a seed fell out of her mouth.
It only took me a minute to figure out why.
The other visitor.
No worries readers, momma escaped unharmed.
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.
At least that’s what it looked like in the field across the street.
(Pardon the picture quality, it was far away and my zoom was maxxed out.)
I thought it was a dog…..
But it wasn’t a dog.
It was the often heard, but seldom seen coyote.
And while I recognize his necessary part in the eco system…..
I admit I was a little nervous seeing him cross the street….
And head down into the woods where our deer, fox, raccoons, skunks and woodchucks live.
But what made me even more nervous?
Was realizing there were actually two of them.
Oh, you thought the squirrel eviction was the end?
No, that was merely a side story.
The nightmare was the hole.
And the decades worth of squirrel nests concealed there in.
Appropriately masked, the husband approached.
Pulled a panel and…
How’s that for an action shot?
Man, you would not believe how much stuff he pulled out of there.
It was, in a word…. disgusting.
And landed everywhere.
If that isn’t enough to make the husband pay attention when I wave the honey do list in the future?
Nothing ever will be.
So now we had an empty hole.
A big empty hole with a badly installed spotlight fixture.
And a momma squirrel… who even though she found and moved her babies… still wanted back in.
So as the husband worked, with an audience, and stomped my geraniums to such a pulp I had to temporarily relocate them…
Momma squirrel was watching.
Many frustrating hours later, just as I was willing to admit defeat and use this-
It was done.
Hole plugged.
And momma red thwarted. We think.
Mad momma squirrel’s rampage continued for almost an hour.
Poor little thing, I did feel badly for her.
She was looking everywhere for her babies.
And then..
There they were.
Calling frantically for her.
So she came and got them, one by one.
Right past us, no fear at all.
I don’t know where she took them, but I hope it’s far away.
I love all our visiting critters.
But not when they want to actually take up residence in our house.
First there were two in back of the big barn.
Then three.
Then four.
Then five little scampers!
No wonder momma chucker needs a support bra.
River's world..... 