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Waiting for Spring |
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If it wasn't for the rain there would have been no excitement around the yard over the last month. Thank goodness we live on a very high hill and have escaped the lowland flooding that has ravaged the seashore and some of the surrounding areas that border the overflowing rivers. I'm thinking it's time to build the ark and gather up the chipmunks and their friends. Speaking of chipmunks, we haven't seen much of the "munks" in the past few weeks. Newbie has either gone back to sleep or is still looking for the girl "munks". Babyface has been at the bird feeder several times, but she doesn't stay out long and is still very shy. Sugar Plum has not ventured out yet, but she has plenty of food and probably doesn't want to get her feet wet. Sweetie Pie, on the other hand, paid a visit to the stoop and is noticeably heavier. I suspect she'll have her litter by the middle of May, but we won't see the babies until mid-June. Ears hasn't been out at all which doesn't surprise me. Last year I didn't see her until the end of May. I was out in the garden planting impatiens when I noticed a movement in the Bishop's Weed. I stopped what I was doing and backed off thinking it was a snake (not my favorite animal). The movement stopped immediately, but I waited at least five minutes before resuming my task. As soon as I knelt down, the plants started moving again. Before I knew it, there was Ears sitting on the head of one my garden angels looking down at me. I talked to her while I continued working, and she patiently sat there until I was done. Then she followed me back to the stoop and waited for me to go in the house and bring her a treat. Ears is a very friendly chipmunk, and as soon as I sat down on the stairs, she jumped right up on my knee. She was so excited. I opened my hand to reveal one of her favorite foods - hampster wheels. These are small circular treats covered with various seeds. They're a little large for her small size so I usually hold it while she nibbles away at it. Once she fills her cheeks she's off to her den. I don't know how she can get all that food out of her mouth as fast as she does, but in a flash, she's back on my knee looking for more.
Once the treat is manageable size, she'll hold it in her front paws and sit with me while she stuffs her face. I find it amazing that she doesn't run off with her treat and take it directly to her den. She seems to enjoy sitting with me, and of course, the feeling is mutual. She's a real sweetheart, and I can't wait until she comes out. To be certain, things change during the year here in the yard. The flowers change with the seasons, and certainly the weather is not the way we remember it from the year before. Friends change too. We're grateful for those who stay with us from year to year and hope that those who move on have found a safe place to live and will perhaps come back for a visit from time to time. It's the way of nature and if we wish to make friends with these wonderful animals, we must accept these changes. It's simply a way of life. While some of our friends have moved on we do have some new additions to the yard. Our little frog from last fall has, it seems, decided to stay with us. He's more than double his size since he moved in. He's friendly, not one bit nervous, and never hops away when we approach the pond. Like Friggit, before him, he loves his frog jacuzzi. When the weather is hot and humid, there he sits in the middle of the small pond letting the water flow all around him. It's a good life don't you think froggy?
Three new gold fish have joined our family. They were hatched in the early spring and are growing nicely. I am always amazed when I see them because unlike the goldfish you see in pet stores, these fish are a blackish gray. They are camouflaged so well they are difficult to see against the walls of the small pond. They will be added to the large pond with the other goldfish later in the fall and will begin to slowly change their color over the coming summer. Our newest member is a tiny little toad - about the size of a dime. My husband had gone for a walk and found him in the road. He found an empty container and decided to bring him home. The toad was very anxious to get into the garden. I'm sure he'll find something on the menu that is of interest.
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