Mixed up Birdie

This little Bluebird of Happiness landed on my deck on a chilly rainy Supposedly-Autumn day.

Isn’t the arrival of bluebirds supposed to announce the arrival of Spring?

And just look at this confused little guy all puffed up to keep warm.

Is Autumn really on the way or what?

 

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Deckside Terror II

Smashed Bird Feeder Courtesy of Bruno the Bear

We lived to tell the tale of Bruno the Bear.

Last night, if you may recall, I was cowering in the back room watching Bill try to defend our home from a very BIG bear!

Really.

I estimate Bruno was over 300 pounds!

I considered that our lives were in danger but in some ways the scene at the living room bay windows was hilarious.

Bruno was pacing back and forth and looking in at Bill.

Bill was growling very loudly and swearing at the bear.  He (Bill) was also waving his arms around and snarling and making monster faces. 

My HERO!

We had the lights on at the deck so I was able to see Bruno’s reaction.

He looked a bit irked.

I should have snapped a picture but was afraid it would irk him more.  It wouldn’t take much for him to lean on a window and enter the house!

Finally Bruno decided to leave (but momentarily forgot the way he had arrived).

I think the HUGE BIG BEAR stayed visiting us for about an hour.  Maybe it was less but it felt like an hour.

Actually, it felt like a few several hours and I got dressed while Bill was playing his monster roll (just in case we had to flee and stay at a motel for a few days).

Then it got quiet and stayed quiet, and we gave up and went to bed.   Bruno must have gone on to other things.

Let us hope it will remain quiet again tonight.

Bruno also left his mark by attacking a towel rack on our deck (now hanging askew).

Do you suppose Bruno hates horses?  Why knock things awry like that anyway?

And a neighbor reported that he tore down a birdhouse with baby chicks in it but they are still alive!

Well, our trip to Washington, DC was fraught with tension due to the monstrous traffic.  But then we returned to the peace and quiet of the Virginia countryside only to find a monster in our midst.

I have to admit Bruno was kind of cute though.  Those little round bear ears and inquisitive face.

I hope, however, that he doesn’t mistake me for Goldilocks!

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Never Alone in the Country

It was a clear afternoon in Virginia, in spite of looming clouds.  And the Blue Ridge Mountains called me out on the deck for cooler temps.  And there was something entrancing about the light.

I was not alone.

An agile young deer who could have leaped over the pasture fence, simply crawled right through a nice little gap in the rungs.

And another well fed deer looked up at me.  “Hello”, I said in my softest deer-like voice, and she simply kept dining on the last green grass of summer.

Two hummingbirds made their fly-by challenges for last minute dips at the feeder.  I have heard that hummers need to stock up on nectar for their long flights to winter in Venezuela.

I am never alone in the country.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Happiness Is

Receiving flowers from a friend’s garden.

Thank you Amy!

Entertaining the perfect guest.

Pichu stayed with us for four whole days!

Finding a pony at Herman’s Produce.

Was he in a parade?

 

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Neighborhood Watch

There were two hummingbird feeders on our deck this week.   Now there is one.

A Dine Until Dark Curfew has been imposed on the little hummers and the one remaining feeder is taken inside when the sun goes down.

What happened?

A mystery intruder  visited and vandalized our peaceful Virginia home.

If you are interested in solving mysteries, here are the clues:

1. A favorite old hummingbird feeder  was lying in three pieces on our deck,
2. amid a wide swath of sticky sugar water, 
3. replete with large animal footprints, and
4. unidentified animal scat on the deck stairs.

“What critter (or person) could it be?”we wondered.

Bill thought it was a raccoon.  I thought a bear. Can you tell by these observations the differences in our personalities and outlooks on life?

I Googled SCAT and found some that looked like ours (NO, NOT HUMAN).  Oddly, there are actual animal “poop charts” so you can compare and identify droppings!  Somehow I find this offensive to my sensitive senses.

Bear Scat

Anyway, that was as far as I got researching when an email came in from our immediate next door neighbors warning they had seen a mama bear and her two cubs in their back yard!

Mystery SOLVED!  IT WAS DEFINITELY A BEAR!!!  AND A VIRGINIA BLACK BEAR WITH TWIN CUBS!!!  Well, what did I expect when we chose to live in the country – civilization?

Then a second email came  and a third.  The word is out and we have a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH with friends sending email alerts!

• “We saw a mama bear and two cubs in our back yard this morning.  If you think this is information that should be shared with the neighbors, would you pass it on?”  
• “Yep! We had some work being done at our house a few weeks ago and they videoed two cubs and the mom on our property.”
• “Also I saw them crossing the hunt road, heading up the hill into the woods between the pond and the riding ring, just like last summer. My mare has indicated their closeness to our place too. I have not viewed them there personally yet (but, she doesn’t fib).”

It is certainly comforting to know there is a Three Bears Neighborhood Watch, but having the trio on my deck borders on disconcerting!

I have a plan though.,

The trick is stay close to the front door, or the back door, or the car door.

Or if the bear gets inside – to barricade in the bathroom with my cell phone!

So much for summer walks in the woods.

 

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Volunteer Collusion

There is a volunteer on my deck.

Is it the Spider or or is it the Sunflower?

 

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Virginia’s Regal Redhead

The Virginia State Bird is the Cardinal

And here he is on my deck railing,

adding color before the onset of Spring!

 

The northern cardinal is so well loved that it has been named the official bird of no fewer than seven U.S. states. Bright red cardinals are easily identified by even casual bird watchers, and are often seen frequenting backyards and bird feeders. When foraging elsewhere the birds eat insects, seeds, grain, fruit, and sap.Cardinals, also called “redbirds,” do not migrate and have traditionally been more common in warmer climes such as the U.S. southeast. However, in recent decades they have expanded their common range north through the United States and even into Canada. This population growth may be due to an increase in winter bird feeders and to the bird’s ability to adapt to parks and suburban human habitats.

Only males sport the brilliant red plumage for which their species is known. The color is a key to mating success—the brighter the better. Females are an attractive tan/gray.

Cardinals are active songbirds and sing a variety of different melodies. Males can be aggressive when defending their territory, and they frequently attack other males who intrude. This tendency sometimes leads cardinals to fly into glass windows, when they charge an “intruding bird” that is really their own reflection. Cardinals are fairly social and join in flocks that may even include birds of other species. During mating season, however, groups dissolve into pairs. Male birds feed their monogamous partners as they incubate clutches of eggs—typically three per season.

From: National Geographic

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Guess Who Came to Dinner!

Pichu

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Life’s a Game but Very Tiring

I’m back!  Remember me?

My name is Pichu and  I am visiting these strange old people again.  They think I am absolutely the most wonderful, adorable, sweetest, cutest pup in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia (or maybe even further afield).

I am theirs for a day (and a night too) but this day is speeding by since I am very busy having fun.

First they gave me a cup of Frosty Paws (doggy ice cream).  Wow!  I wonder if there are more of those around.

Then the lady and I went for a short walk so I could explore the grounds.  I have been here before but the smells of the wild are always different you know.

Then it was back inside for a bone chewing marathon.  It took awhile butI won!

Some of my old squeaky toys are here too, and some new ones, so I figured she wanted to play.  And I was right.

Then the man said, “Let’s go OUT!”  We all went out and I ran as fast as I could around all that grassy space.  I ran so fast the lady started laughing and that made me want to run even faster.

I ran so fast I got pretty worn out.

They had their dinner and gave me little bites of yummy chicken since they could tell I needed more energy.

But a nap is definitely in order now, even if it is before bedtime.

 

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Farewell Pichu!

Ellie came to get him this morning – her sweet perfectly well behaved dog, Pichu.

I did not cry but if he had been here one more day I think I would have.

We were just getting to know each other well and made great strides this morning.

Frame #1: Pichu – “I know this is my bed, but I would rather be on yours!”

Frame #2: Pichu – “Is this really o.k.?”

I Have a Feeling I am Not Supposed to be Up Here!

But we gathered up his belongings,

the toys he ignored in favor of new donations,

his food and snacks,

and his bed he may or may not have slept in.

We do not know where Pichu decided to sleep but he never made a sound all night and left us to our own slumber undisturbed.

Like I said, Pichu is a perfectly well behaved dog.  Ellie and her family deserve accolades.

He is also the softest dog ever and a great hugger.

Anyway, we loved having a golden visitor who made us laugh and almost cry for other lost canine loves.

Farewell Pichu!

And we mean it when we say, “Come again soon.”

 

 

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