A Late Christmas Present

Outside my kitchen window in central Ohio.   Three bluebirds perched on the telephone wire.
Life is good.  This picture from earlier in the year.

I Heard a Bird Sing

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December.

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

"We are nearer to Spring 

Than we were in September,” 

I heard a bird sing 

In the dark of December.

                                                                        Oliver Herford

November

November 

Let your heart's eye drift down.

Past the snow covered branch . . .

the clattering leaf.

Past the early sun at the horizon,

and follow the squirrel hopping to the ground.

Only the sun rises -

On a November morning.

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November Birds

                   This morning, despite the frost, the pumpkin maintained a stiff upper lip.

              It was time to head out to the local metropark to drop in at the window on wildlife.

Fox Sparrow

White-throated Sparrow

A closer look

There are 10 birds in this photo :)

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I NEED SUNSHINE

So I'm posting a picture featuring SUNSHINE.

Poopie.

Ask anybody who knows me.  I'm a softie.   

Doggone it.

That red squirrel that I posted about.  Yes, the one eating the scarecrow.  

Doggone it.  

 Well, we've heard noise in our bedroom wall and scurrying in the upstairs ceiling.

Doggone it. 

 Found the hole he's chewed into the soffit beside the chimney.
Now I know where he put the scarecrow's clothes.

Poopie :(  The wildlife troubleshooter is coming in the morning.

Taken this morning as he basked in the fading November sun.

Doggone it.

:(

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TRICK OR TREAT

Neighbors estimate there were 300 plus.  

 The pictures tell the story.

   
                                                   

      

                                                  
                                                       

                                                 

                                                     

                                                   

                            

                                                     

                                                                           

                                                     

                                                

                                                

                                                    

                                            

Old friends and new . . . happy little kids . .  some big ones, too.

A few hours to forget the old world outside our immediate

communities  . . . to take time to bask in the glow of autumn's traditions and the innocent happiness of the young.

(Grandpa Strong designed and assembled those cardboard tombstones for  us, back in the early 80's.

   They are a treasure)

Halloween Wait'n . . .

All is in readiness for literally the hundreds of ghosts, goblins and assorted ninjas that will be visiting us this evening.  Ours is, once again, a very young neighborhood and we live - (generally congenially) - cheek by jowl.  It brings in kids from all over the Toldeo/Sylvania area - cause ya don't have to go far for the goodies.  It's great fun :)

My alter ego this morning, waiting for sunset atop one of the cardboard tombstones my dear dad made 25 years ago.

She doesn't 'color' her hair though.

Happy Halloween, all !  Luckily our snow isn't due until Saturday evening.   The little beggars lucked out !

The Disappearing Scarecrow

There once was a Happy Scarecrow AND  a very determined red squirrel.

Seems he had winter on his mind.   "Cozy" was a concern.

First he went after the cravat.   The scarecrow just looked on . . .

He was determined . . . but the cravat held . .

So he dropped to the belt buckle . . 

and the vest . . . 

The vest took some coaxing . . 

But by the time he got down to the shirt - he'd got the hang of it.

The scarecrow just kept smiling.

I think he enjoyed the attention :)

See the little critter in action:

A Red Squirrel Ate My Scarecrow