Somebody Stop Me

The view from the kitchen window. Those stakes mark garden rows

If I post too many pictures of the greenery and wildlife around here. We are surrounded by so much that you just can't help noticing.

For example, we were resting a bit before afternoon chores yesterday. While putting my shoes on to walk Daisy, I glanced out the window. (After all the bird feeders are right there.)

"Tell me I'm not seeing what I think I'm seeing."

The boss got up to look too. 

Tempting huh?

Yep, a woodchuck on top of a fence post. Right over the garden. Those stakes in the photo mark the rows. No doubt he was counting the peas and beans to make sure there are enough to fill his larder. I actually thought about getting the pellet gun and burning his butt just a little, but instead I took the camera out.

Fool thing was so tame I walked right up to him before he nonchalantly sauntered down the post and vanished into tall grass.

If you look close you can see the worm changing beaks, so to speak

Since I was already out there I decided to check on the barn swallow nest in the barn behind him. And almost stepped on a gigantic milk snake. Wow, he was a bruiser!

Most of our local snakes are whippy little garter snakes, kind of like thin, green and brown spaghetti. This guy was as muscular as a professional wrestler, shrugging big shoulders through the grass, which bristled in his wake. He was still too quick for a photo though.

Seems as if every time you go out in the barnyard or walk out on the lawn you see some new critter. This is both good and bad.


The kids built a new hen coop in the barn you see behind little Chuckie there. They offered to build a flight coop for the Peahen. I am sure she would really like one...but I am concerned about the many foxes and coyotes.....

Taken through the kitchen window...so kind of blurry