Looking out my Back Door

Through the screen door from where I sit in the kitchen

The mulberry trees are a madhouse of birds and mammals. We have more Robins this year than I imagined were possible in one place. And Catbirds. There are dozens of them too.

A red squirrel showed up the other day and is quite ferocious in screeching and chattering at me whenever I go outdoors. Since the trees overlook the garlic patch, the compost bin and where we park the car....and where I walk the Doodlebop..... he gets quite a lot of vocal exercise.

The Winesap apple tree is working hard

He is joined by one of the several billion chipmunks that have invaded here this summer. The little stripy rat somehow sat right on the end of a branch peering down at me and stuffing berries in his cheek pouches last night when I was looking over our visitors.

Bold little beggar.

I had some fun with one on the sitting porch..... I was potting Abutilon when I heard a rustling very near. I leaned over the railing to find a chippy slipping and sliding up the shiny bark of a new branch of box elder. Upon reaching the top he began to chew and gather leaves at a great rate. I watched for a couple of refills ...

And then....

Boo!! Just because I'm a meany. And because he cleaned out the bird feeder and buried all the seeds in the house plants on the porch, whereupon they all sprouted and made a Godawful mess.

Spooky sky, looking west at sunset

Meanwhile Becky discovered a much larger mammal sneaking mulberries when no one was looking. Jack, the pony, has a couple of trees in his pasture and the other day he was daintily sipping the fruit off the ends of the branches.

Looks as if someone has been polishing the mulberry leaves