The Cat and I

April 10, 2011
What's missing from this photo?

Give up? It's snowless! On April 10, this front, south-facing corner of the house had no snow! So Zorro and I were out enjoying the warmth and sun (while John was getting rid of the snow out back).

Red squirrel

There was a red squirrel in the bird tree (which is right there at the same corner), and he could not leave the tree without catching Zorro's attention. So while the squirrel quietly watched us in the tree, I quietly photographed him. More of those photos can be seen here.

Zorro finally did notice the squirrel and half-heartedly went to the tree to inspect his chances for a kill. The cat was lethargic from the sun and never made an attempt at the squirrel.

Red-winged blackbird (male)

Later, I made my annual unsuccessful attempt at getting red-winged blackbird photos. They are difficult for me to capture successfully with the camera. Their black color and constant movement defy any new skills I learn over the winter. These are the best two shots that I got. And the one below is bad, but I include it and, while it looks like he is choking, be assured that the bird is only calling. One of the blackbird songs requires them to hunch over in a choking stance. I have no idea why. But I like the song.

Singing, not gagging

_/\_/\_

A Squirrel and a Redpoll

Both photographed on April 2, 2011 at the bird tree.

_/\_/\_

Snowy Squirrels

A squirrel enjoys the bird seed.

I usually get a lot of unsalted peanuts in the shell for the red squirrels. I throw them out under the bird feeders —  but not this winter. I got a few pounds once and for some reason I never got more. The squirrels are fun to watch as they bury their peanuts in the snow near the house or run off to the woods with their prizes. Red squirrels are loathe to cross open spaces. They prefer to run tree to tree at the edge of a field or through a network of tunnels that they make in the snow. Here is a short series on one squirrel this winter.

Running off with a peanut.

Down the hole!

The squirrel pops up out of the snow tunnel to see what's around.

_/\_/\_

Yikes! Another Blog Break!

Red squirrel (Tamiascurus hudsonicus)

Here I sit in the living room with a mask on my face, my new nebulizer drying in a clean towel, coughing and not looking forward to my next antibiotic. John is demolishing the kitchen. The former sun porch is now part of the new huge kitchen. The 110 year old plaster ceiling is coming down. The dust the past two weeks has been horrendous and has made me sick. I am feeling sort of lost here. Can't go outside, don't feel like blogging. I haven't even been taking photographs often! But I have been photographing the birds and squirrels at the feeders. Above is a cute, fat red squirrel that was at the feeder last week.

Ice cliffs of Mount Pisgah on the south shore of Lake Willoughby.

But more about the house later: I have been documenting the progress on the renovations. The photographs show how poorly people built additions on this old house. And how the little forest creatures love this house as much as I do. Enough about renovations and illness. I've had enough of that.

The big news is that the kids found a great place to live in Brownington. It is quiet here without them. There are no dogs to gobble up my spills in the kitchen or the cat yak all over the house. I miss the two little ones, Ironman and Catgirl, a whole bunch. But John has fixed my stereo and now I listen to VPR and VPR Classical. We seem to have stopped watching TV except at bed time. Occasionally we watch movies on the computers (they are still side by side in the living room as they were on the porch). Even though I miss the kids, it is best they are gone. The construction debris and activity is very dangerous and I don't want them around it. They are right up the road, though, so I'll be seeing them as soon as I am healthy again!

Clouded sulphur butterfly

I have been selling photographs, though. Matted and/or framed. I am doing fairly well. I want to get involved in stock photography and craft shows. I have been to two craft shows — the church's Christmas Bazaar and Moonlight Madness. Finally people know what I do! The reactions have been very positive. The photographs that are not of the red squirrel are the photographs that I have sold. I have much work to do with the Barton Library photos and website and blog. I can't work on my summer photographs because my four terabyte server is down! But I do have, and have been slowly editing, photos that are recent.

Nashville warbler

Just thought I should check in! I hardly ever get so personal in the blogs. But there has been lots going on. I hope your holidays are peaceful and I will once again work at getting up to date!

Fractal sunflower

_/\_/\_

Red Squirrel Chatter

Wednesday morning: I was making my breakfast when I heard the agitated chatter of a red squirrel outside the kitchen window.

The kerosene tank is outside that window and the snow is still piled up high — nearly to the top of the tank.

There was the squirrel, chattering at something on the ground near the house. I took out the screen, got the camera, climbed into the sink, and took these photos of it. I never did find out what had upset the little thing.

The squirrel ran away when the dogs heard the chatter and began barking vigorously.

This may well be the last time I have an opportunity to photograph red squirrels until next winter.

They live in the woods and we hear them but don't see them in warm weather. They don't need to come to the house for food.

I enjoy seeing his little feet in these photos

.

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

_/\_/\_

Wordless Wednesday: What's Missing?

Please click on the photo to view full size in a new window.

Visit more participants by clickingWordless Wednesday

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
_/\_/\_

They Love Peanuts (and A Squirrel Mouth)

Will it all fit?

Gnaw off that shell!

Needing More Nuts

Messy Mouth

Squirrel Mouth

All photos open full size in a new window when clicked.
Be sure to look at the details!

red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
_/\_/\_

Unplugged Project: Sophie Digging for Peanuts Collage

It turns out that my red squirrels love the peanuts that I throw out under the tree (please be sure to see the squirrel photos in those links — which open in a new window). The problem is that they are hiding them everywhere — in the snow. They hid several in the front of the house, where Sophie found them by digging in the snow. The dogs can smell a squirrel very quickly, so without seeing a squirrel, she knew something was under that snow. After finding the peanut, she would happily munch it before looking for another.

There was a heavy snow squall blowing while I took these photos. The wind was wild. Sophie was digging so fast that two of the photos are blurry. You can see the collage, full size, in a new window if you click on the image.

Often I take several photos of the same scene. Each photo may appeal to me so that I cannot choose which to post. But it can be boring for a reader to scroll down through all of the photos. A collage is the answer. In my quest to make collages on the Mac, I have finally decided that using ImageWell to place the photos, then Elements to edit the edges, then ImageWell for the frame is what works best for now. It is still a very clumsy method and I hope I find a Macintosh collage maker soon.

Visit other participants of the Project at Unplug Your Kids
or clickUnplugged Project

Next week's Project: Fabric

red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus
_/\_/\_

Squirrel Lips

Be sure to click on the photos to see the squirrel lips.

I really enjoy seeing his tiny little feet holding the sunflower seeds while he cracks them open.

The effects of overeating.

Not a good photo by any means, but fun. I bought about 10 lbs of peanuts for the squirrels and birds. Squirrels won't touch them yet. I figure a Vermont red squirrel has no idea what a peanut is.

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Blue Jay, Cyanocitta cristata,
_/\_/\_

It's A Boy!

Scarface is a boy. Click on any photo and confirm it for yourself.

If you are worried about the squirrels surviving in the cold and snow, please don't. The squirrel that was evicted from the garage yesterday was also feeding at the bird feeders today.

Scarface is smaller, browner and thinner than the other squirrels.

But he ain't thinner from lack of eating.

In fact, he actually needed to rest (above) because of his gluttony.

After five minutes of his eyes closed, he spent
another five minutes with eyes open.

And then he crawled back in for more.

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus

_/\_/\_

Garage Squirrel 2

Same squirrel? I doubt it. I think these beauties would remember being trapped and avoid it, despite the yummy homemade bread. Amy hadn't even baited the trap again. The old bread with all the peanut butter licked off was still there. I thought I could identify four of the squirrels but it is difficult to identify them in the trap. This little one ran towards the bird feeder tree when she was released. It has been three days between squirrels. I don't blame her for coming in. The weather has been wild the past two days.

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, Havahart traps
_/\_/\_

A Smoking Red Squirrel

One of the red squirrels moved into the garage for the winter. Amelia didn't like that. It was in the ceiling of one of the rooms in the house and in the attic. A squirrel has moved in every winter and I didn't know what the problem was (oh, Amy told me what the problem was). The dogs go nuts in the garage trying to track the squirrel, and the last insult was when it stole and chewed a pack of cigarettes. I became worried about squirrels smoking in the house, so I agreed that Amy could try to trap it in my havahart trap. Twice, the squirrel retrieved the peanut butter bread and closed the trap but never was itself trapped. The third time was the charm. Today, my little squirrel was safe inside the trap.

Here is the little rascal patrolling her snow tunnels in the back (taken through window). I'm taking bets on how long it will take her to move back into the house.

Blog update: my blog is not loading at all today. I have had only 10 visitors instead of the normal 100-200. I apologize for this but I don't know why it is happening. And as you know, Google Blogger has no way to directly e-mail for help. You have to jump through hoops to find out anything and I don't do that. If this situation doesn't improve, I'll be moving the blog.

Technorati Tags: red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, havahart trap 

_/\_/\_