Mr Squirrel meets Turdus Merulla

Mr.Squirrel was acting strange as usual. There is always something out of sorts with him. This time the heat had gotten under his craw. Cranky and undignified he kept trying to reach for a breeze somewhere. Maybe if I stick my neck out this far I will feel cooler, he thought. It is my whiskers which make me hot when they are touching my fur. How can I separate my whiskers from my fur. Baby blackbird had just gotten up the gumption to venture out past the view of momma bird. Momma blackbird could never be called an over protective mother, by any means. She lets her fledgelings do just as they please from bedtimes to food. Pop Blackbird runs a tight ship when they get of age to serve under him. So during their formative months mom lets them enjoy whatever freedoms they can think of. They are all usually a very tightknit group, hovering close as they can to mom. They just love her relaxed attitude and although they could be anywhere, they sit at her feet and listen to her every word and peep.
Not today for baby, she was venturing out past the walls of the nest. The heat had her searching for a stray bit of water somewhere. Doesn’t anybody make a birdbath somewhere? She caught sight of Mr. Squirrel sticking his neck out and it was and observable unusual sight for her. She really had never made his acquaintance before. Scared and curious she made her way closer and closer to what looked like a posing squirrel. Do you need help? She peeped from the top of the stair bannister. No, he grunted back. Can’t you see I am catching a breeze? Silly bird, move away from me, you are causing me to use up my valuable energy conversating with you for what? You are of no consequence to me. Why are you bothering me in all this heat? You are just making me hotter than I already am. Get away, get away, I say.

Wow, you are a grumpy paws aren’t you? She had never met a squirrel and so she was under the impression that perhaps all squirrels were of the crankyshanks sort. I simply wanted to know if you needed help. If you are not in pain, I will stay right here and watch you for whatever it is you are posing. It is a free building and I will stay right here thank you very much. I am not at all blocking any air from getting to you at all. What class in aerodynamics did you graduate from anyhow to really believe that I could block air from you all the way over there. I am the baby in my family and I know better than that.

You are a judgmental, little feisty, flighty thing. I’d bet your momma doesn’t even know you strayed away from the nest now shoe, shoe, before I come over there and nip at your wings.
This argument went back and forth for sometime between them. Mr. Squirrel grew a little respectful for the little baby Merula who gave him what for. He had never had a bird take him to task in such a way. He was used to getting his own way with everybody being such a crankyshanks. Not with Merula. She knew how to use her tongue as well as her wings and her ganglion. This was just the beginning of a beautiful friendship between them but now momma blackbird was calling for supper and no water was to be found so she flew off as swiftly as she had appeared. Mr. Squirrel had enjoyed the challenge that she posed and was lonely now that she had excused herself.



It was Mexican American night at the pavilion and the ducks and geese couldn't seem to get into the rhythms that had overtaken the scene. Evvy said that they were all "whitefeathered". A stereotype, but it seemed to fit as they were all huddled on the other side of the lake, as far from the music as possible. Finally, one older couple decided to risk the ostracization that would happen if they went against the crowd. Come on, Harry, lets go down there and cut some ripples on the water. Sally, I am not ready to cut any ripples. Do you remember the last time we went out on the town? I couldn't paddle straight for a week. Do you want to see that happen to me again? Have a heart? Come on Harry, we are still young, lets go down there and dance.
Slowly, very slowly, they broke away from the crowd and went down to where the music was the loudest. Harry was doing the uptown paddle and the electric waddle. They cut, more than a few ripples, they cut waves on the water that night. Sally was pleased and a little embarrassed at what a spectacle he made of himself, but she was ready to nurse his wounds the next day. Their reward was that the children fed them all kinds of different Mexican foods that they had not had before and the other ducks listened intently as they recounted their adventure, the next day to them.

Its the early tennis player that catches the bunny

Momma bunny is early out of the den collecting the breakfast items for her children. She goes out to the garden and collects all of the salad pieces that she adorns her table with. We caught her posing for us on her short stop picking up breakfast. We found that she is quite a show off, in her way.
She was gracious to make the acquaintance of Enoch in the field. So you are the boy who gave my children that ball souvenir. We have it on the mantle in our den. You are famous for us. Enoch graciously received the compliment and off we went home. It was nice to get to the field before the young bunnies, to make the acquaintance of momma bunny.

The last bunny straggled in to breakfast when we got out to the courts today,

Enoch said he's coming out to the courts momma, I heard her say as she hopped in to their comfortable den for bunny stew. Today was the day that Enoch has learned to keep it in the court, of course. He is still a professional to the bunnies. His favorite fans, even now that he keeps the ball in play. They were hoping for a souvenir from the 2009 summer tour out at the courts from the Walker family. They just love us all, but especially Enoch, for some reason.
All except Ma bunny who keeps a close eye on the time and considers us a distraction from her bunnies learning the real facts of life. Most of the bunnies are grown now and they really don't need momma's talking to's that they get. They submit to her anyway because that is the bunny way!

It was adorable!

I thought that the sparrow family was humble. Then I went to Lowe's food store. There, right in the middle of the O of the sign, above the store was the sparrow couple's nest. Oh, you guys took my hay and stuff from my yard to build a nest across the street. That is not fair!:( Why couldn't the young couple raise their fledgelings in my yard? They were proudly touting their choice of place. Do you see the babies? No! I can't get up there to see them. I didn't think about that, said Mrs. Sparrow. You offended Mr sparrow with that hard bread and we never looked back. They serve soft bread at Lowe's. I am sorry about the hard bread and now I won't get to see the sparrow family until the children are grown. That is the way it is.

Mrs. Bluejay was sitting for an hour in a Red Fern tree.

Mrs Robin came and asked what is wrong, Mrs. Bluejay, I have noticed that you have been in this tree for a long time. Do you want a squirrell to accost you?.
No, No, responded Mrs Bluejay, Olive told me to look for a pleasant tree and that that would cure Mr. Bluejays cranky spell. I don't know, do you think this is a pleasant tree? Mrs. Robin swiftly snatched up a caterpillar and said, through the side of her beak, its as good as any, I suppose. and flew away. Mrs. Bluejay decided that this was not a pleasant enough tree and went about searching for another tree to test for pleasantness.

I saw the spiders making some ropes for the baby moths and ladybugs to play on, in the schoolyard. They were at recess, when I saw them. The spiders got such a kick out of the way that the bugs would jump over the long lines that they had spun, for the youngsters. It was fun to see how the yellowjack children and the ladybug children get along, at this age. There was a yellowjack tennis match on the courts. Queenbee was sitting on the referee's chair and calling the lines. Mapsy is a big cheater and Papsy called a linesperson so that the game would be fair. Queenbee is prodigiously fair.
The Peonies had shows, for the children in the morning and the afternoon. I caught them between shows, they were taking in sun and enjoying a little drink, while the children were jumping. The dance coaches were amazed at the development of their troop. Booboola and George did a wonderful job on the teams and it was worth all of the effort that they had put into this crew.

Pleasantries in pleasant trees!

Olive Owl is awake when every other bird is nested down. The other birds wake her up for consultation. She knows alot more than the other birds about the things that they don't know, because she is awake when they are asleep. She is also aware of the coming darkness when there is light. So her eyes are keener than the other birds.
Good morning, Mrs. Bluejay said to Mrs Owl this morning. Mr. Bluejay has a cranky beak this morning. Olive was too tired to have a long conversation about it, but she is a dear friend of Mrs. Bluejay. We aren't spring hatchlings anymore, you have to learn to work it out, she retorted, a little insensitively, because of her weariness. You might try some pleasantries, she whisperred and then she was fast asleep. Mrs. Bluejay tried to wake her, but after the long speech she shared with Olive, she realized that there was no response and no way to wake her and all she came away from the conversation with was pleasant trees. Off she flew to look for the pleasant trees that Olive was talking about.

Mr. Squirrel is watching my weight.

He says peanuts are not meant for being covered in chocolate. He could not believe that I could sit there and eat the entire package of those corrupted things. He thought that I was going to eat the chocolate and drop the nuts for him to take home to his family. Nope! I was binge eating again. Back to the old drawing board.
I really don't spend much time talking with the squirrel family, because the birds would never talk to me again, if they saw me covorting with the enemy. I like how Mr. Squirrel spoke about the problem that he saw of me eating an entire package of chocolate covered peanuts. I'll take that, he said. No way, I said.