Squirrelly-O Iglesias

Rocky the orphaned squirrel is now a strong teenager. He is a bundle of energy and virtually explodes at playtime. We let him climb in the lilac bush and he goes bonkers! Jim is going to use one of our spare nest boxes to make an outdoor nest area for Rocky when he's ready to be released. Our hope is that he'll stick around and stay in touch. When he discovers girl-squirrels, he might not want to!

What is a male squirrel called anyway? A buck? A boar? A furry grenade?

At any rate, Rocky loves to eat sunflower seeds, maple seeds and today he discovered white clover. He is as healthy as can be and full of explosive spunk! We think he will do very well foraging for food when we release him.

I raked out the chicken run this evening. All the uneaten grass clippings and what-not were used to mulch our blueberry and raspberry bushes. I noticed that one of the blueberry bushes has a few berries on it. If only the bushes were larger I would have a nice blueberry crop to look forward to. As it is, we're going to have to wait a few seasons before the bushes are large enough to produce well for us.

Last week while out on my evening stroll, I found this large gourd that had survived the winter intact. My cousin grows various gourds and pumpkins to sell each fall in a neighboring field. I brought it home and now it's a charming bird house. It only took about 15 minutes to make. I hung it on the trellis my sister-in-law and her hubby made for me a few years ago. I have some heirloom morning glories planted under the trellis. I noticed this morning that they are really taking off now that it's warm. When they cover the trellis and start to bloom, I'll repost this picture. It's a very large gourd and would make a nice home for a house wren family.

The black cherry trees are blooming which means there will be tasty, bird-sized fruit to feed our feathered friends in a few weeks. The windbreak is carpeted with lovely, green growth. The air smells fantastic; crisp, clean and earthy. My senses are overwhelmed with the perfection of the natural world.

The scents and sounds instantly transport me back to my childhood, when I would spend the entire day outside. The family property was my playground. My mother knew I was OK and never pestered me with a curfew or put limitations on me that city kids faced. I could run free, unrestricted, the entire day. I would come home in the evenings tired, hungry and suntanned. I slept deeply and awoke refreshed. That's the way every child should grow up. That's how our children are growing up, thank God.