Waiting For Sandy

We got a brief glimpse of the sun through the mist this morning.  It was just enough to help us remember that sunshine does happen here. In spite of the overcast skies, it was really quite pleasant outside.  I took the camera when Amy and I walked down the lane to put a letter in the mailbox.  We found this beautiful assassin bug posed for a picture on the railing when we returned.

Later in the day I was delighted to see a small group of bluebirds inspecting the nest boxes that are visible from my kitchen window.  Nothing brightens a day in the garden more than getting a glimpse of the iridescent blue of those amazing birds.  Perhaps they were just passing through, checking out the accommodations for next spring or  maybe they were looking for a dry spot to wait out the storm.  They are always more than  welcome here.  On my second trip down the hill to fetch the mail something small brown and wiggly crossed in front of my feet.  I guess my first thought was a worm because the shriek that usually comes when I see a snake didn't happen.  It was a small brown snake barely 5 inches long.  It would be a much colder day than this one before I would pick up a snake.  However, this baby was so small I felt he deserved a chance to grow up so I walked carefully behind him until he crossed the driveway and found the safety of the grass.   The driveway is a place where you can get run over.  There is a flattened wooley bear caterpillar out there right now that proves my point.

This view of the garden facing the western horizon was my last picture today.   A few cool raindrops landed on the back of my neck reminding me that it was time to head inside.  I'm sure more rain is coming, but really I don't mind waiting.

Heartless Landlords Evict Tenants

Once the rain stopped it was another nice day here with  temperatures well above freezing. Ed was finishing up the ditch work for the new generator. As I was standing there watching him work, I thought I saw movement through the entrance hole of the bluebird box. Thinking perhaps it was my imagination, I asked Ed and he saw it too.  This nest box has a handy side panel that opens and so we went to investigate. This is the sight that greeted us when we opened the box. Years of cleaning out Bluebird houses spring and fall have taught us that this nest does not belong to birds. When we first saw this kind of nest we thought it was made from insulation taken from the trailer we lived in before we built the house. We have since learned that the white material is chewed up balls of milkweed fluff. Ed whisked the contents of the birdhouse onto the ground.

The remains of the nest are on the ground. The evicted tenant, a white footed  mouse, escaped .

Later in the afternoon I went back with the camera to take another peek. The mouse had returned. Apparently the accommodations were so tempting that even giant humans  bent on nest destruction didn't keep this beady eyed furry little creature from returning. Momentarily frozen by fright,I was able to get a picture, but the mouse soon recovered and escaped. In most years mice like these nest under the snow taking advantage of the blanket of snow and the warmth of the ground. I guess this year the bluebird house seemed cozy. The heartless landlords here are stubborn. This mouse must move on or face the consequences.