Tag Archives: squirrels

March Comes In Like a Lion… Or Maybe Just a Squirrel

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gray squirrel

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Checking the Weather the New England Way

There’s an old saying that “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.”
Here in Massachusetts, that lion has a flair for the dramatic. Some years it roars in with a blizzard, other years it tiptoes in like it’s afraid to wake the neighbors. And sometimes it just shrugs and gives us mud.

So this morning, before I did anything else, I performed the official New England March 1st ritual:
I looked out the window to see what kind of mood March was in.
(Cold, Light rain and snow. Yuk)

Meanwhile, at the Deck Slider…

While I was assessing the weather, Banner and Balboa were conducting their own March 1st investigation. Both were crouched at the deck slider, tails whipping like furry windshield wipers. Outside, the squirrels were running back and forth, pausing just long enough to give the boys a look that clearly said:

“Ha ha, you can’t get me.”

Banner took this as a personal insult. Balboa, ever the dramatic one, flattened himself into full panther mode. The squirrels, of course, remained unimpressed.

If March did come in like a lion today, the squirrels didn’t get the memo.

A Little Spring Inside the House

No matter what’s happening outside — roaring lion, sleepy lamb, or taunting squirrel — March always feels like a turning point. The light lingers a little longer each afternoon, and I start craving small changes that make home feel fresher.

One of my favorite early‑spring rituals is swapping out my heavy winter curtains for something lighter. Even if the weather is still acting up, it makes the whole room feel like it’s leaning toward spring.

This year I’ve been eyeing the Joydeco curtains — soft, modern, and perfect for letting in that slowly returning daylight.
Explore  Curtains here

Lion, Lamb, or Something in Between

Whether March arrived roaring, purring, or just sending squirrels to mock my cats, I’m welcoming it with a warm mug, a hopeful heart, and a few small changes around the house.

Here’s to brighter days ahead — and to Banner and Balboa keeping the squirrel population on high alert.

 

Squirrels, Shenanigans, and the Cat Who Judges Them All

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Squirrels: Rats with Better PR?

Squirrels. You either love them or you’re plotting their downfall. There’s no middle ground. I’ve heard people say they’re “rats with better PR,” and honestly, it’s hard to argue. They’re fluffy, fast, and just mischievous enough to charm their way out of trouble.

If you ask Banner, my resident cat and full‑time backyard security officer, squirrels are rotten little interlopers. He spends countless hours stationed at the glass slider, tail flicking, eyes narrowed, ready to defend his territory. Give him the chance and he’d happily show them who really runs this household.

The Cat Who Cleared the Neighborhood

Shadow, the scourge of the squirrel neighborhood

Before Banner, I had another cat who has long since crossed the rainbow bridge. We lived in a lovely neighborhood full of trees, shrubs, and — you guessed it — squirrels. One day, my neighbor stopped by to thank me for “finally getting rid of the squirrel problem.” I had no idea what he meant until he explained that my fuzzy little companion had been catching squirrels and leaving only the fluffy tails behind.

Horrifying? Absolutely.
Unexpectedly heroic? According to my squirrel‑hating neighbor, yes.
My cat became a local legend — the silent, whiskered vigilante no one asked for but everyone (well, almost everyone) appreciated.

NC’s white squirrel

A Whole World of Squirrels

I’m not sure how many types of squirrels exist, but I know it’s a lot. I’ve seen white squirrels, black squirrels, red squirrels, and the classic grey. Are chipmunks part of the squirrel family? I think so. I once read there are more than 278 species, which feels like at least 200 too many if you ask the power companies.

Vancouver BC- black squirrel

Speaking of which — squirrels have knocked out the power grid more times than hackers ever have. One wrong leap and suddenly half the neighborhood is sitting in the dark, wondering why they can hear birds but not the TV.

Rare photo of Florida Squirrel

Squirrel Shenanigans & Forest Drama

Squirrels are also victims of petty theft. About 25% of their buried nuts get stolen — often by other squirrels. No honor among woodland thieves.

And then there’s the bird feeder drama. The acrobatics, the scolding, the dramatic falls. It’s like watching a tiny, furry soap opera unfold in real time. Banner watches with the intensity of someone who believes he could fix the entire situation if only I’d open the door.

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Alaskan Squirrel

I’m Team Squirrel (Mostly)

Despite the chaos, I like squirrels. Their forgotten nuts grow into trees. Their antics make me laugh. And they’re great for photos — my camera loves them almost as much as Banner hates them.

So here’s to squirrels: the forest’s fuzzy little troublemakers. May your power stay on, your bird feeders survive, and your pets remain convinced they’re the true rulers of the backyard.

 

chipmunk

Adirondack Wildlife

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I’ve been telling you about the beautiful scenery and abundant food  in the Adirondacks but  what about the Adirondack Wildlife? There’s certainly plenty of that around even if we didn’t see them all. You can find black bear, bobcats, coyotes /coy-dogs, Red fox, beaver, muskrat, ground hogs, deer, maybe a moose in the north and tons of squirrels & chipmunks. And we can’t forget the traditional road kill of possums, raccoons, skunks and porcupines!Then there are the birds. Herons, blue jays, crows, ravens, woodpeckers, chick-a dees,  hummingbirds, finches, sparrows red winged black birds, loons…. Throw in a few raptors- various hawks and owls and even bald eagles.

Of course we can’t forget  the scaly creatures- snakes (including rattlesnakes), turtles from little sliders to whopping snappers, and fish. The only alligators are those some stupid people released thinking it would be fun. Those people are cruel idiots. Excuse me for being so blunt but they are signing the poor alligator’s death warrant. They are not good people.

The Eastern Cougar

The eastern cougar was declared extinct on January 22, 2018. Once this big cat roamed all of the eastern states dining on deer meat. But as the herd disappeared so did the cougar.However as white tailed deer made a comeback in places such as the Adirondacks there are sporadic sightings reported. Are they really extinct? Are the sightings of the eastern cougar or their western cousins? Who knows but like Bigfoot they don’t seem to be going away anytime soon. 

 

The Little Mammals

Mid way through my visit we descended on my sister. We met her for lunch at Cooper’s Cave then retired to her house to take in the mini wildlife in her back yard. We enjoyed the antics of her tiny menagerie for several hours while catching up on family gossip. As much as Sandy complains about the chipmunks and squirrels digging holes in her yard, she still keeps an ample supply of peanuts on hand. The squirrels and chipmunks come first and then the Blue Jays. We even saw her hummingbird! 

 

 

Puzzle Progress

I forgot to post an update on the last post . As you can see the progress isn’t fast but it is steady. 

Isn’t Nature Amazing?

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Nature just keeps on amazing me.

Nature is continuing to WOW us on and around Cape Cod! I turned my back for one minute and we had “Air Jaws” stealing fish right off the fishermen’s lines! It was just a small Great White, a juvenile, but it came awful close to landing in the boat. As if that wasn’t enough a few days before that a big great white also stole fish off a line. He was just less showy. He snuck up and chomp, half the fish was gone in one bite!

http://www.necn.com/news/new-england/Great-White-Shark-Jumps-Out-of-Water-While-Crew-Fishes-Off-Cape-Coast-440153163.html

Great White Moose spotted in SwedenMeanwhile in Sweden

The Swedes aren’t dealing with great white sharks. No, they have the great white moose. Talk about amazing. I had trouble finding a regular old dark brown moose and here is a beautiful snow white Moose, with antlers no less!

 

 

 

Look What’s right in our own backyardBlue Jay with Peanut

While all of this nature news was making headlines here in Massachusetts, I was visiting my sister in New York. In her little suburban backyard we were entertained by all sorts of little critters. The Blue Jays were the first visitors when we came out. Sandy was prepared with peanuts to encourage them to visit. She’s such a good hostess. Did you know that Blue Jays love peanuts? The kind in the shells. They swoop in and snatch them, After they go back to the trees you can hear the shells cracking.

 

A Flash of Yellow

America Goldfinch

A little American Goldfinch ignored the fuss the jays were making to make a visit to the bird bath. He took his time getting a drink. No bath today! No time for a snack either. He had his drink and flitted away. 

Harry WoodpeckerThe Little Star of the visit

I knew Sandy had a bunch of little chipmunks living in the yard. I was anxious to take their pictures. They had other ideas. A Harry Woodpecker came along but no chipmunks.Squirrel in a tree

 

 

Then a squirrel stopped by to scold us and grab a peanut. But still no chipmunks.

 

 

 

Finally we had a visitor. The peanuts were just too much of a temptation. Only one came out to play but he was quite entertaining. 

Chipmunk with stuffed cheeks

 

Natural History Tour into Denali

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As we’d been told our tour was on an old school bus style bus. Remember those windows that you could open from the top by squeezing the release mechanism ? The window would then open 1/2 way so the top of the window was open but not the bottom. Sort of like a double hung window for a bus.  Well that’s the kind of windows we had. To take pictures you had to balance on the seat to get the window open and then either lean back (Still standing…sort of) or lean over the seat in front of you to get a shot with no window glass or frame in the way.

The bench seats had been replaced but that was the only change and it might have been easier to take pictures from the bench seats than the captain style. Each row of seats was placed so the frame of the window was right in the way.

Sandy and I settled in and I took the inside by the window. We’d been told that the bus would stop for wildlife and if it was safe, let us out to take pictures. In all the brochures you see the bus on the side of the road with the occupants standing outside watching the wildlife. We were about to discover that “art” and life were very different.

Once everyone was on our driver made a strange announcement. He said if we were on the tour to see wildlife then we were on the wrong bus. As far as I knew from chatting with the others on the tour, we all wanted to see wildlife. No one got off so I thought he must be kidding.

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He took a head count and we were on our way. Everyone’s eyes were peeled hoping to see animals. And we did begin spotting some. First up were moose.

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We spotted a couple making their way through the snow. One of them had a radio collar and she seemed to be struggling.

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At first we were all concerned until someone suggested that she might be about to give birth and that was why she was having trouble getting through the snow when the other moose was fine. I hope that was the case. It made everyone feel better anyway.

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We stopped at a rest area where 2 rangers gave a short presentation about the history of the area.

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One of them had a really vintage looking uniform and with his beard he was a ranger “poster boy”.

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We also got another chance to see Denali (Mt. McKinley) who was again cooperating with us.

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The “rest rooms ” were quite state of the art too.

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As we stopped at the ranger check point that was as far as cars could go we saw a little Alaskan ground squirrel. He stuck around for quite a few minutes so we all had a chance to get pictures. He’s a cute little fella, isn’t he.

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I also spotted a grouse, in fact several, but they blended in with the brush and were so quick to hide that I didn’t get a picture . The bus was moving and if I’d yelled stop they would have been out of sight before he could hit the brakes.

There were more sea gulls flying around. Seemed strange so far from the sea. But it was time to turn around and head back to the lodge.