Guess who's moved in......................

Not snowing today - just using this photo from last December for want of a current one showing the gazebo from this angle!  Away from home for the past couple of weeks, the garden continued to grow during warm and wet days. The blanket of white is now many shades of brilliant green, the shrubs and grass are in desperate need of mowing and trimming, and general cleanup is calling...................this weekend requires many hours of gardening in oppressive heat and humidity.

HOWEVER............................

Look whom we've discovered living under the gazebo!

  

Mama grey fox apparently gave birth here, perhaps a month or so ago from the size and activity of her offspring.  Yesterday was quite a shock when four of the cutest kits crept out from their den at the base of the gazebo and starting playing on the deck.

  

Then Mama appeared, at first sitting off to the side watching them, then joining in, walking across the deck - unfortunately I didn't get a pic of them all together as I was so excited trying to shoot through the blinds without disturbing them - and then taking them into the garden to play.

This is some homecoming!  We had two litters a few years ago under our neighbor's shed, but never this close to our house.  We will be a little wary when outside and will follow the guidelines for dealing with wildlife living in such close proximity.  In order to have them removed a permit has to be granted by North Carolina Wildlife, something we may not bother with as this family should disperse within the next month.


Just a Nature break I had to share..........I'll be back with more stories and photos from my UK trip very soon.