Saturday, November 6, 2021

Hard nuts to crack -

 



. . . . IS FOR AUTUMN


They're always here! 
No matter the season, grey squirrels are part and parcel
of our garden still with several large oak and hickory trees. 
The acorns and hickory nuts are collected, persistently gnawed, 
and often stashed and stored around the garden for later meals.
These critters have voracious appetites.
Perhaps they are descendants of the original farm inhabitants - this land
 was once farmland - who decided to coexist with the humans who 
built on their territory back in the 1960's.












This week I made a quick stop at JoAnn's Fabrics/Crafts for yarn and
 found this! I'd actually seen it a couple of weeks back when there - with
 a $24.99 price tag - and decided to pass.  
This week fall merchandise was on sale, 70% OFF which was huge, 
and this wall hanging was still there. . . . . . waiting for me! 
At just $7.50 I couldn't not buy.  It's really nice with a real wood frame
 and leather hanger.

Today is cloudy and quite cool with some rain expected later this
 evening and during the night.
This evening we may light the fire for the first time - all is set
with logs on the hearth ready to burn.
The clocks go back tonight and tomorrow morning may be a day
to sleep in. . . . it will be chilly and overcast all day.

Happy Saturday



21 comments:

  1. Dearest Mary,
    Hah, your property once was farmland, that explains very well your lush garden!
    We were the very first people living here and thus had to pioneer and work the land.
    It is what it is... with now three huge trees less since Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
    The huge 27 year old Live Oak Tree came down and another huge oak (with once a part knocked out from the top by lightning, barely missing the neighbor's home) and a poplar that had storm damage where a huge limp hung down on its bark! Too close to the greenhouse so it had to come down...
    Other oak trees, our white oak, a red oak and a water oak with two others got limbs trimmed off. For squirrel food there is still plenty left but strange enough we have not seen our birds back, nor squirrels. Pieter put both bird baths and 3 feeders back up yesterday. He hung nesting houses back onto the trees. It remains quiet but no doubt they will be back.
    Yesterday I heard the nut hatches sing.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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  2. Grey squirrels are plentiful around here, too, and unfortunately they are not native. They have crowded out the smaller native red squirrels. However, it's fun to see them scampering about. I've putting netting fastened down with rocks around the places where I planted clumps of spring bulbs, for they like to dig them up.
    It's a grey day here, too, good for inside pursuits. I hope you are keeping well, Mary. Is your hip pain easing at all?

    hugs,
    Lorrie

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  3. Your squirrels are very determined!

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  4. Some lovely grey squirrel photographs Mary - we see the occasional one but not on this scale.

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  5. The grey squirrels love our garden Mary and bury their nuts all over the place, then dig them up and litter the lawn with shells !!!! … little devils ! XXXX

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  6. Yes, have a fire to honor that extra hour of sleep. 🔥 Sounds so pleasant.

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  7. Your picture is very pretty, what a lucky discount! I would have bought it too. We have squirrels in the woods here and I throw old apples out in the garden for them, they burry acorns all over the lawn and come back for them the following year so we have little holes all over the lawn sometimes where they dig them up!

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  8. Dear Mary, I agree - you could not NOT buy the fall picture!
    Our clocks have changed last Sunday. Now all week, sunset as been as early as 5:00 pm.
    I never cease to be amazed by the high detail quality of your photos. You use the camera on your iPhone Pro something, right?

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    1. Change clocks here today - sunset will be at 5:15 - lanterns/candles outdoors on porch and in fig tree will be lit earlier!
      Meike the close-up squirrel pix were taken with my Sony camera - I do use the iPhone 11 Pro more and more these days though, so convenient and camera is great much of the time.

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  9. What cute photos of two little squirrels. I do love to see them, as we don't have them here at home. The close ups are fantastic, Mary. I love Autumn best of all too - what a great sign, and a great bargain too! xx

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    1. Hope your spring season is continuing to be be lovely Trish. Preparing for winter here of course!


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  10. Great pictures of the cute squirrel! Here in Sweden its really rare to see a squirrel nowadays...
    Have a lovely Sunday!
    Titti

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    Replies
    1. They can be a nuisance but do provide a lively vibe in and around the garden. Quite funny to watch at times!

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  11. You got some great pictures of those squirrels. Sunny here in Florida but chilly this morning at 57 degrees!

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    1. Love it cooler here - wore my fleece vest yesterday for running errands - felt cozy!

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  12. Dear Mary,
    Your squirrels are beautiful little creatures and your photographs are always the Best.

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  13. I have squirrels here in SC year round also. I think they were worse in NC when I lived there though. The ones here don't like the golfers and my dogs. Atleast they don't try a million ways to find their way up in my feeder. They ground feed for the most part and they eat the seeds inside the pinecones that my 5 huge pine trees drop in the hedgerow. It has become colder here and I like it. I have had to turn my heat on, but that is ok. Have a lovely day Mary!!

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  14. Such sweet photos of your squirrels enjoying their nuts. We do enjoy watching their antics in the woods behind the house.
    Love your new sign and what a great price you got it for!
    After last week's cold temps this is shaping up to be a beautiful week in NC. Enjoy!

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  15. Your cheeky squirrels are adorable, Mary! You've taken some gorgeous photos of them stuffing their little faces :)

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  16. We have had our first fire this past week also.
    What a deal from JoAnn's and I love it.
    Oh those squirrels. Every fall we see squirrels hide nuts in our yard and we didn't know where they were finding the nuts. I went searching and found the nut tree 3 houses down our alley. They were carrying them to our yard. Now I am surprised we don't have nut trees growing everywhere.

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