A Beautiful Fall

Today I was awake real early. I had the fidgets. Do you ever wake up and it's like someone turns a switch on in your brain? Then all these little ideas and thoughts start to whizz around making it totally impossible to get back to sleep? Yup! Nothing for it than to get up and make a pot of tea. I peeked outside, just after 6 a.m. Still Dark. What looks like a smattering of snow outside. So the neighbors weren't pulling my leg then! I put the little lights on in the kitchen window, I like my lights they give the kitchen a nice warm glow. Yes people I have fairy lights in my kitchen window! I bought them in Walmart, they are little bunches of grapes that light up. Lovely Man would have them down in an instant given half a chance! I glanced at the thermometer - zero degrees. So here I am blogging, browsing through my photo gallery, all wrapped up in my pj's, woolly socks and a fake fur throw!

Last night I did my second sketch of Kelly. In-fact I did two on account of not quite being able to get her arm right the first time! So I'm feeling all artsy-fartsy and I can sense another 'creative day' coming on! Anyway I'm sat here, now witnessing the most beautiful sunrise, browsing through my piccies and I find these two of Chippie taken a couple of days ago when I very quietly followed him to his home! Turns out he lives in a burrow just outside my back fence! I guess the days of seeing him preening in the sunshine will be a little less soon. Although I am assured that even tho it gets real cold we do get some bright sunny days up here! I like these pictures. Makes me feel warm just looking at them. The locals cannot believe we don't have our heating on yet, they think we're mad or something. I do picture myself as Renee Zellweger in "New in Town" very soon! Do you think Lovely Man will turn into Harry Connick Jnr? Ooh just the thought......

So yes umm....Chippie second picture....here it is.....I'm off to make tapioca pudding!

My Mama told me..

never to speak with my mouth full!

I know I shouldn't, but.......

get distracted that is. This morning I had a plan.  Shower, breakfast, finish the basement, do the housework, do the shopping...in that order. So what happened?  I tell you what happened.  Lovely Man, a bag of peanuts and a chipmunk is what happened!  It is beautiful and sunny....again...and so Lovely Man took some nuts and went out on to the deck because Chippie had arrived.  Half an hour or so later I am still out on the deck, with my camera, playing with Chippie and Stumpy!

Chippie meets Buddha!

 

 

Chipmunks are very territorial and will not often tolerate another chipmunk feeding at the same table as it were.  At first their visits were quite well timed with one leaving just as the other arrived.  This, however, did not last.  At one point they both arrived together.  I should point out that one has a nest somewhere on the back hill (Chippie), the other has a nest in the garden across the street from us out front (Stumpy).  So I was sitting there camera in hand when Chippie came up from behind and Stumpy arrived on my lap with a plop.  For a second or two there was a sort of Mexican Stand off, each trying to stare the other one into submission.  Then there was a flurry of tails and squeeks which resulted in Stumpy taking refuge down the front of my tee shirt.  This did concern me a little.  I have no objection to one of them down there but I certainly didn't fancy the two of them sorting out their differences down my cleavage!  Stumpy, however, jumped out (probably in need of oxygen) and climbed up onto my head.  There he sat watching Chippie with utter contempt until he took his share of the booty and set off along the path.  Stumpy then took a couple of nuts, allowed me to stroke him for a few minutes before disappearing off across the street.  Unfortunately in all the commotion one of them sat on top of the camera and altered the settings which meant none of this escapade was caught on film!  Never mind.  I got some nice pics of my favorite boys once I reset the camera.

Chippie takes a nut whilst Stumpy watches with contempt!

Stumpy stays awhile!

Out of Synch

Well what a pair we are.  This 'between jobs' lark is all very nice but.....our routine is non existent!  We started off well.   Getting up at 8, lunch at 1, supper 6 ish and so on.  But now? OH MY WORD!  Last night having messed about with chipmunks, laptops and a late supper we got caught up in a movie on TV which finished at 12.45!  This morning I woke as usual at 7 am, was I tired?  Was I heck!  No, totally wired is the only way to describe it.  The brain went into overdrive and simply refused to let me go back to sleep. Lovely Man, despite my clattering around, managed to sleep on until nearly 9!


Hi-light of the day?  Stumpy has decided we really are ok.  Not only does he sit outside the front door to wait for us to emerge, he now scampers up onto our shoulder to be given a nut.  He also lets us stroke him! The feeling I get when this happens is magical.  Having always loved animals it's a real special feeling when an essentially 'wild' animal does this.  Domestic animals, on the whole, allow this contact basically because they are dependent upon us. Unlike when a wild animal, that really doesn't need the food or the company, chooses to trust us and share a little time with us.  I feel quite privileged to have him around.


Last but not least, I created a second blog today.  New Challenges is my new blog where I plan to record  and share my progress in two on-line classes. Please do take a look and leave me some feed back (when I get going).  I am actually quite proud of my new blog because I managed to do it all by myself!