Chubby Fat Squirrels and Crazy Crows

There was an odd crow this morning that insisted on cawing after every action.

Dig beak into dirt, caw-caw! Throw a leaf aside, caw-caw! Get beak stuck in the dirt, caw-caw! Wriggle beak back out, caw-caw!

A chubby, fat squirrel noticed the commotion and snuck up on the crow to investigate. After a stealthy creep and stop to behind the crow, he realized that the crow was simply a nut-case, so he turned sideways and pretended to be simply passing by. The crow turned to look at him, caw-caw! And then he turned back to his digging.

He wasn't very successful in finding any hidden worms. I guess he's just too noisy of a fisherman.

I hope all of you have had a good week. Mine was a whirlwind of work and crazy deadlines. However, I did have some good news in a bookmark sale that came with a sweet note. Apparently the customer was so pleased with the quality and packaging of the first bookmark that she purchased from me that she instantly bought another one! She said that the bookmark was better in person than in the picture. Hehehe... I guess that means I need to take better pictures!

I also came across some wonderful Etsy shops! Here are some felt towers from Intres, nesting owls from Savage Artworks, a rabbit among ferns ACEO from Carmen Keys Art, and some beautiful fabrics from Cicada Studio.

Hungry Squirrel

I felt like taking a break yesterday so I spent some time in the garden after work. I have discovered that I can cut stems from impatiens, stick them back into the soil, and start many, many new plants. I just need to keep the soil moist so that the new cuttings have a chance to root. I've been slowly expanding the number and coverage of impatien plants that I have in this way.

While I was working on this, I noticed that a large female squirrel was watching me from off the wall. She clung to the wall like spiderman and stared at me. I said hello and kept working. Sensing that I was harmless, she worked her way down the wall and began to rummage in my garden for tasty things to eat. She began her feast by eating all of the juicy, young tips off of my pumpkin plants. Munch-munch-munch! She made those pumpkin plants looks so tasty, that I began to wonder if I should be eating them myself. A little concerned that I was staring quite so much, she snapped another fresh shoot off and scampered off to the stairway to eat there instead. I peeked at her from behind a tomato plant.

Soon, she was back. Noting that my supply of pumpkin plants was dwindling, she scaled the building wall. She explored my balconey, hopeful for a bag of garbage to puncture and rummage through, and then she explored the balconey upstairs mine. Chased off by my angry neighbor, she finally scampered away into the forested area. It was just in time too. A local cat and my neighbor's dog must have caught scent of the little critter, for they both came over to examine the damage the squirrel had left behind.

I got up and looked over the pumpkin plants. "Hm," I thought, "Mum won't like this..."