My Friendly Fox Squirrel

I have a new visitor in my yard - a Florida fox squirrel! I had never seen one until I moved to this house in the rural area of Citrus Springs in May and was amazed when I saw the first one. They are HUGE and have the longest, biggest tails! They are very wild and not very friendly, so when this one started coming to my yard to raid my bird feeders, I was very surprised.



I've been waiting patiently inside my dining room for over two weeks to take a photo of him but if I moved and he saw me, he jumped down and ran up the nearest pine tree to hide. I'm assuming my visitor is a "him" because of his size. At first he would eat from the tray of food I put on the ground especially for the squirrels. But lately he prefers to climb the shepard's hook and raid the feeders. Often he just sits up there, and looks around.



My other visitors are several little squirrels, babies of regular-sized squirrels, who come together to eat. But when Mr. Fox Squirrel arrives, they scatter and hide until he leaves. I don't blame them. He probably looks like a giant to them. Here he is leaving my feeders headed back to the wooded area behind my back yard.



In my research about Florida fox squirrels, I learned that Florida considers them "endangered" and they are only found in certain areas of Florida. I'm feeling very blessed to be able to see them regularly and watch their ways.

When I first moved into this house, a fox squirrel sat high up in one of the pine trees behind my yard and chattered at me one afternoon as I unloaded my car. Later that same week (move-in week) the same fox squirrel sat high up in a pine tree in my side yard and chattered at me. So I'm assuming that I now have been accepted as a squatter in "his yard" especially since I provide tasty treats daily.

Since I moved here I've seen several fox squirrels - in my neighbor's yard across the road and several times either crossing the road or in trees. The ones around here are various colors, tan or dark grey and usually have black on their faces. One I saw had a totally black head, and one had a black face mask like a racoon.

Well, the rain has stopped and I'm going to check my bird feeders...taking my camera too as I sneak up to the dining room windows....

Samson's Sleepover

One week ago, my little Westie, Samson, had his first sleepover. Samson is 10 years old, set in his ways and has some chronic illnesses, plus losing a bit of his eyesight. But he seems to be happy, loves going outside to check the yard for smells many times a day and taking naps.

Monday a week ago started off in a routine way. Samson was asleep in his cage; he loves his cage, sleeps there and takes his treats there to nibble on them. I left for what I thought would be a routine annual checkup at my cardiologist's office at 1 pm , and told Samson my usual line "Mommy's going to work and I'll be home later." He grew up hearing those words daily, so I still use them when I leave the house. Samson doesn't know I've retired.

After the routine EKG during my visit, things quickly began to move in another direction. They explained that I was to go to the hospital NOW and my admission papers were being prepared. Evidently I was in a major episode of atrial fibrillation, but was having no pain. Within a half an hour, I was at the hospital being settled into a room in the heart care area. All this was a first for me as I've been so blessed health-wise, with no experience with a surgery or hospital stay.

Since all of my my relatives live several hours away, I quickly called a friend of mine, Jesse, because I knew that Samson would be wanting to go out to potty soon. Jesse was my platform assistant and church board president/member when I was in ministry, and we have remained friends. He lives about an hour from me now, and we chat by phone often. He's looking for girlfriends and shopping for a new home; I'm looking for sales in my Etsy shop and new ideas for art. He still considers me his minister, as well as his friend.

When I reached Jesse by his cell phone, he replied "I'll be right there." I suggested that he bring his lap top so I could put my Etsy shop in vacation mode. I then gently suggested he bring some clothes so that he could stay over at my home and take care of Samson. There was a long silence on the phone, and I could almost hear him thinking "Samson?" but he softly said "ok" and "I'll call you back when I'm on the way."

See, Jesse is not a pet owner or a dog lover. I don't think he had dogs when he was growing up, and he's never mentioned owning one. I suggested to him recently that he watch "The Dog Whisperer" so he could learn about dogs, as most of the women that he will meet to date will have dogs. I know that he has learned a lot from watching "The Dog Whisperer" as he has asked a few questions about Samson in the last few months. I think that Jesse just thought that dogs do whatever their masters ask them to do. I think that Jesse likes animals and dogs, he just hasn't lived with one.

When Jesse came to my hospital room, I gave him my valuables and directions for feeding and caring for Samson. I also gave him all my passwords and other PC information that I've never written down, so he could check my Etsy shop for me. Jesse left for my home around 6 pm, promising to call me later in the evening, and I relaxed a bit.

My first call from the sleepover came around 8:30 pm. Jesse said "What do I do with Samson? He keeps asking to go outside." I explained that Samson loves going outside and will continue to ask to go outside as long as you continue to take him. I taught Samson when he was a puppy to ring a small bell on a cord from the front door knob when he needed to "go potty." He learned quickly and still does that. So Samson kept ringing the bell, and Jesse kept taking him outside, thinking it was a real need to potty. I explained to just feed Samson, and put him in his bed, and he'll take a nap.

The next call came within 45 minutes. "How do I get him to quit barking? I gave him more water and food." Samson barking?? Samson never barks. But I could hear this loud barking in the background as Jesse explained: "I moved his cage in near the sofa so he could see me while I watched TV and all he does is bark at me." I could just see Samson grinning to himself while he was barking, and thinking "all I have to do is bark, and this guy will give me anything I want."

While I explained to Jesse the concept of "NO" to be said in a forceful voice, Samson continued to bark. I explained to think of Samson as a two year old child wanting his own way, and Jesse seemed to understand. I could still hear the barking as Jesse hung up. There were no more calls that evening.

When Jesse came to the hospital the next morning, I learned more about their sleepover. Jesse said after trying to keep Samson happy and stop the barking, he was so tired that he went bed early, around 10 pm. I had suggested that he take Samson out right before he went to bed...but he didn't do that. So Samson decided in the middle of the night that it was time to go potty, and woke Jesse up with his barking. So they wandered around the yard in the dark, which I'm sure that Samson enjoyed immensely, and Jesse endured with his eyes half closed. Jesse was raised in the city, and is amazed that Samson and I wander into my yard at night with all those snakes, our resident black bear and the Florida panthers too. So I know that Jesse had at least one eye open for any night critters.

I told Jesse I was going to be released after lunch, so he returned my valuables and car keys and headed for home....for a nap, he said. Samson was also asleep when I got home that afternoon, and woke up and looked at me. I asked him how he liked his sleepover with Uncle Jesse. He just closed his eyes and went back to his nap. He's back to his usual happy, quiet self and has never barked since.

Melange Challenge - "Love Letters"

The latest Melange Team challenge is for the words "love letters." I created the mixed media collage below to celebrate everyone who has sent a love letter or waited anxiously for the mail to come, bringing a card or note from someone you love. My story for this piece is: they met when he visited her town on a vacation. He works across the country and travels for his work. He writes her love letters, which she treasures, as she dreams of a future marriage and a life together.



I combined pieces of printed paper and acrylic for the first layers. Some envelopes from my collection added postmarks from 1931 and 1941 from San Francisco, CA and Glen Ridge, New Jersey. I copied a vintage Valentine and the two photos of the couple. I stitched the photos to layers of fabric and added an embroidered accent to the lady's photo.

I create what I have named Inchy Art, art on one inch pieces of wood that I add to my art for emphasis and accents. The three inchy art pieces in the right bottom corner add another postmark from Ottumwa, Iowa in 1920 and the post office mark, both from an authentic envelope from my collection. I grew up in Iowa and have been to Ottumwa many times. The inchy art with "love" is a sketch from a sticker.

I covered the entire canvas with pink netting before adding the envelopes, photos and inchy art.

Florida Pink Sunrise

Early on the morning of February 10, 2010, as the light began to fill the lake below my home, I saw the first hint of pink. As I watched, more pink began to fill the sky and reflect in the clouds.

I immediately raced for my camera to take photos. The photo below shows the actual colors of this pink sunrise. I have not adjusted or manipulated this photo in any way.



This second photo is a closeup of the same view. Again, I have not adjusted the colors or manipulated this photo in any way.



I definitely will be painting this beautiful pink sunrise. This view was taken facing south, close to the Gulf in Citrus County, Florida.

(Please do not copy or download these photos. Thank you.)

And the ROBINS came....

I'm certain that spring is coming soon, because the birds are gathering here in central Florida to fly north. I've shared on our Melanage thread about the flock of robins who come daily to drink fresh water from my bird baths. I live on the Gulf coast, so most of our water here is salt water. The robins arrive mid-morning and fly around my yard helter-skelter, chirping and landing on the edges of my two bird baths. By early afternoon, I go out to refill both bird baths with fresh water for the afternoon crowd.

Here is a photo of my small bird bath as the robins arrived:



I took the photo above through my sliding glass doors, because the robins all fly away if they see me.

This photo below shows 13 robins drinking from my larger bird bath. I hid on my deck for half an hour waiting for them to come to drink, then slowly stood up and leaned over the deck to take this photo from above. They were so busy drinking that most of them didn't see me.



Yesterday I tried to take photos but one large robin appointed himself the scout of the flock. He sat right outside my sliding glass doors from my great room and any time I opened a door anywhere (I have five sets of doors that open onto a circle deck) this robin would scream and chirp a loud warning, and all the robins would fly away. He took his self-appointed job very seriously and even screamed and chirped when I tried to take a photo through the glass. I finally laughed at him, gave up, and postponed my photos until today. And today, he must be off playing scout elsewhere. My yard and deck were quiet today. :o)

**** I want to respond to a past comment made on my blog. My photos and blogs about wildlife in my yard are simply a single view on a single day. My single blog posts are not meant to include all the varied creatures, big and small, in Florida, or all the beautiful sea creatures I see swimming past my deck. Many creatures in our Florida nature are not found anywhere else in the world. ***

Melange Altered Bottle Challenge

Our Melange Team is having an exciting altered bottle challenge due January 22nd. This challenge is open to everyone; you don't have to be a Melange Team member to join in the fun. Two wonderful prizes will be drawn from the names of all who enter their bottles/jars. Our team discussed this challenge last fall, so I have been saving all kinds of bottles and jars. I chose a pyramid shaped bottle with a round glass stopper because, to me, it looked like a lady in a full skirt. Lady in Lace was born!



I made an underskirt of plain cotton then wrapped lace around for the skirt. Pipe cleaners formed the arms, and lace strips made the bodice. I painted eyelashes and the mouth with glass enamel paints. I painted the small hat and attached two tiny flowers before using E6000 to glue it to her head. A tiny basket with miniature flowers completed my Lady in Lace. As you can see, another bottle is waiting in the background to become another lady!

Melange Challenge - Timeless

The latest Melange Team Challenge is for the word "timeless." My entry below honors a vintage wedding - where a bride and groom pledge their love for each other, each one trusting their love will last forever and be timeless. The vintage photo was printed on cotton fabric, then outlined in stiching. The Our Wedding Souvenir book was copied from the original book that belonged to my mother. The gallery wrapped canvas was based painted in green acrylic and overstamped with Staz-on ink and a scroll design. The two laces enclose the photo and provide a base for the wood inchy art with the lock and key, symbols of love.