I May Be Evil

I'm not sure, exactly, what this thing is. When I was straightening a birdhouse on the side of a tree at the lake, he/she came running out and up the tree. Scared the bejeebies out of me! We stared each other down for a good 15 minutes. And even an hour after he scurried up the tree, he was still there crouched down like this. Is it a baby squirrel or something else? 

Notice how he kind of flattens out and his sides looks rippled. Hmmm, I have no idea.

Back home now....on LaLa Lane. I snapped several photos to capture what mid-spring

looks like here in SC. This is planted in my backyard. It's shrub sized and for the life of me,

I can't remember what it's called.

He hangs out at my back door. Can you see the pollen on his back?

I was hoping for a bird family to move in, but no residents, yet.

I've always loved this poem. It hangs on my front porch.

The azaleas were so pretty this year.

And, so were the dogwoods. This one is growing just inside the edge of the woods.

Just because I love a close-up.....

My front yard.

Clematis

Miniature Roses

Back in the upstate.....a cute little barn that I pass regularly.

Hostas at the lake.

Snowdrops at the lake.

And lastly, another barn that I pass often with the leaves of the trees popping out.

Oh wait, in case you were wondering.....I may be evil. Remember the squirrel stealing the birdfeed? Well, he brought visitors. There's three out there now, eating the birdfeed....like it's the best thing they ever ate in their life.  I'm so sorry, but I just can't have that. Squirrels drive me nuts, no pun intended. I read about sprinkling Cayenne pepper on the birdseed. The writer said that it would send the squirrels packing and wouldn't bother the birds. So, day before yesterday, I tried it. I didn't see any squirrels that day. Yesterday, it rained all day and the squirrels feasted. Either the Cayenne pepper didn't bother them or it was diluted or washed away by the rain. And lo and behold, when I got home from yoga this morning, there they were...hanging on the side of the birdfeeder....chowing down, again.  Gah....I grabbed the pepper and ran outdoors. I sprinkled the pepper around the bottom of the feeder, heavily. I've been watching the squirrels all day, just waiting for them to get into it. I even giggled at the thought of their tongue being on fire from eating cayenne laced seeds. See, I think I'm turning evil. Well, I guess the jokes on me. The squirrels are hovering around it. I think they must smell it and won't go near. The closest they have gotten was when one shimmied down the chain and tried to chew the top off the feeder. It's metal so he couldn't do anything with it and gave up. Have mercy, though, they are still hovering.

OMG! Update!

He did it! He braved up and went for it. You can see the cayenne pepper sitting there on the bottom right. At first, I thought it didn't faze him. But just now, he jumped down and started digging a little furrow in the dirt and rubbing his nose in it. Ha!

Well, there you have it. The cayenne pepper may only put a damper on keeping the squirrels out of the birdfeeders. This one ate it until he couldn't stand it any longer, I guess. And then, had to go rub his nose in the soothing dirt. I'm afraid this is a never ending battle.

 I may be here all day. Ha!

Laurie