I had to go into town this afternoon, which means I didn't get much sewing done. When I come home, I always stop off at our mailbox, which is about a quarter mile from our house. Our neighbor pastures his quarter ponies in the pasture across from the mail box. I keep treats in my car ("horse candy") and often I stop and feed them. Whenever they see my car, they always run to the fence to greet me. I wasn't in any kind of hurry today, and so I stopped and fed them. They were so happy to see me, and enthusiastically posed for their pictures.
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I love how their noses feel like velvet. They take the treats from my hand gingerly so as not to bite me. (It doesn't stop them from coating my hand with green horse spit, however.) Love these guys.
Then I came home and spied a new squirrel family living in one of our landscaped areas. I have mixed feelings about this. The babies are adorable, and the adult squirrels can often be seen grooming them and playing with them just the way we play with our babies. I've counted four pups and they tussle with one another too. That's mom in the upper left, and one of the pups in the lower right.
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My feelings about this are mixed because, cute as they are, they can do a lot of damage when their numbers get too large. Then we have to take drastic measures (and I think you know what I'm talking about). We try as much as possible to live in harmony with our animal neighbors, but sometimes it isn't possible. I hope these little guys will mind their manners. Living in harmony goes both ways. Now . . . if they want to take over the house payments and the yard work, maybe we can work something out.
I love how their noses feel like velvet. They take the treats from my hand gingerly so as not to bite me. (It doesn't stop them from coating my hand with green horse spit, however.) Love these guys.
Then I came home and spied a new squirrel family living in one of our landscaped areas. I have mixed feelings about this. The babies are adorable, and the adult squirrels can often be seen grooming them and playing with them just the way we play with our babies. I've counted four pups and they tussle with one another too. That's mom in the upper left, and one of the pups in the lower right.
My feelings about this are mixed because, cute as they are, they can do a lot of damage when their numbers get too large. Then we have to take drastic measures (and I think you know what I'm talking about). We try as much as possible to live in harmony with our animal neighbors, but sometimes it isn't possible. I hope these little guys will mind their manners. Living in harmony goes both ways. Now . . . if they want to take over the house payments and the yard work, maybe we can work something out.
6 comments:
I just love squirrels. :) We rescued a 6 week old when hurricane Ivan killed the rest of his family. It was interesting keeping the kitties from investigating too closely - we had him in home with us for 3 days before the animal folks could take him. (The kitties would have killed him one way or another eventually - if not as prey, then by a bacteria that is native to cats and death to squirrels.)
It seems the critters are enjoying my yard too much this year, lol. First I went on the porch to see a chipmunk running down the stairs, he has found where I keep the bird seed;) Then I found rabbit and dog prints in my pumpkin patch, so hopefully they didn't mess up the seeds.
Debbie
If you figure out how to get them to contribute to the expenses, will you let me know???!! LOL We are over-run by squirrels, bunnies, possum, and foxes. Even raccoons. We taught our old dog when she was a pup, to leave the wildlife alone, but in the ensuing years, we have regretted that decision! Our new pup has free rein to hunt, and I finally have green beans in my garden again!
Jacque in SC
quiltnsrep(at)yahoo(dot)com
Love the pic of your neighbor's horse! I'm so used to looking at miniature horses these days (an online friend raises them & I help with Mare Stare when it's time for the babies) that his (her?) big head just made me laugh!
Oi - don't get me started on the squirrels - they knock down all the hanging feeders and make a mess on the platform feeder. I saw 3 squirrels in or on the platform the other day with 2 more waiting in the grass. The cats just sit and watch..
I feel your pain. Right now, I have at least one litter of six babies hanging out in my yard, and we can have up to 18 squirrels in the yard at any given time. I also have a bumper crop of chipmunks. They're adorable, and I love watching them, but they tend to burrow under my perennials, ruining the root systems. We are not allowed to kill squirrels here (some local ordinance), but have to transport them some odd number of miles away, I think 18.5 miles?
Linda
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