Today, January 21st, is the annual day to celebrate Squirrel Apppreciation Day. I've written about this holiday within a number of venues including
entires on this blog.
On July 8th 2020, shortly after
NYC started to begin easing up on lockdown restrictions (many of which were subsequently put back in place) which had been in effect since March due to the devastating consequences of the
coronavirus pandemic, I had the chance to watch squirrels from my window for they began to visit the
Ailanthus Trees in my buildings courtyard and as you might surmise from the photo-ops atop this entry, their antics gave me many reaons to smile during those isolating times.
It wasn't long before a squirrel began to jump from those tree tops to spend time in the
container of my shrub known as a
Pyracantha coccinea...
Their acrobats and their tendency to play peek-a-boo provided a bit of joy for me but probably not so much for visiting
birds who never had to compete with a squirrel to have access to the wreath-style feeder which they'd been using for years as evidenced in the next set of photo-ops.
The wreath-style feeder is not the only feeder my visiting squirel used in my garden, the creature also took nourishment from my "petri-dish" feeder...
I use this one to accomodate my visiting songbirds who are smaller and they truly sem to enjoy it as you can see from the next set of photo-ops featuring a female cardinal....
...a young European starling...
....and a Northern mockingbird.
As you can tell, this dish is very small and so I was truly surprised that a squirrel was able to position himself in a way that he could eat from it.
It is so gratifying to know wildlife feels safe and comfortable in my garden which is the setting for my three volume book series,
Words In Our Beak.
All the birds featured in this entry are in my stories which were published long before squirels began to vist me. Since birding has grown more popular during the coronavirus, these books are great to have on hand for those who can't go out and about.
Moreover, they make a great gift for
Valentine's Day which will be here in less than one month's time. Additionally the latter of the images featured within my wreath-style bird feeder sequence has been rendered on to a note-card cards (by
Fine Art America AKA FAA) and it makes a perfect Valentine's Day card for the one near and dear to you.
 |
CHECK THIS OUT ON FINE ART AMERICA
By the way, FAA can also render the images on to an array of surfaces; including acrylic... ...canvas... ...metal... ...special art paper...
...as well as wood...
... for varying sizes of wall art.
Moreover they also offer framed images of my collection.
But just a quick reminder, Valentine's Day is less than one month away, so if you would like to get or your true love items mentioned in this post please act quickly to avoid delays caused by shipping. Meanwhile, as a special treat to honor Squirrel Apppreciation Day, I'll leave you with this photo-op of a squirrel's first visit to my garden in this new year of 2021... .... and a poem by the late Mary Oliver. (She died 2 years and 2 days ago on 1-19-2019) Dear Lord, I have swept and I have washed but still nothing is as shining as it should be for you. Under the sink, for example, is an uproar of mice it is the season of their many children. What shall I do? And under the eaves and through the walls the squirrels have gnawed their ragged entrances but it is the season when they need shelter, so what shall I do? And the raccoon limps into the kitchen and opens the cupboard while the dog snores, the cat hugs the pillow; what shall I do? Beautiful is the new snow falling in the yard and the fox who is staring boldly up the path, to the door. And still I believe you will come, Lord: you will, when I speak to the fox, the sparrow, the lost dog, the shivering sea-goose, know that really I am speaking to you whenever I say, as I do all morning and afternoon: Come in, Come in. |
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