A Sample of our Piece of Paradise

So this afternoon I was wandering the yard waiting for Jeff to get home from work. I walked over the far side of where we park the truck. There is a railroad tie there going over the little drainage ditch. I was standing there thinking it would be nice to start a trail there up to the forest – we’d just need to clean out some of the alder brush that is so thick. Then I noticed I was looking at a SNAKE! The first snake I’ve seen all year. It was the smallest thing I’ve ever seen. I had to look at it really closely to figure out it was a snake. It was the size of a pencil. I ran inside to get my camera because I KNOW all my faithful blog readers would love to see a real live SNAKE!

Unfortunately I tip toed back and it was gone. So I was standing there. And I was a little on edge. I like snakes better when I know where they are and they aren’t moving. I stood still to survey the area and look for movement. When all of a sudden a chipmunk ran out from under the brush and across the rail road tie. Scared the beejeezus out of me! What a brave little bugger he was. I photographed him for probably 15 minutes. I have 50+ photos. Here are a few. His mission was to stuff himself full with the sunflower seeds that were under the bird feeders and then run back across the rail road tie into the woods.

Monty was on the porch and he kept jumping up on the railing because he wanted that little chipmunk BAD!

There are 4 blue jays here now, 20-100 yellow birds, a few hummingbirds, many bunnies (although only one is ever in the yard at a time), and today Jeff said he discovered several grouse in the woods around the house.