Tag Archives: Chipmunk

Our Backyard Zoo

Today is the last day of April and the final letter for the April A to Z Challenge. Our back acres are a mobile zoo of sorts. The animals come and go as they please. The birds fly in and out.

 

 

 

There are a few other animals and birds who come and go into our backyard zoo that I haven’t managed to get a photo of. It’s always a treat to see someone new show up for a visit. Our yard was totally fenced in when we first moved here but we’ve taken a few sections of fence out for Dear’s shop project so the four legged variety of animals have easy access now.

And that is the finale for the April A to Z Challenge for 2020.

Hope things are well with all of you on this last day of April. Will May bring good news of loosening of the Stay at Home orders? We are hoping for that. We did hear our Farmer’s Markets are opening and that fishing and hunting are also okay with social distancing.

Alvin!

This little critter appeared and entertained me for a while.

Chipmunks are rodents that are a type of squirrel. These small, furry animals are identified by their stubby legs, bushy tails and the white, black and brown stripes that run down their backs.

Chipmunks are the smallest members of the squirrel family, according to National Geographic. The biggest species of chipmunk is the Eastern chipmunk. It grows to 11 inches (28 centimeters) and weighs up to 4.4 ounces (125 grams).

Chipmunks are small, ground-dwelling members of the squirrel (Sciuridae) family known for their burrowing habits and love of nuts. Despite their size, chipmunks can cause significant damage to homes, yards, and farms.

We have already seen Voles in our yard and now we see this burrowing animal, too.

Things are warming up here in Northeastern Washington. We are inching closer and closer to the upper 90’s. We are working in the early hours and enjoying our inside cool air in the afternoon and evening. We are happy we made the decision to have a heat pump installed.

In my daily readings I read a verse in Matthew that caught my attention. I’ve read that portion of scripture before but this time reading that portion in the ESV (English Standard Version) made me underline it. One of the words that made me look twice was relaxes.

Jesus speaking to the multitudes:

Matthew 5:17-20

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Country Favorites!

We had so much fun watching the critters at our son’s home in the country. Katie grabbed my camera and took a lot of these photos. She also worked on identifying the birds. We were in Eastern Washington from Sunday until Wednesday.

This is a Calliope hummingbird.

A tree swallow.

I think this is a Rufous Capped or Golden Crowned Warbler.

The horses grazing are always a treat to see. We saw deer but didn’t get any photos of them this time. I also got a photo of some wild turkeys that I haven’t uploaded yet.

We managed to cross some things off the wedding “to do” list and got other things accomplished, too. We had a good relaxing and hard working time together. The wedding is at the end of June.

Today is Dear’s last day at his current job. His list is getting long for what he wants to accomplish during his “off” time. We’ll get a taste of what retirement might feel like. I’ll be sure to show you his projects along the way.

After getting back home the lawn needed mowing and our poor plants needed a good watering. We really are in a dry pattern for our neck of the woods. I was so beat last night that I went to bed at 7:00 pm and didn’t wake up until 5:00 am. We have a quiet weekend to look forward to. How about you?

I’m linking up with Susanne at Living to Tell the Story for Friday’s Fave Five!