Olivia’s garden report – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
Hi! It’s me, Olivia, with a big report on garden visitors and things our mom and dad have been doing. I can tell you they aren’t spending enough time with us (that would be my mom and dad I’m talking about, not the garden visitors), but they (again, mom and dad) say they had things to accomplish outside in the backyard this year. Oh, can you say excuses? Uh huh.
Olivia watches the garden – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
Let’s ignore whatever mom and dad have been doing until the very end. First, let’s see who all has been visiting our backyard.
Limpy the Squirrel doing well – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
Limpy, the squirrel with the broken/deformed front leg, has raided the squirrel nut box on and off the past few weeks. Mom finally remembered to get a current photo of him. He seems to get around well and eats a lot when he comes by.
Lily the raccoon – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
This is Lily, our third generation raccoon, also stopping by to raid the squirrel raccoon nut box. Mom says Lily hasn’t been by in a couple of weeks and that usually means she’s had her babies and is just looking for the right time to bring them by for introductions. Those babies will be the fourth generation of raccoons to learn the sound of mom and dad’s voices. Also, to learn about the nut box and any leftover visitor cat food!
Mystery Tuxie again – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
And if there isn’t any leftover visitor cat food left for the raccoons (something the neighbors absolutely hate happening so mom doesn’t do that), this would be part of the reason why. This mystery tuxie keeps visiting us just long enough to dine and dash. Mom has yet to see his face or to get within thirty feet of him. Sometimes, tuxies can be aloof like that, I hear.
Visitor Scruffy – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
You know visitor Scruffy. He’s lived up the street for something like ten or eleven years now. He’s a morning cat, like I am, so I see him almost every day.
Joe the Frog – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
Our frog buddy, Joe, is still around. I don’t remember when he was a tadpole or little frog. Mom says he’s been in our backyard for about five years now. How long do frogs named Joe live anyway? I don’t think he eats from the nut box or any leftover cat food but he’s big so, maybe!
Downy Woodpecker bathing – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
I know some cats don’t like birds or burdz. Me, I can take ’em or leave ’em. But every great once in a while, one will catch my attention. This one woodpecker had my sister Tessa all a twitter with her chirping, “Come inside” invitational voice. The bird just glared at her and that’s just as well. Mom says she has enough to clean up. Don’t need feathers and beady eyes added to the mix.
Grosbeaks bathing – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
A little while later, a bunch of birds called Grosbeaks took over the fountain and yukked it up during their bath. Must have been telling good jokes. They didn’t even notice my sister Tessa really chirping away at them from inside.
Goldfinch Pantaloons – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
And not to insult anyone with even more bird pictures, I had to report we apparently have some wise crack birds. There I was, sitting in the window as quiet as a mouse while my sister was… yep, still chirping away at whatever appeared to have wings out there, when suddenly, this yellow bird looked me in the eye, stood on his tippy toes, and pulled up his feathers to flash me his white pantaloons! How dare he! Why, I’ve never seen such insolence in a bird. So I acted like I’d seen bird tighty-whiteys every day of the week and jumped down to go find something else to investigate for my next report. Stupid birds!
Removed red maple stump – 2015 © Colehaus.com
No, I didn’t forget my mom and dad’s backyard work (not intentionally, perhaps). So this is the stump from a big red maple that needed to be removed from beside our fountain because a) a big windstorm last fall broke up half of it, and b) the roots were threatening to cause havoc. Mom doesn’t use the word “havoc” too often so I know this was something serious.
Anywho, they dug this huge stump out by hand and it weighed something like two hundred pounds once it was out of the ground. Dad took his trusty electric saw to it over and over and just last week, after working on it for months, the last of the stump went into the yard debris bin for recycling. See what I mean by not spending enough time with us? They’re outside being urban lumberjacks!
Blocks and sloping side yard – 2015 © Colehaus.com
And one more project that’s kept them outside for far too long in my opinion: Mom insisted our sloping side yard had to be…. um…. not sloping. Plus, all the heavy-duty retaining blocks used to keep dirt from falling all over the sidewalks my brother Quint likes to walk on, blocks my mom called Ugg-Lee, had to go too. It’s hard to see the sloping part in this photo but it’s the best mom had. She’s even slacking on photos now! Mom, can we be added to your projects list? Perhaps added to the top of that list? I have it on good authority you need a supervisor.
Block gone and terraced slope – 2015 © Colehaus.com
Finally, after months of digging and some HBO words I’m sure because there were five other maple tree stumps in there to take out, the slopey side yard has these nice level terraces, as Mom calls them, and the water won’t run down the side yard like a river now when it rains. She also gave all those Ugg-Lee blocks to the local Habitat for Humanity people who said they could really use them.
Olivia keeps one eye open – 2015 © Colehauscats.com
Well, that’s about it around here for the time being. But you never know when that might change. I’ll keep my eyes open in the meantime. At least one of them. My project list shows I’ve got napping to do.
Wow, there is a lot going on in your garden. And you are quite right – birds are often extremely cheeky fellows.
Just be grateful you weren’t given the task of pushing the wheel barrow Olivia!
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
We think your pawrents have been working too hard, but we know they are happy to have the projects done 🙂
So glad to see Limpy is still around and that tuxie has a collar and tag.
Wow, such great photos! Olivia, you’ve done a terrific job of reporting the news at your house…love the mention of HBO words, hahaha…
Vocês tem visitantes adoráveis!
Gatinhos nunca são permitidos em projetos de jardinagem hehehe
Outside yard work is extremely hard. But the end results are worth it. Great photos Olivia.
You have a busy garden/yard with all the birdies and other critters stopping by. Tell your humans to take it easy this long weekend, go grill something and stay away from yard work for the time being.
Emma and Buster
wow – your backyard is a busy place. better take a quick nap before something else happens
Olivia what a action packed fun post full of all kinds of critters.
You had a Bird TV marathon
Hugs madi your bfff
Wow, just look at all those outside visitors at your house, Olivia. Nice pictures, by the way.
Mom and Dad sure have been working hard. The terraced walk is great (so say our Mom and Dad)!
Hugs,
Moosey, Gracie and Zoe
Dang, you sure do have lots of interesting visitors to keep you entertained!
Wow, you have lots of neighbors and visitors! Way more than us.
Your mom and dad work like troopers. A few HBO words is nuthin’ round here! MOL! Take that you ol’ HBO’ing stump! MOL!
You sure have a lot of animal friends there! They are smart, they know nice people when they see them! If I had to do all of that digging, I’d use HBO words too, heck, I use them ALL of the time, anyway!
olivia…..well, frank lee we wuz enjoyin thiz post til we saw what we saw….. N mor than de werdz… bass terd burdz…. came outta R mouthz two…. but we willna type em heer….high paws two yur mom & dad…they IZ doin a grate job ~~~
🙂 ♥♥♥
Napping and playing with the kitties should be on top of EVERYONES list!
You have lots of visitors in your yard. I would stay inside with you- that is what I do here, I stay in and nap with kitties and hubby goes out to feed birds.
You’ve got some pretty interesting visitors in your yard. We only get raccoons at night. They come and knock the bird feeders out of the tree and eat all the birdie food. The mom calls them pigs.
Olivia, you have some great garden visitors! we love that they keep coming back and you must have some great TV programs 🙂 we think it is rude of your folks to have ignored you kitties so, but your yard looks really nice! get busy on your nappin!
Pip, SMidgen, Minnie, Hollie
Olivia, I don’t get here enough but that does not mean I don’t want to. I loved every word and picture in here today and learned a few things too. One, though we have many Goldfinches, I never saw their tighty whiteys! You were just plain lucky… he did that so that you could add that to your report.
LOVE the terracing idea. I would not think MY mom could think that far ahead. We need yard attention VERY badly.
XXOO
You have a lot of interesting neighbors ! Your yard looks great ! Purrs
Your mum and dad have been working very hard. That was very rude of the bird to flash at you.
Wow, lots going on at your house for sure! Your Mom & Dad have done lots of work and we love the terrace they created. Such wonderful pics of all your garden visitors,how special…we are glad they all have your Mom and Dad to look out for them all.