Thursday, June 28, 2018

Critter Mix

Abby Lab here. With an unfenced side yard, seen above last winter, (our house was built on two lots, unusual for Chicago back at the turn of last century) we have a number of critters that live there, towards the back of the property where it's quiet. Mom feeds them year-round, though in summer months it's more like an afternoon "snack" than wintertime's breakfast and dinner. She'll fill up just one of the three bird feeders and toss out a cup of "critter mix" and maybe a few peanuts for everyone else. When it's gone they have to forage.

Mom always has fresh water out as well, as with the alley being gravel, the mud puddles when it rains are really dirty. They have pretty much figured out that I can't get out of the fenced part and barely look up when I go out.
If Dad takes me out for a walk, we go out the front so we don't alarm them.

Usually, it's the 6-8 squirrels that live in the trees and Mr. Bun, the yard rabbit.  Petey the Possum died of natural causes last year and Dad buried him in the yard, and we have a Trash Panda the size of a Prius that wanders through close to trash day to see if we left one of the Raccoon Bento Boxes open when we put trash inside,  But he doesn't live here as my barking at him usually sends him scurrying.  I only bark at the Trash Panda and the UPS guy.  I'm pretty chill with everyone else.
But yesterday w had a new visitor!  A very small bunny showed up to eat next to one of the squirrels born likely last August as he's still pretty little.  Both of them were very tiny.

But suddenly, everyone ran off!  Who could have shown up to alarm them?

Great . . . Zombie Groundhog
Brains!  Brussels Sprouts!

13 comments:

  1. You have the cutest little creatures that live around your house. Our parents love squirrels and we don't have any in the country. jUst donks. mags and gus

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I like having all the trees around. It's like we're NOT in the middle of Chicago. Fortunately, our little village is surrounded on 3 sides by a large expanse of forest preserve. It keeps crime down (not so much through traffic) and adds a little of wildlife to the area.

      Delete
  2. Wow! We had a woodchuck in our yard only once several years ago. Joey dog and I cornered it and it hissed at us. We were getting ready for epic battle when it darted into the garage. Ghostwriter slammed the back door so we doggies could no longer get to it, and then opened the front garage door. It eventually escaped. Drat and curses!!! Joey and I were so mad! But we never saw another woodchuck again in our yard.

    ReplyDelete
  3. MOL Groundhog does it make you think you are repeating yourself. We don't have those around our city but I guess there are some in the woods. He surely has a set of teeth and lots of claws.
    Hugs madi and mom

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mom LOVES your home, especially that nice porch. One thing she really wishes we had here.

    Lots of critters there, and a good Mom to help to feed them.

    Woos - Lightning, Misty, Timber

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It's really a cute house. It was in terrible disrepair when my husband bought it, but it was priced accordingly. He's done a ton of structural, electrical and plumbing on it, but I wouldn't trade it for a new house for oanything.

      Delete
  5. What is a Trash Panda? And the zombie groundhog - bwahaha!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. A Trash Panda is what we call raccoons here in the city.

      Delete
  6. We have a baby bunny in our front yard.

    ReplyDelete
  7. EEEEK!!! A Zombie groundhog..RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!
    He is pretty scary!!
    xoxo,
    Jakey, Arty & Rosy

    ReplyDelete
  8. That's quite the menagerie you have, Abby. Love the raccoon moniker! Too funny and so appropriate.

    ReplyDelete
  9. The biggest trash pandas I have ever seen were those who inhabited Northwestern's campus when I was a student there.

    As for the groundhog, well, if they are zombies, Choppy is soon going to turn based on her last run-in with one (which ended very poorly for Choppy).

    ReplyDelete
  10. Your mom is sweet to take care of all the animals who come around her house but we think she can draw the line at the zombie Groundhog.

    ReplyDelete

Welcome to The Book of Barkley and the Blogville dog blogging community. This blog was created for more memories of Barkley as well as updates on our Lab Rescues that have joined our household since Barkley left us.

Stop in and say hello. However, comments from strangers offering business links will NOT be posted. I