Home, Spring Home!

When we arrived home at four o'clock this morning after our visit with

the Ranger I didn't notice much. But after the sun came up and I took

a look around I noticed lots of things have changed since we left last

week. My first observation is that the boxwoods have flushed out!

And the Japanese maple in the front yard has flushed out too!

Not only are there new leaves everywhere, we have new bloomers too!

I love Spring and I love it when things

flush out with new growth! Huh, Leo?

Speaking of Leo... Bing and Leonidis were very happy to

see us this morning! Although Bing is ignoring us a little...

But that's nothing a little Fancy Feast wouldn't cure!

Look! Things are greening up in the back yard now too!

And it looks like there's a new tenant moving into the Gnome home!

Looks like he's coming home with some produce too!

My gardener is a very sweet and entertaining man! 

The forsythia near the bird house in the front yard is done blooming now...

However, the dogwood trees have popped to take its place!

In fact, all the dogwood trees have begun to bloom!

Dogwoods are among my favorite trees in the landscape!

My rose bushes by the pool have flushed out with new leaves too!

When I filled the bird feeders this morning I noticed most of the little oranges

I put down for the birds before we left were sitting under the heat pump. When

I bent down to investigate, this little fellow popped out to greet me! Isn't he cute?

I immediately brought him a fresh orange!

 Which he seemed to really enjoy!

Look at that cute little nose!

I thought about just loading him up with

more oranges. But then I thought he also needed...

Some bread with peanut butter on it too!

I almost walked away but then I thought about the other critters who live

on our property that might make a snack out of my new little buddy...

I asked the other squirrels if they knew his mommy...

But no one claimed him!

So I decided to hang out and watch him eat for a while!

He really enjoyed the peanut butter!

And the bread too!

He only stopped gobbling long enough to work on the peanut chunks...

Then he began to choke and I realized creamy

might have been a better choice than the chunky!

This little guy ate like he hadn't had anything to eat in quite a while!

Then he hopped over to where I was sitting and snuggled into my pant leg

for a nap and, that was it. I had to find a way to keep him safe. But how?

It's not like we have a kennel to hold him until he gets a little bigger...

Or don't we?

This locker in the garage might be the perfect spot!

Still half-asleep from the nap he started on my pant leg...

Wait! We can do better than my hiking boots!

That's better!

It's so good to be home!

Before I say good-night I have a confession to make... Remember

how I took credit for not buying this cake stand during my last

visit to the Pottery Barn outlet in Gaffney, South Carolina?

Well, on our way down last week to welcome the Ranger home from

his latest deployment I saw it again. And, I found it even harder to resist...

So I didn't and I brought it home!