Squirrel Butts & Bad-attitude Bucks

The ground squirrels were lazing around the barn yesterday like guys hanging around the pool hall.  I was surprised to see Cheeky in the gang.  He was a regular last year, easily recognized by the notch in his ear, and I haven't seen him for awhile.  One of the last chores in the barn is putting out grain for the girls' nighttime snack, or I thought that was what I was doing.  I'd forgotten the poop shovel in the sleeping room.  When I opened the door to retrieve it, there was the food dish and all I could see was a ring of squirrel butts, heads in the dish and tails hanging over.  Those little bums better find gainful employment and quit leeching off the girls...I don't mind the occasional handout, but I'm not running a soup kitchen here!

Last evening, the big buck with the impressive rack was down in the front orchard, helping himself to half-ripe plums (perhaps I am wrong about the soup kitchen).  Just one doe was under another tree, and I wondered aloud why such a good-looking boy had such a small harem.  Then he turned and charged at the doe, running her out of the orchard.  Well, Mr. Greedy...handsome is as handsome does...and it's going to be a lonely winter for bucks with bad attitudes.

Shortly after returning to the house in the morning, an electrical storm passed over, thunder shaking the windows.  I'd already topped off all the waterers for the critters, and I rushed to put the cell phone on the charger and get the milk buckets washed.  I'd put a load of laundry in the machine and hoped it would finish before/if we lost power.  Loss of power is the least concern with a summer storm...lightning strikes set off fires in the dry forests that surround us, and I always run through my escape plan when I hear thunder so close.  This storm passed quickly with nothing untoward, and I got to watch NASCAR in its entirety.  It was a good day.