Jaci Dawn

The first big autumn storm blew in this weekend, literally. “Literally” here means it actually blew in, with high winds and lots of rain. It wasn’t too bad yesterday and Harvey got his long-awaited walk in.

He’s really quite funny. This 85# dog that does a happy dance on the end of his leash, barking shrilly and wagging his tail. I have learned to just let him have his head for the first 20 feet, and then he settles into “heel” and walks like the gentleman he is. We saw a lot of downed branches and pine needles. The deciduous trees haven’t had time to change color, so while there was a little smattering of oak leaves on the ground (usually with oak branches), there wasn’t a lot of pretty colored leaves.

The rain finally moved ashore around 7PM last night when I was making the drive back home from our dinner date in Estacada, Oregon. Lovely drive and enough said about that.

A number of birds made use of the bird feeder – when they could get past the hungry squirrels!

I hung that piece of root on a 12 penny nail someone hammered into the poor pine tree. The birds – and the obnoxious bird-seed hogging Eastern Fox squirrels love it.

Thinking about making the jump to the feeder. Squirrel changed its mind and climbed up to the branch above instead. It was one of three that parked in the feeder and stayed there all day. All rainy, dreary, dark day.

See this one? I posted this photo because 1) I made the suet cake it is dining on and 2) I got into an argument with an employee of the Backyard Bird Shop about squirrels and suet laced with insects.

I didn’t mean to. It was just that she said “The insect suet is good for keeping squirrels out.”

And I said, “Hm. Doesn’t seem to slow down my squirrels. They eat it up.”

And she snapped back in a most sarcastic tone, “Well. You must have special squirrels.”

So I decided to document my special squirrels eating insect-laced suet.

For the record, I wasn’t upset. She was possibly the first and only rude employee I have ever met at the Backyard Bird Shop. Maybe she was having an off day. But I still wanted to post the pictures of my insect-suet loving, special squirrels.

The birds perched in the rhododendron by the kitchen window while they attempted to wait out the squirrels.

There are two males in the photo. I believe the one closest is a purple finch.

A purloined sunflower seed.

This girl was hard to coax out.

Ah. There she is.

The hummer feeders were busy, too. I only have five out now and I refilled them all yesterday. I am hoping to encourage the hummingbirds that do not migrate to stay in my yard.

I can hear it raining and blowing out even now, after the dark has blanketed the land. I am not ready for a stormy Autumn. I hope it does not mean an early – and lengthy – winter. I am so not ready for the loss of summer and sunshine.