Backyard wildlife

Other than the dogs, that is. Over the years there's been an accumulation in the various places I've lived, including a big possum the dogs treed on top of a fence post, and I suspect a raccoon one time.

Haven't had either of those here that I know of(though two weeks ago I came home to find a very big, very flattened possum in the street). What I've got is birds and squirrels. There's two pairs of cardinals that come to the feeder, the always-found sparrows, an occasional bluejay, Carolina chickadees, and some kind of finch with a red head. And about three weeks ago I saw a woodpecker pecking away at a dead tree in the yard next door.

I've seen three fox squirrels in the yard at one time. There's a squirrel feeder set up near the bird feeder; I like watching the squirrels, and the dogs get to chase them. And they'd better run fast; the puppy is running with a dog that has killed a half-dozen squirrels in the past. She doesn't eat them, but she will kill them dead(isn't that a fine old expression?)

So far the puppy won't come into the house. She'll stand in the doorway with her ears up and tail wagging, but she won't come in. The cat's used to the older beast, but she saw the pup in the doorway yesterday, hissed and ran off. Chicken. She's bigger than the dog.

Now if the pup will confine her splashing around to the wading pool, instead of dumping the water bowl and carrying it off...