We’re recovering from another brush with winter’s leftovers from someone else’s big storm. Two medium-sized winter storms in one week is normal for January, but we had none that entire month. Still, it’s Saturday, and we like to celebrate while we work on Linda G. Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday prompt. This week, Linda gives us:
“Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is ‘wild animal.’ Choose a wild animal (or many wild animals) and use it any way you’d like in your post. Enjoy!”
If we were having a beer, You’d be complaining about the my absence.
“I’m surprised Dan isn’t here yet, Cheryl.”
“I think you’re a little bit early, David. Can I get you some John Howell’s Bourbon?”
“He’s coming, right? I mean, it’s his week to pay. Oh, I’m sure he’ll be here. Yes, bourbon, seltzer, ice—you know, the whole deal.”
“I know, David. I know. You’re the only guy using three different glasses for a shot of bourbon. I think I see your buddy coming now.”
“It’s about time you got here, Dan. Where’ve you been?”
“What? It’s five of three. I’m early.”
“He started without you, Dan. Can I pour you a Modelo?”
“Yes, please, Cheryl. I was finishing clearing the driveway from the slop that fell overnight.”
“I guess this is March coming in like a lion. I forget you have to clear your own driveway.”
“Yes, I don’t have people. As for Miss March’s lion impression, she’s piled up next to the other wild animals in our yard.”
“Wild animals? You mean Smokey and Sammy?”
“Don’t forget Polly.”
“Polly?”
“Opossum.”
“Unlike your squirrels, who seem to be quite tame. The opossum is a wild animal. Aren’t you worried about having her around?”
“Here you go Dan. And David, I forgot the cherries, so here are three for you.”
“Thanks Cheryl. I was just warning Dan about accommodating an opossum In his yard.”
“Oh, David. Opossums are cool to have around.”
“Really? They look like large rats.”
“Shows what you know—rather what you don’t know, David.”
“And what is that, Dan?”
“Let’s see, they eat ticks, snails, slugs, snakes, and mice. They don’t bother our pets, and they don’t tend to spread disease.”
“I didn’t know that. OK, here’s to Sammy, Smokey, and Polly. Cheers.”
“We don’t see much of Polly. Possums are nocturnal, but we leave her fruit snacks sometimes.”
“You certainly like to feed your wildlife, Dan.”
“The squirrels and birds are losing habitat, David. That means they’re losing natural sources of food. They forage, but there isn’t enough to go around.”
“I’d have a hard time resisting Smokey. He is adorable.”
“Well, he’s actually about six or eight different black squirrels. We call them all Smokey.”
“I get that, Dan. But why do you call the grey ones Sammy?”
“Several years ago, a female squirrel was hit by a car near our house. Her babies were standing nearby and didn’t seem to know what to do.”
“So, you fed them?”
“My wife did, yes.”
“And you named them?”
“Yes. I think we called them Sammy and Samantha. But Sammy stuck and has become the name for all the grey squirrels.”
“Have you named other animals, Dan?”
“Back in the eighties, we had a raccoon we named Rocky. She had babies. We named them Frito and Bandito.”
“I should come up with nicknames for you guys. Let’s see ‘bourbon and beers’ that might work.”
“My woodshop teacher used to call me and a friend of mine ‘know nothing and do nothing,” bourbon and beers sounds better.”
“Which one were you, Dan?”
“The application was vague.”
“If you had to claim one, which would you choose?”
“Choosing between lazy and stupid isn’t a choice I want to make, David. I like to think he was just joking.”
“So, another round?”
“Works for me. David, you ready?”
“I am.”
“You boys want some food?”
“I’m thinking about an order of your fish and chips.”
“Wow, Dan. You didn’t already stop at Skooter’s”
“Not today, Cheryl.”
“Cheryl.”
“Yes, David.”
“Skooter’s doesn’t have a liquor license.”
“Gotcha.”
If you like magical realism with suspense, action and a bit of family sarcasm, you will enjoy these books:
Knuckleheads
The Evil You Choose
When Evil Chooses You
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No Facilities 
Beautiful shots.
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Thank you!
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It’s snowing right now with supposedly 8-16″ dropping. Since I don’t ‘have people’ either, I’ll be out firing up the Toro more than once today. :-) Those fish and chips look mighty tasty even this early in the morning.
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This one passed to our north. We have several inches on the ground, but we aren’t likely to get much more. I hope it doesn’t get too wet before I get out there. I’m trying to be kind to my neighbors.
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It will not surprise you to know that I loved the part about the shop teacher; you started my day with a good LOL. Thank you! As for all that snow, I can only send sympathy. March is the new January, it would seem. Not that snow has ever been unusual in Indiana in March or April, or even May, but the whole of it this year seems really goofy. Here I am looking for oars to manage Saturday errands.
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I’m glad I could start your day with a chuckle, Maureen. He probably couldn’t say those things in school today-which is sad. This storm didn’t leave too much. I still have to fire up the machine, but if it doesn’t turn to rain and turn the snow into pudding, I’ll be OK. Good luck on the high seas of Indiana ;-)
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We have too many visiting wild critters to name but I love when we the opossums. Nice shot of Mrs Smokey, though she looks a bit impatient for those peanuts.
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You have a forest full of critters. I always like the pictures at the feeders (and the woodchucks). Mrs. Smokey gets impatient when she’s pregnant or feeding a litter. We’ve been know to deliver peanuts to her “door” in the firewood rack.
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You’re a good egg.
❣️
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Gosh those photos bare lovely and when you talk about the animals it’s obvious that you love wildlife.
Another fun chat at the bar 💜
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Thanks Willow. These little guys bring us a lot of joy with their antics.
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Yes they do don’t they 💜
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You taught me something new about Opossums, but I haven’t seen one in years around here.
In reverse – we are so hot down here, I have summer blossoms popping up. Is it really only March?
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They are great little animals to have around GP. They have a bad reputation, but it’s undeserved. March seems to be splitting its time between trying to be January up here and June where you are. It’s getting crazy.
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We turned our AC back on in Feb. that is ridiculous!!
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Wow – I didn’t think anyone, anywhere turned it on before my wife. Ours is still under its protective roof.
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How high do you have your furnace up on?
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Let’s just say I’m wearing a hoodie inside the house tear round.
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I get the picture!
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I can’t get warm and fuzzy over possums Dan although they are part of the wildlife world. My Daddy used to leave dog food out for ones that lived in the woods across from his house.
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GP–I am happy to hear someone else turned on their A/C in February. I’m up in the FL Panhandle and the humidity was unbearable so we turned it on last month, too. I’m sure the electric company smiled about that.
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I must not let my wife read either of these comments.
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Oh, you know they are!!
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Lovely images,Dan. And while I prefer snow to rain in winter, I’m done with it. I just looked at my walkway. I can’t see it as there was too much snow accumulation. And it’s still snowing. Ugh. It was nice enough to walk in two days ago but enough already!
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I know that feeling, Dale, but not this year. This is the first time in over a year that we’ve had snow twice in one week. Since the first storm hit on Feb-28, we still haven’t had two storms in the same month (although March looks like she’s up for it). If we see warm weather coming, I’ll try to point it up your way.
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Ugh. We got it all.
And yes, please!
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Your shop teacher must’ve been a hoot! I laughed out loud.
We feed the critters here too. It’s fun and it’s the right thing to do.
I think that leaf is trapped in the fence. Maybe a good strong wind will set it free! The frozen branches always look so beautiful. And that sunset after the storm is gorgeous!
MiMi is so cute peeking out the door. Probably glad she is inside where it’s warm and dry!
Old Glory looking mighty spiffy.
Happy weekend Dan. If you got the same yucky stuff we did, you won’t be using your snowblower.
Ginger
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If I can move it with a shovel, Ginger, I will do that. Sometimes, I just push it around with the shovel and then hit the pile with the snow blower. It’s hard to tell until I get out there. I’m on coffee #2, so…
My shop teacher was a great guy. He probably would be in trouble today for saying stuff like that, but the kids who chose shop class in 11th and 12th grade needed a little extra guidance.
I think that leaf will make its escape. Maybe MiMi will see it blow by. She likes to watch the squirrels. We keep offering to open the door, but she’s got a good gig and she knows it.
All the critters were begging up a storm (pun intended) yesterday. I think they knew what was coming. If we could communicate with them, we’d have better weather forecasts.
I hope you have a great weekend. Stay warm and dry.
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Outstanding pictures! How on earth are you able to capture sparkles?? Last night, we had buckets of rain and straight-line winds. Pieces of trees everywhere. SO glad we had the giants close to the house removed!
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I have tried forever to capture sparkles! They never seem to show up. I am so happy these did. Fortunately, we had kind of a sleety snow. It was wet and heavy but the snow blower moved it well. That was good, because there’s now way I could have done it with a shovel.
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We’ve had a bit of snow in our area as well. So beautiful–and quiet. Your photographs capture that winter wonder. I especially love the photo of the fence. Have a great weekend, Dan. 😊
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I’m glad you liked the fence, Gwen. I kept trying to get a nice picture of that. I’m guessing the woman at that house will be replacing it soon. This feels like winters last hurrah, but you never know around here.
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The snow photos are interesting and a nice reminder of what I don’t miss, Dan. I loved the background on all the critters. Thaks for the mention and hope you have a super weekend.
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“I’m glad you liked this, John. Happy to remind you of the good decision you made.
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😊
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Dan–those three photos of the snow frozen on the trees are beautiful. It is so hot here I’d almost gladly trade our heat for some of that snow.
Last year we had a huge tree next to our house taken down. An opossum crawled out and ran into the tree services truck–funniest thing to see him run up the ramp right into the truck. One of the workers grabbed him by the tail to throw him in the woods across the street, but that opossum was mad! That guy held him way out lest the thing bite him good. Of course, I took a picture! 😉
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Of course you did :-) That’s funny. Possums are fairly clean, but I wouldn’t want to be bitten by one.
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Such a stark comparison to our spring weather. We could still have snow but I think things would survive now. At least you got some fish and chips afterward. Hubby said the fish and chips in the UK are suffering from supply issues due to the war in Ukraine.
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Oh no!
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“Know nothing” and “do nothing” are a step up from the gym teacher’s taunt for lads who were not athletically inclined:”you’ll be a man before your mother will.”
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My dad used to tell me that after taking care of a cut. I won’t tell you how old I was before I figured that out.
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Oh, dear . . .
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Horsefeathers! One look at that marvelous plate of food and I was starving. Dan, I’ll forgive you for the beautiful outdoor photos, and this hugely fun visit to the bar. Stay safe and warm. Hugs.
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Sorry about the food photos, Teagan, but they have the same effect on me.
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I think we spend more $$ feeding the birds and squirrels than we do feeding ourselves. We have a couple of storms coming in today and then later this week.
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Love those possums! Great shot!
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I’m glad to learn what possums are good for. The picture of them hitching a ride with mom sure is cute.
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The mom must be so tired. They’re marsupials, so she has them in her pouch for a while and then they climb on board. Mom of the year in the animal kingdom 🙂
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First and foremost, thanks for speaking up for possums and taking care of wildlife. That was a jerky thing for your shop teacher to say. It wouldn’t fly too far these days, I hope. So many great photos in your gallery! My favorites are the sunset and the sparkly snow around the leaf.
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Thanks JoAnna. I wouldn’t be too hard on my shop teacher. We weren’t the easiest kids to deal with, and he helped all of us become better students and better young men.
Possums have gotten a bad rap. They are the best, and we love it when we see Polly. I was surprised and happy to finally succeed in capturing the sparkling snow.
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Love stories about your menagerie. It never disappoints. I was just recently telling people about a picture of yours with a leaf stuck in a fence and now I see another one! And that storm, we got it too. It was the worst one this year. I would prefer that it was not repeated.
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You probably got a worse version of that storm than we did, Pam – I’m sorry. I don’t know where these leaves keep coming from, but they always catch my eye. I was well trained. Maddie would have dragged me over to see (and sniff) that one
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The opossums are adorable.
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They really are.
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Yay, you finally got just enough snow to shovel and say you had a pleasant winter right as spring arrives. 🤣 I love the lines about how the names of the critters came about. I like that idea. It’s kinder than my approach as I tend to call them all scoundrels. A great mix of photos this week, the calm flag seems extra fitting for the calm after-the-storm vibe. I hope you have a great week!!
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I was able to feel good about the money spent preparing the snow blower for the season. The snow won’t be with us very long, but it looked nice. When the squirrels added entrances, exits and ventilation to our firewood racks, they were called a few other names ;-)
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Yes, and I’m thinking that my hubby may just take those pointers and double-check that our snow blower is working before the arrival of winter this coming fall. 🤣
I think I’ve called our local critters some of those names too. 😉
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I take it in every year for a basic inspection and oil change. I used to change the oil, plug and filter here, but the oil drain is over the tracks, and I always ended up with oil where I didn’t want it. Then I have to dispose of the oil-giving me the chance to have that contained spill in my car. This year, he found a bearing on the auger that was going bad. It was expensive to replace, but I’d rather know that it’s going to make it through the season.
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Wise advice, I shall anonymously and strategically share it with my hubby! 😉
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Haha – look for when someone is having a sale on that preseason tune-up.
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Thanks, that’s another great idea!
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I really love how you name the animals around your house. I wish I could identify the footprints in the snow around our house- some tiny, some big. We still have lots of snow which makes for great sledding at school.
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Our snow is mostly gone, but we did manage to find sets of possum prints. Sledding is such fun for kids.
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Yes!!
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I loved those long shadows, and your sunset. The Opossums are adorable.
We used to have them come through our old backyard, but I’ve not seen one here. I’ll have to look to see if they have a presence here.
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I found some tracks in the back yard. I had been wondering who was causing the floodlight on our shed to come on. Not sure where she’s living, but we’re happy to have her roaming in the yard.
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The guy in the Bobcat did a great job. From what I can tell, your road crews do a much better job post-storms than ours do down here. But since it doesn’t snow anymore, that’s not really an issue is it? I love the leaf shot…it is definitely on the fence as to what to do. 🍁
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Our Public Works crews do a great job. They seem to take a lot of pride in their work.
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When I was at high school, my English teacher, a woman, said I looked like an angel but I had black wings and a rusty halo. I never forgot those hurtful words, Dan. She made me sound bad and I was merely a bit of a chatterbox. I love that you help look after the little creatures. I am thankful for people like you. We had a frog in our house on Monday and all my ‘boys’ went nuts [I have no idea why people don’t like frogs]. Anyhow, I caught the little critter and put him outside in the woodpile.
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