A Hand Out for a Friend

Well I got my wish. Pip ate from my hand today.  I offered her a bit of bird seed and she came forth and accepted it.  Andrew got her to do this yesterday for him and I got her to do it this morning too so when I offered her a hand out this evening I had my camera ready.

Monday

 Edited to add Tuesday evening photo:

Edit to add Wednesday evening photo:

A Girl and a Tree

Elisha planted this Ohio buckeye tree from a seed; it was a project she did in 4th grade.  The seed is now a 14 foot tree that is 10 years old. This is the first year it has blooms on it!  I remember when she came home with the little sprout in a tin can and how happy she was to show it to us. Apparently some of the kids in the class weren't so lucky and had nothing to show for their efforts.  Anyway we planted it right away and unfortunately some little critter nipped it off the first year which was disappointing but it came back the following year and the rest is history. It's interesting how the simplest things can make the best memories. Happy Earth Day!

Accepting A Gift

Pip took a dandelion from my hand yesterday. It was a really neat experience.  She said to me I will take this gift on my terms.... I held it out and she came at me with a posture similar to the photo below.  She put both her paws out way in front of her body and  with a bounce-stomped the stem to the ground and grabbed it with her teeth.  Then she backed up and ate it while I sat and talked to her.  I just want her to touch my hand once. The aforementioned may be the best I get. I'll take it. What an enchanting little creature.  Her 2 youngsters from an early spring liter and a single bunny from a later litter plus her mate and another female were all in the yard yesterday running around through the rabbitry and having a good old time. Today the cardinal were in and out of the rabbitry getting food for their babies.  We've got so much going on in the yard. Its fun to watch.

Birds at the Beach

Lots of bird watching at the beach this year.  I got quite tickled at a group of pre-teen boys who were feeding the birds and having a good old time. While feeding the birds is a really bad thing for the birds these boys were having so much fun I couldn't help but smile.

 Boys feeding the gulls

 Assorted gulls

 Laughing Gulls

Wittet

Pelicans

Spring Has Sprung

Yesterday we went to the creek to see what wildflowers were up, look for morels and just to enjoy the early evening. Among the animals tracks on the edge of the creek we saw heron, duck, geese, assorted songbird, beaver, fox, coyote, squirrel, raccoon and deer. Seems like whenever we go out in the spring I also find some bones of sorts. Already this year I have found a complete deer skull and a turtle skull. On this trip I found a woodchuck mandible and the hip bones of a turtle.  There were wildflowers everywhere!

 sessile trillium and rue anemone

 Virginia bluebells

 trout lily

 heron tracks

 apple blossom

 woodchuck mandible

 Virginia bluebells

buckeye bloom

Pipsqueak in the Garden

Pip was out and about with us in the yard today as we weeded the flower beds, had a bonfire, and made foiled dinners. She was quite the the socialite posing for photos and coming forth for a handout.

 Investigating the garden

 This is her I'm looking for a hand out pose.

 Andrew is feeding her sunflowers seeds from the bird feeder above.