On safari in our very own yard!

I have a feeling the fauna is becoming quite comfortable with our presence here. 

My morning ritual consists of being woken up by Truman at approximately 630-7am, after he's had his breakfast. I then sit on the couch, at which time he jumps in my lap for a dead-bug snuggle, then make my breakfast and drink a coffee.  After that, the dogs and I head out to take care of the chickens.

This morning started off in its usual fashion, with a dog wagging on the bed frame to wake me and some snuggles on the couch.  We have a pair of mourning doves who have made their home somewhere in the vicinity, as they are usually on power line leading to the house or browsing near the compost bin.   A pair of them were dawdling about near the car this morning, when I heard a kerfuffle outside the kitchen window.  I looked up to see that a hawk had chased one of them under the car and was trying to drag it out.

I motioned to Laur, who grabbed the boy and the three of us watched as the hawk got the dove out, and dragged it about six feet away.  I'm not sure if the hawk let it go, or if it escaped, but the dove suddenly took off in one direction and the hawk in another.  Laur said she watched the hawk wheel and follow the dove, so I'm not sure what the future holds for that poor bird.  I guess we'll know if there's only three on the wire tomorrow.

After breakie, El Doo and I usually go out to do our chicken chores.  I was moseying about, filling water and food dishes, when I noticed him standing under a spruce tree looking quizzically up into the highest branches.

Tick, tock, tock, tock, tack, tick, thunk.
Tock, tock, tick, tick, tack, thunk.
Tick, tick, thunk.

I could hear something(s) falling through the tree and hitting the ground.  I bet we made quite a picture, the dog and I staring up into the tree.  Something fell on my head. What the heck?

Looking waaaaaaaaaaay up to the very top, I could just barely make out the tell-tale, herky-jerky movements of a squirrel tail.  It appears there was a squirrel at the top of the tree, tossing the half-ripe cones from the very top of the tree to the ground, presumably so it could gather them later.  I wonder why it would choose ones which were not yet ripe?

Anyways... the animals are interesting 'round these parts. I reckon I'mma hafta rig up some string so the hawk doesn't get our baby hens!

I'm off to get some work done. I hope your day begins with as much adventure as ours!