Yard, Gardens, Birds and Critters

Critters Around my House By Mary J Williams © Out of the corner of my eye I see movement there What could it be It’s something with hair I looked over There is the ground hog He is dark and not moving Looks like a log I’m putting water In my birdbath you see Now the ground hog’s standing up Just looking at me He or she has seen me before There was a small one too Now it’s just the one They look alike so I have no clue What else do I see Chipmunks are around One I see daily By a bag of soil on the ground I got up one morning Day Lilies I planted Were chewed to the ground "It’s the deer!", I chanted Now there are rabbits too And squirrels out there You kind of learn what they eat And not plant them, if you care Sometimes the message is “Deer won’t eat this” They will eat what they want Some plants they dismiss So, yes, I have critters And sometimes I fuss How they aggravate me And sometimes I cuss But those that know me I am a softy at heart Probably won’t do anything Which, I ...

The Cat And The Chipmunk By Mary J Williams © My neighbor has a cat That roams the neighborhood Sometimes he comes to see me I’d probably keep him if I could A yellow cat is he This cat that roams around Most of the time I see him He is laying on the ground Yesterday was no exception He was in the other neighbor’s yard Just lying there, I thought But looked like he was on guard Next thing I know He is up and does a pounce Something he was after Did a little bounce This happened over and over I finally went inside the house Grabbed my camera with the zoom Thinking to see a mouse The cat was teasing a chipmunk A tiny little thing I know I cuss those critters But right now, sadness it did bring I went over to where they were I chased the cat away Little chipmunk crawled on my foot Thanking me in his way Then the little thing Took off as fast as he could He knew he was safe for now Ran from where I stood A great large stand of myrtle Vines lying all around Little chipmunk ran right in Hope...

  Standing On The Deck By Mary J Williams © Outside on the deck Checking the water for birds Making sure plants are okay And then a caw I heard A crow was talking loudly Over and over again I decided to answer And said hello to him He cawed back Again, I said hi Asked him what was wrong He cawed his reply I didn’t understand Crow talk is not my thing Although I told him to come to me An answer it did bring Many caws are sounding He is telling me something I know What he is saying I think I need to learn crow Ah, what is that movement Chipmunks running around Over there on the deck Two there on the ground Now I hear the crow again He sounds closer to me I think he is coming I hope I can see Overhead he flys I said stop right here He ignored me, he did Flew over, no more is he near The chipmunks are gone too They found a hole under the deck Guess I will go inside too The show is over, nothing more to check                 ...

It’s Been Awhile By Mary J Williams © No poems lately What can I say Not even a story Has come your way It’s that time of year Gardening takes up time Plus, there are good movies I watch on Prime I have had critters galore I put out oranges and jelly For the Orioles that stop by Squirrels ate it all filling up their bellies Put safflower seed out too Squirrels aren’t supposed to like it Guess they didn’t read that info As they ate it all, not just a little bit Moles were tunneling everywhere Cicadas were making their noise Chipmunks running all over And Deer eating my rose Made a new spot In the front yard, you see So, I could plant daylilies For everyone and me I even have crocheted Baby blankets given away I love doing that I don’t make them pay I have cooked different things To try and tempt Jim However, he doesn’t eat it Sometimes no pleasing him My flowers are looking great Have pollinators about Butterflies and bees I’m doing good, I have no doubt       6-...

It Is Spring By Mary J Williams © Sitting at my computer Window open, the breeze blowing in The smell of Golden Currant I just have to grin Spring has arrived My Redbud is almost in bloom Supposed to get cold tonight Hope it’s not too soon The flowering crab in the back A few blooms I see Hope the cold the next few nights Doesn’t bother the tree Some of my daffodils Are already done But I have more blooming And that’s so much fun There are tulips now too Not very many I think the Chipmunk Had eaten plenty Used to have a row full Now it’s just one or two Beneath my bay window The bulbs they do chew Just like the seeds I planted in the pots The squirrels jumped in And they dug up lots I may have some survive Hopefully some lettuce for me If the squirrel quits digging We will just have to see! I still love the Spring It’s renewal, it’s birth That is the time We get to play in the dirt Golden Currant Redbud Tree flowers  Daffodils  Flowering Crab blooms

 It's been a while since I wrote anything. Not that nothing is going on. Just too much is going on!  I went outside and tripped! Moles and then there were Voles too! I wrote a poem. I did some research and decided what I tripped on is a mole tunnel. However, I do have vole holes and over by my porch is a couple of entrances of a chipmunk!  I know it's a chipmunk because I see that little critter running across the driveway, from the neighbors and over to my house. Also have see the chipmunk running from the neighbors on the other side of me, into one of his entrances over there. The groundhog was seen in the back yard a couple of days ago. Pretty one too! He was inside my dog area! That surprised me. It's fenced in. He was trying to get out in the back corner but couldn't do it. I watched and he started coming towards me.  I am on the deck, with the hose and decided to give him or her a little spray. Back to the corner he went but didn't stay there long. He was on a...

 While I was watering the other day, around the 10th of August, everywhere I looked it seemed something was going on. A hole in the ground, where I think a chipmunk resides. Then mounds of dirt in my front yard again. The mole was pretty busy. I glanced around and saw all the places Wild Ginger was growing. I don't plant them there, the ants do that. I just wish they wouldn't plant them in sunny areas. Oh, and the hostas now chewed down to nubbins. The deer come up the driveway, or go down it and stop for a treat! Every time I saw a new spot, a poem would form in my mind. When I got in the house and at my computer, the computer wasn't working. I grabbed a pen and paper and started writing. Kind of a condensed poem. One that included most everything. I never did finish it until this morning. Poems In My Head By Mary J Williams © The other day While working outside Started many poems Thoughts I didn’t try One about the piles Of dirt upon the ground Meant the mighty mole Reall...

  The Squirrel and the Chipmunk By Mary J Williams © Standing outside With the water hose on I glance at a movement See a squirrel and now it’s gone Must have jumped to the tree As now he is on the ground Running to the raised bed Is where he is bound Uh Oh, there is a chipmunk The squirrel scared away He was in that bed But he didn’t stay He ran to the tree Started up the side Getting away from the squirrel Trying to hide It was just a few minutes And the squirrel took chase Over to the tree No time did he waste I saw the chipmunk Out on a limb I think the squirrel gave up He was chasing on a whim He came back down Over to another tree he went I never saw the chipmunk again The squirrel lost his scent. This is a perfect picture found on the Internet!

  The Streak of Brown By Mary J Williams © I am out watering Haven’t had much rain Don’t want my gardening To be done in vain! I watered the transplants I did the other day! They are looking good Nothing more to say A lilac in the front I had to severely trim Hoping the water Will revive ‘Miss Kim’ I moved over under the Pin Oaks Where Hosta and Wild Ginger grow I caught a steak of brown running by What was that? I don’t know! I kept watering Even had to sit down Watering across the drive So, Chloe’s plants won’t brown. Where Hosta and Painter’s Palette are Another brown streak came running out This time I saw him, he stopped I know what he is about Maybe finding something to eat Maybe taking a snooze The water was just too much So, the Chipmunk decided to move I talked to him a minute But he had nothing to say When I turned my head The Chipmunk simply ran away!