Watching The Skies

Meet Bobby. Bobby is our resident groundhog. At least we think he might still be a resident. Bobby came to live underneath our little shed this summer. It is nearby our garden; but we don't think he ever went into the garden. This picture was taken the end of September. It's the last time I saw him so we aren't sure if he is hibernating under the shed or took off to spend the winter somewhere else. I'm going to be on the lookout for him today. Should he peek his head out I'm hoping the sun stays hidden and he doesn't see his shadow. We have had two straight days of sixty degree weather and it has made me long for more of the same and for the warm days of spring. Six more weeks of winter just isn't appealing. Bobby, you need to stay hidden. Do you hear me!!

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I took this photo Monday morning from my front porch. It was a stunning sunrise. As I'm typing this to post just after midnight the weatherman is predicting rain and maybe even thunderstorms overnight so as dawn approaches it probably won't be this lovely. So again Bobby, no need to come out - STAY HIDDEN!!!
Linking to Skywatch.
Update: I haven't seen Round the Bend Bobby but heard the news that the more famous Puxatawney Phil has seen his shadow and six more weeks of winter is upon us. In my world today even though the sun is shining brightly (darn those shadows) it is expected to be fourteen degrees colder than the previous two days. (sigh)

Camera Critters: Woody Woodchuck

You can tell by the green grass I took this in the summer when I had a groundhog visiting my backyard. The photos are taken through my sunroom window. Here he was coming around the flower bed under my oak tree. (Enlarge to see his cute little eyes and his mouth nibbling on the grass.)

As he moved a little closer to the window I got another shot as he nibbled on the grass. I had seem him a couple of times and he was always moving quickly. He always proceeded down the flowerbed by the side of the house. I took my camera and quietly went out the front door. He was nibbling grass at the corner of the house unaware I was standing there watching him. I thought I would get a better shot for sure but then he heard a lawnmover and......

.... off he starting running down the side of the house and zoomed down the hillside into the nearby woods. He started to run faster than I thought a groundhog could possibly run. If you enlarge this one look at his fur all smoothed back. It was because he was really running at this point. I was surprised this shot even came out. I had expected a blur!

To see more Camera Critters click on the badge at the top of my post to visit Misty, our hostess, and all the other participants playing along today. You never know what you'll see!

The Poser

Yes, it is way past Groundhog Day; and no, this is not Punxsutawney Phil! This little guy that I’ve named St. Mary’s Mac was on a hillside above a McDonald’s where my husband and I found ourselves having lunch last week while on a drive practically in the middle of nowhere. That day in the rural countryside I can tell you that the golden arches were a find indeed!
I was sitting where I could see out the window and when I glanced over my husband’s shoulder I saw little Mac sunning himself there beside a pole. When we finished eating I got my camera from the car and snapped a quick shot of him before he disappeared.
Groundhogs always remind me of the dancing gopher in the old 1980 movie Caddyshack. I guess because they are the nearest thing I know to a gopher. That dancing gopher was one of the best parts of the movie. On this day, Little Mac's alert pose reminded me of Meerkat Manor on the TV show Animal Planet. At that moment though without benefit of TV or theatre, it was pretty cool to be sitting in McDonald’s watching my own real life wildlife show.
Ah, yes, animals coming out of hibernation – just another reminder that Spring is on it’s way!