Some Creatures Great and Small

Tuesday was a busy critter day at St. Barbara's Academy which is located in the city -- not countryside. My dear granddaughter looked out at the pond and proclaimed "They're back!" Last year, we were regularly visited by this loving pair of mallards. They visited several times over a 2 week period and then disappeared. Tuesday they were back. My 4 year old grandson was also here and it was hard to contain him.

I carefully crept forward and got this closeup of them in our pond. Shortly after that they got out of the pond and went waddling out into the yard. Needless to say, the children were delighted and practiced their duck calls until they flew away. They were not back yesterday but we are ever hopeful!

On Tuesday my husband and I also had the opportunity to go to the range to practice my Pistol Packin' skills. It's been a long winter and I was glad to be out shooting again. We practiced rapid firing where I grabbed the loaded gun and shot quickly at the target. This was to simulate an actual scenerio where I had no chance to carefully take aim. I am glad to report, my first shot was dead center! After returning from the range, I began preparing dinner and looked out my kitchen window and saw this interesting target!


While I continued with the dinner prep, my hunter husband approached for this closeup of our visiting buck. He was definitely interested in munching on the undergrowth in the wooded area next to our house. The buck paused to cautiously watch my husband and to check out the noise of children passing by on the sidewalk. Too bad my students had already returned home. I'm thinking that my husband was wishing he was pointing something other than a camera at this buck.

I did not get a picture of the last creature that visited on Tuesday. It was 11 p.m. and a HUGE raccoon was checking out our garbage cans. By the time we were ready with camera, the raccoon had wondered off for greener pastures....or at least an open garbage can or wayward plastic bag filled with goodies.