It's been a veritable wildlife extravaganza here at Cosmifer Manor lately. (Still working on a name for our house. One idea was something like Hartfordshireburyland Heath Upon Avon Estates, but we haven't really gotten it quite right.) Besides the pocket gophers, who are systematically destroying all plant life in our backyard; hummingbirds; scrub jays; hawks; and squirrels, we've seen possums, a raccoon, and a big, perfectly silent, owl.
The squirrels are driving the cats crazy, scampering about like they own the place while Booty and Buckethead stare helplessly from behind the glass and make bleating sounds. We're working on hand-feeding one of the squirrels, but he thinks it might be a trap, and is reserving judgment until we prove ourselves worthy. He prefers to grab a corn kernel or pumpkin seed and scurry away somewhere with a clear escape route to eat it.