A beautiful Wednesday- Moose edition!

Piffle. Dadburn new blogger program. This is supposed to be a moose, as you can tell, it is not. This is a photo of what I saw while photographing wildlife. It was taken first, but should be at the end of the post. I am having trouble figuring out how to remove a photo or move it--so, this nest is now instead of last. It was odd, I was watching the woods and saw white fluttering with birds. I couldn't tell what it was until I photographed it. I was VERY surprised, also glad it was empty! 

THIS is the moose post!!! When I was making the bed, I noticed moose out the window near the end of the drive. So, I grabbed my camera. I've not seen moose in not evening light yet this summer. There were two. A mom and a calf, the calf seems smaller than it should be. In August, babies are still small, but it is like this one was born later in spring. Odd. Mom wandered off to one side of the drive and the calf went to the other side. I was supposed to leave to do errands, but wasn't sure if I could! The car wasn't close to the house and I did not want to get in between the mom and her kid!

 Someone screamed by on the Pipeline on an ATV with their dog hot footing it as fast as possible nearby. Mom was NOT impressed. She dashed out into the drive to look for her young one, who came dashing back to meet her! 

They went off into the woods and I thought that would be the last I'd see of them. It wasn't. They were in the yard later in the afternoon. 

I didn't see the calf again, but mom was keeping an eye on me. I was outside with a book and heard noise. Yup, this gal was right outside of the mowed areas full of tall clover. There were a lot of people out and about on the road, so the pair kept nearby. When I was playing with the birds, I often heard snuffling sounds. I didn't see much of them after I took these photos, but I knew they were there!

 I was going to add more words between pictures, but blogger is highlighting them all and it isn't what I wanted them to do!

 I also saw one of them Thursday morning, but haven't spied them nearer than the end of the driveway. I think mom was eating daisies. She had a white spot on the side of her jaw! 

Fall Colors Between the Raindrops

I have taken quite a few autumn pictures. I am just getting around to posting them! They are from the first of September through the 17th. We have had raining cats and dogs and then brilliant sunshine. These are sunshine days! 

Watching the neighbor dogs bark from across the lake. 

 I liked this picture. It is a golden eye sleeping on the lake. They are one of the few ducks that sleep in the middle of the lake during most kinds of weather. Rain or shine!!

This day was stunning, though. September 10.

I like the twists in this tree. You can almost see the far tree looking surprised around the larger tree's twist! (eyes and a nose)

 I took the burls on this tree from different angles. This one struck me as prettier with the popping color of the red rose hips.

 Gorgeous sunset from the house.

 Purple skies always make me smile!

The Monday of the digging, I stayed out of the way of the men and hunted for a few raindrop pictures. It had poured on Sunday, yet Monday had dawned warm and lovely. 

 Reflections of fall in a liquid kaleidoscope!

 These guys make me laugh. They are so funny. I keep wondering if it is the same ones up there. In one afternoon you can hear them and watch them as they circle and circle and squawk and circle and decide who is in front of where. I have said they are practicing migrating with the newcomers. These are Sandhill Cranes. You can see their long legs and necks in one of the photos-I took several, but decided to only post two!

Hopefully, they will get their act together and fly south. After all the rain, you can see new snow on the mountains. Termination Dust. Winter is definitely around the corner. 

New Viewpoint!

When Jon was here, we noticed a spot that looked like it might become a viewpoint. I finally stopped last night and it is! I posted photos so people in the Kenai area can figure out where it is. I have no idea what the mileage might be! It is just about to S Miller Loop on the bluff side. Actually, it is just before the pavement break from last November's earthquake. At any rate, it is very new and not quite finished. I'm thinking fencing will be put up and from the tourists who stopped, it is a very good idea!! Standing on the edge of the dirt in this area isn't always a good choice.

You could see for ages and when it is a clear day, I bet you can sight quite a few volcanoes. The last few days we've had bright clear days and clouds at night. Which help make for an awesome backdrop! 

A Squirrel Subdivision in the ATTIC!

Mum has been feeding rodents of all kinds since first moving to North Kenai. The mice and shrews have hung out in the shop and the squirrels were outside. Or, so we assumed. Their antics have always kept us amused, but when Jon got to the attic of the garage... Amusement vanished. 

Welcome to the Egbert Squirrel Subdivision. An entire expanse dedicated to the thriving lives of bushy tails living on the Pipeline road. Jonathan found this lovely partially finished dollhouse flipped by industrious fuzzy creatures. They fully insulated the first floor, leaving the upper one bare as a viewing platform. 

Steve and Jon hauled away several truckloads of debris. Thankfully, most of it was empty boxes. Or what used to be empty boxes. The squirrely scallywags even filled in the fish box from a cannery we'd worked at, Cook Inlet Processing! 

Mom saved every box from every appliance she owned. This lovely food saver box was recycled by the squirrels to store food in!!!! The little guys were definitely educated. They probably used some of her teaching materials, too. 

 Even the Karaoke machine box was not quite filled with treats for a proper party house.

 Mum saved this mayor sign, so perhaps we had a few political nuts in the attic.

A front and back outside view of the dollhouse. Janet worked very hard on this,. Oddly, the sealed box with dolls and furniture wasn't touched at all! It was even clean. 

 It seems they appropriated my old Habit Trail set, too. Or at least the box! Perhaps it was a playground for the kits.

Steve and Jon used gloves and masks while working up there. Then, Steve decided to fix the entry and exit holes the creatures had chewed in the back wall. A great deal of brush needed moved out of the way. Also trees and bushes and the dish cables. 

 Boards on the ground.

 New board up, but not painted. Which is ok, most of the garage needs paint anyway!

It is now Wednesday, about a week after this chronicle was photographed.  The squirrels are annoyed they can't get in the attic, the internet is working, Steve and Jon are in Oregon, and the days are getting shorter after solstice. It is midnight and the sky is pink with the twilight. 

(this picture was taken just at sunset around 1130 on Tuesday, Arness Dock)