Our little furry friends

Our doggie Shadow (she passed away last month) used to love to chase these little furry friends. It was the joy of the day for her! Now the kids and I are finding so much joy in leaving food for them without them having to worry about Shadow's wrath. They are so fun to watch through our kitchen and bedroom windows. Outside my bedroom we can see their nests. They are so cute!

There is a hawk we see often as well. I have posted about it before. We saw the hawk yesterday perched in another neighbor's tree waiting to catch his dinner. Maybe a squirrel? Sometimes we have five or more squirrels at a time in our backyard. I've seen the hawk come close to getting one once.

Yesterday I saw a small bird I had not seen before on my back porch. It was red and gray. One day I hope to buy a nice bird guide book. Binoculars are hard for me to use because of my glasses. But the kids and I sure enjoy bird and animal watching. I find it a little sad that we get so excited when we see an animal or bird we don't see often. I wonder if our forefathers and mothers had to look hard and pay attention to catch a glimpse of creatures we rarely see now days?

I believe loving nature is an important gift to give to children. I know I have accomplished this goal! Yesterday we were driving down the road and Holden raved about a flock of geese flying overhead which I had missed. I love it when they get excited about seeing things in nature. It makes my heart overflow with joy to have human friends and furry ones too.