My plan was to edit the above photo a little differently, because last night when I took it I was brokenhearted to see Mama Sandhill crane returning to the nest with just one colt. I was out there with the camera because I had just seen the other adult flying in, and he landed on my side of the lake. I thought he had joined the family, but they weren’t there, then I saw the other adult and one baby. Try as I might I never saw a second colt last night. It wasn’t until I looked at this photo this morning that I saw him. I almost couldn’t believe my eyes. Whew.
My neighbor must have better eyesight than I do because she thought she saw a second one, but then we got distracted because she started calling her squirrel. Yes, you read that right. I happened to be heading out with both dogs a while back when her daughter pulled up out front and wanted me to see the three baby squirrels she was bringing to her mom’s house. Over time I forgot all about that, but I got the rest of the story last night. Two of the babies disappeared when they got bigger, but one, which has been named Rosie by her granddaughter, now has a little house within the pool screen. And she has access to the outside through an opening in the screen made just for her. So she is free, but comes back to her house at night, and will come when she is called. Even with the dogs out there, all acting jealous because my neighbor was calling the squirrel, Rosie still raced around through the branches and eventually came down to get petted. And I have proof…
That Rosie was loving her heavy petting session was obvious. What she wasn’t appreciating so much was the camera clicking away in her face, so I left them to enjoy their moment…
A Snowbird's Life Through the Lens 