The Birds and the Bees...

(Snapped on 4/13/11)

As soon as the ground began to thaw, this Spring...and the temperature stayed consistently above freezing - all sorts of critters woke up, or were born - and made random appearances around our yard and in our house.

(Snapped on 5/11/11)

This little fella lived in the nest that his parents built, in a hole on the underside of our front porch roof...I can't tell you how many times I picked him up off the ground, and carefully placed him back into the nest - before he finally mastered the art of flying...

(Snapped on 6/03/11)

We never turn on our air-conditioner, and so in order to beat the sweltering heat of Summer - we leave the windows raised (unless a storm rolls in), and keep the doors wide open, until it's time to go to bed... 

(Snapped on 6/11/11

I couldn't believe it when in the span of no more than 24 hours - a couple of house wrens took advantage of our "open door" policy - and built a nest on some bags hanging on hooks in our mud room!

(Snapped on 6/24/11)

The mama bird sat on her 4 speckled eggs - diligently, each night for a week...after which, four healthy babies were hatched. Mama would fly around the house bright and early in the morning, until I got outta bed and opened the doors to let her out.

(Snapped on 6/30/11)

Throughout the day, both she and the daddy bird made repeated trips outside to catch bugs, which they brought to the nest and fed to their thriving young...

(Snapped on 7/04/11)

...until one day (after what seemed like not nearly long enough), each of the babies plopped out of the nest, and hopped outside behind their parents, where they taught them how to fly. By the end of the day, our little wren family was gone...*sniff*

(Snapped on 5/20/11)

(Snapped on 6/03/11)

(Snapped on 7/04/11

(Snapped on 7/04/11)

(Snapped on 7/04/11

(Snapped on 7/04/11)

(Snapped on 6/05/11

Ok now this guy, on the other hand - is not a welcome house guest. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate that black snakes eat mice and all that - but I do not like to find them insida mah house!  

(Snapped on 6/05/11)

(Although the picture is crappy - it's the one that best shows just how brazen this enormous sucker was!)

We've been startled by this 5 + foot serpent (or his identical twin) while he was chillin' 'round the house, on three separate occasions (that we know of).

(Snapped on 7/02/11)

(The photo above is courtesy of my daughter and her iPhone)

The first time - we lost track of him, after he slithered over books and out of sight behind the bookcase. But on his third visit, I managed to shoo him outside using the wooden end of a yard rake, and then scoop him up with the tines, and deposit him elsewhere...

Wooooo buddy! Am I ever glad that that's over with! (Fingers crossed that he doesn't come back again...*shudder*)