We had our first snow of the year here in Virginia, and a reader sent in this great photo. Thanks, Jeanine!
It was wet all around, so we had lots of action at the feeder. We’re sure many of our human readers are planning some feeder action today. Stay safe and warm!
We’re closed, not posting new blogs, but the archives are still open. Chase around our thoughts about the plants and wildlife in our suburban home.
Hope you find what you’re looking for!
Nutmeg
Dear Readers,
Yes, we are closing the blog today, but before our goodbyes, we have to show a photo shared with us of a black squirrel in Winchester.
Good looking guy, isn’t he?
And closer to home, we’ve had the results of a late nesting:
Aren’t their feet huge!
And now for a few last thoughts. I looked back eleven months ago to see what we’d posted when I closed the blog the first time. It’s very nice and I have to say I still have the same feelings deep in my furry chest. But I won’t repeat them. If you care to, you can go look at November 30th, 2013.
I’m sure you human readers know how life can be. It seems to get harder to collect all the acorns we need for winter. Hickory and I had to decide to close before we ran ourselves ragged, at least for the winter, maybe longer. A squirrel just never knows what winter may bring.
We’ve enjoyed the six months of nice weather with our readers. Thank you for keeping the blog interesting for us with your questions and comments.
On behalf of Hickory, Ol’ Wally, Miz Flora and myself, have a warm and safe winter.
Nutmeg
Hey there readers!
We squirrels saw pumpkins at many of the houses in our suburban neighborhood. But we also saw ‘pumpkins’ in the trees.
Any idea what they are? Give me a guess. And since we’re shutting down the blog for the winter, I’d like to note this is the 109th Nature’s Mystery I’ve posted in the last two and a half years. I started shortly after Nutmeg began the blog in March of 2012, taking on her empty Sundays during the Blogging from A to Z Challenge in April. After three years of participating, I’m pretty sure we will be back for that…but Nutmeg says not to make too many promises.
See you later!
~~~
These little ‘tree pumpkins’ are persimmons, from the American Persimmon, Diospyros virginians. Years ago when I was a kit, i tasted one before frost. Whew, i didn’t think i’d ever get that pucker out of my mouth. Since then I’ve learned to only eat them after a frost. It hasn’t frosted here yet in northern Virginia, so the persimmons are still hanging on the trees.
Our temperatures have dropped though, so we expect frost anytime. When it does, every climbing mammal–raccoons, squirrels, opossums–and some who aren’t, like deer, will be after those fruits. They turn quite sweet.
I believe we have one more post planned for you tomorrow!
I yelled too late! Hickory was already scampering to get acorns, through the leaves…and poison ivy. Its leaves are barely hanging on, but, yep, it’s poison ivy. Amazing what an acorn hunt will do to we squirrels’ brains.
