Bird Watching

   The temperatures have dropped and it definitely feels like winter has arrived.  Despite the fact that I was able to wear short sleeves one last time the day these photographs were taken, I was already starting to see the sure signs of a season we have all learned to dread.  

   The change of seasons starts rather subtle.  All of a sudden it's still dark when I wake in the morning.  There's a chill in the air as I leave the house to go to work.  The greenhouse I'm employed at has traded in its' collection of bright flowers for the earthy tones of pumpkins and gourds.  There is the smell of straw bales in the air.  While I enjoy the cozy ambiance of fall, I find myself dreading the short and frigid days of the season to follow.  However, there is no stopping it and looking back at these photographs of the last day of short sleeves makes me already long for the start of spring. 

   I knew fall was officially over when I noticed the squirrel we adopted at the greenhouse had stopped eating the corn we left out for him.  At first many suspected our store cat was responsible for the disappearance of our furry friend.  However, I have always argued our cat is an angel and incapable of such an atrocity.  Besides, I have explained multiple times to our feline companion, we do not eat our friends.  

   It was later noted that all of the squirrels in the neighborhood had simultaneously gone, "missing." To which I replied again, our cat is an angel and would never eat ALL of the squirrels in the neighborhood!...maybe the mice, and a rabbit or two.

   Interestingly enough, at the request of a senior coworker, I have continued to put corn out for our missing squirrel in the hopes that he will inexplicably stumble home from whatever shenanigans he has been up to in his absence.  While we have not seen our missing companion, we do seem to be feeding some nocturnal beast which I am fairly sure may show up someday and expect me to become it's mommy.  With my luck I suspect I have been caring for a badger for the past two weeks. Hey, even ferocious badgers aren't above a handout when they're cold and hungry.

   The second reason I can confirm it's winter is the mouse living in my car.  At first, it didn't register to me what kept gnawing at the caps on my water bottles.  I would sit down in my vehicle, glance at the beverage I had left in the cup holder over night and absent mindedly wonder, why the lid was heavily serrated  around the edge?  Of course, I wondered this while slugging down heavy doses of, what I now refer to as ice cold, "mouse water."  I didn't realize I had a new roommate until I left a bag of cat food in the car overnight and woke up to find it with a shredded. gaping hole.  My first horrified thought was, "My God!  I've been drinking, "mouse water!"  

   I suppose, due to the size of the hole in the bag of cat food, and the amount of subsequent damage the, "mouse," has now inflicted to the interior of my car I could reason that the, "badger," I have been feeding corn too has now moved into my vehicle.  I will state I feel confident it is not a bird since I have not seen any of them around for quite a while.  

   In fact, the only bird I have seen lately is the one I inadvertently, "flipped," in the second to last picture of this post.  While this was not on purpose, I would like to direct this gesture to the upcoming season of winter and the hardships it creates for all the birds, squirrels, badgers, mice, and vehicle upholsteries.  

-r.

Jacket:  WILSONS LEATHER  http://www.wilsonsleather.com/

Shirt:  Vintage

Jeans:  Silver Jeans

Shoes:  Naturalizer

Purse:  Vintage  http://www.boutiquejillian.com/

Bracelets:  Cuff:  https://www.facebook.com/sticksandsteel  Leather Bangles:  Gift from a friend.

Sunglasses:  COACH