I have watched with interest the animals in my yard and how they handle the sub-zero weather. Last year I had several bird feeders and despite everything I tried, the squirrels were wily enough to figure out how to get onto them and eat up all the birdseed. So this year, I keep 2 mesh sock feeders for the chickadees and goldfinches and throw sunflower seeds on the ground. With that new food source at ground-level, my yard has attracted both squirrels and rabbits. I enjoy watching their antics, especially the squirrels, who win the award for “Non-Minnesota Nice.” The bunnies sit fat and puffed up, keeping warm under my furnace exhaust, and nibble on dead Hosta plant stalks. Then they venture a few feet over to the seed on the snow and nibble away. I love watching both types of animals and sketched several poses of each out my window. The squirrels’ bushy tails drape over their backs when it has been so cold, a furry scarf for sure. All is well until my dog comes over for a peek out the window, which starts her barking and my sketch subjects fleeing. Ah…. such is life of a sketcher!
Winter Friends
