Animals just hangin' out

[CathyA]

I love seeing animals who are seemingly enjoying the view, the weather.

I used to have a woodchuck living under our wood shed and in the evenings, he would come out and sit up on the fencepost and just appear to to look out over the field, and enjoy the evening.

Oftentimes, I see chipmunks and squirrels just hanging out, or taking a little snooze.

One time, in the garden, I went to pick a cluster of ripe tomatoes, further down on a tomato plant, and there was a mouse.......just enjoying the soft tomato chair and the sun. I almost hated to bother him!

Here's a couple pics of animals just chillin' or napping, and apparently enjoying themselves.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_9567sharpened_zps06d5fe82.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/0596cropped_zps6f1509fe.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_1632_zps24f5d0c6.jpg

[CathyA]

Here's another one. During the summer of 2012, we had a drought, so I put out a number of birdbaths for the animals. I looked out towards my garden one day and saw this squirrel "poolside". He was just laying in the water. Seemed to be enjoying himself.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_7952zoomedandsharpened-3_zps1367b991.jpg

[catherine]

Wow, so cool how they just chill up there and don't fall off the branches! More great pics, Cathy!

[iris lilies]

Oh those pretty red squirrels! We got the grey ones here. These photos make squirrels look so cute but I know how destructive the little beasts are.

[early morning]

Wonderful pix - thanks so much for sharing! I love squirrels, but they are mean little buggers!

[awakenedsoul]

Oh...they look so peaceful! When I lived in Santa Fe there were chipmunks everywhere. I'd never seen them before...they were so cute! I get a lot of colorful birds in my orchard. Yesterday I had a gorgeous oriole hanging out under the pomegranite tree. I think he likes the nectar in the blossoms. One time I had a red tailed hawk in my birdbath. He looked HUGE! I love hearing my neighbors' roosters, chickens, and turkeys crowing and clucking each morning. It relaxes me while I drink my morning coffee.

Thanks for posting the photos, CathyA...

[CathyA]

Actually, IL, those are gray squirrels. Here's a pic of a red squirrel. They are much smaller, and CRAZY. haha They act like they're on speed.
The squirrels around here aren't problems at all, except for them stripping some of the tree branches for their nests. I think that if you have enough property, animals don't tend to be problems. We have had some beaver "problems".......but we probably irritate the heck out of them for moving in on their territory. :)

Can't you just see the adrenalin in this red squirrel? haha I think they could use some xanax.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f129/Catherine50/IMG_8015cropped_zps888532c8.jpg

[iris lily]

His little hairy ear so cuuuuuute! Nasty little devil. Boy, I DO see the red in his tail.

But I still see some burnished red or at least a pretty brown in your grey squirrels. In Iowa our squirrels looked like your grey squirrels and I had always thought they were red squirrels. Ours here are just dull grey.

[CathyA]

Those little red squirrels are sooooo funny to watch. They sort of remind me of Ed Grimley. hahaha

[Jilly]

In my other life, there was a huge and wonderful tree in the front yard. The squirrels, two of them, would hang out like your photo of the one draped over the branch with all of their legs and tails hanging down. Sometimes it was related to them raiding the feeders, but most often they just showed up, hung there for a while and napped. The cats loved to watch them, even when the little critters were sleeping. I loved watching them just as much.

We had a ground squirrel (sort of looks like a chipmunk) that lived under the back door cement stoop. My ex hated him, but the cats and I loved him and often put out special treats so that we could watch him eat and sit and yell at the cats, who sat on an old school chair at the screen door.

Rabbits, opossums, the occasional fox, so many hawks and other birds, groundhogs all fed at the backyard feeders. Sometimes the raccoons would bring crayfish up from the ditch that ran through all of the yards. We had coyotes, too, but they did not seem to reduce the critter populations, except for the house cats that people would let roam at will.

I know that there are squirrels and tons of birds here, but I never see them. Raccoons and stray cats abound, though. I guess the coyotes do not come this far downtown. :)

[Teacher Terry]

Thanks for sharing the great pics!

[catherine]

If squirrels didn't have those cute, fluffy tails, people would set traps for them.. funny how that is.

They are really cute, but I have to admit, when you are trying to feed the birds, they are one PIA. I've had squirrels eat through heavy Rubbermaid plastic to get to the bird feed. And they've also tried to chew their way into our garage when we had bird feed stored there.

But I'll forgive them, because they look so cute in CathyA's pictures! :)

[new2oregon]

CathyA, You really take great nature photos. Thanks for sharing.