My Backyardigans

Reveling in the first day of sun in what seems like almost a week (during which time we've heard about more basements flooding than you can imagine--hope yours dries out, Neighbor K!--and welcome to the blog!), the kids were outside most of the day, renewing much of the play they'd been engaged with all last week. They dug as archaeologists, baked pies in their restaurant, threw their flying discs in a made up game of catch (Bud was the Sand City Sharks and Sis was the Red Blossoms) during which they ran around not one but two sets of baseball bases, and then ran marathons all around the yard. They spotted cardinals, mourning dove, the omnipresent-herald-of-spring robin, and lots of squirrels.

Squirrels are of particular interest these days because Sis spotted their nest last week during dinner.

"Mom," she said with a mouthful of meatloaf, "there's a squirrel in the tree."

"I'm sure, honey. There are lots of squirrels out these days."

"No, Mom," she said indignantly, "in the tree. In the tree."

I couldn't see from my spot and so, at her impatient insistence, moved around to look out the patio doors. And there, in the tree, was a squirrel, coming in and out of a hole in a knot in our large silver maple. It was apparently cleaning out its nest, seemingly removing old debris and bringing up new. Maybe for some babies? Honestly, I'm not sure I've ever seen an animal or bird actually nest inside a tree, though I've seen pictures and learned in school that they do. But they do. They really do.

Amazing the things you can see and do in the backyard.