Gallivanting in Takoma Park

It’s been awhile since I’ve been out gallivanting, hasn’t it?  Seems like most of my recent posts involved a certain squirrel and his crazy antics.    But the second weekend in May features the annual European Union Open House in Washington, DC and Marty was eager to once again explore the sights and sounds of Europe without having to actually get in a plane!

We are staying at the Etta Mae Inn in Takoma Park, Md where we can easily hop the Metro into the city and not have to worry about driving.  Which is a good thing, since on our trip down yesterday, my husband was driving like he was in Israel…..just a little nerve wracking for me!

Generally when we stay here, we walk into Silver Spring for dinner, but this time, we decided to change direction and head out on foot to Historic Takoma Park instead.  The sidewalks into the city are lined with old Victorian Mansions, each unique and lovely to gaze upon. 

I never realized that Takoma Park is the City of Azaleas, which may explain these beauties displayed at our B&B which are a common theme among many of the houses along the route.

We decided to dine at the Mediterranean Cuisine Restaurant, which seemed more like a description than the name of a restaurant.  It was small, but very busy,  and once we ordered dinner, it wasn’t too hard to figure out why.  The hardworking family that runs this place serves scrumptious food at a very reasonable price.

Marty thought he was back in Israel.

Isn’t the wall art interesting?  (Those are men on camels to the right of the palm trees.)

After dinner, we could hear a band playing nearby, so we had to check out the foot tapping, head bobbing sounds of delight.  

There was a large crowd surrounding this gazebo, obviously enjoying the upbeat music with many of the spectators dancing together on the spot.  Definitely an entertaining way to end the evening before making the stroll back to our B&B.

Just for the record, as we were walking along, a grey squirrel took one look at me and took off like a shot in another direction.  I’ve never seen a squirrel run as fast as that guy did.  Marty mentioned that he thinks the word is out about my squirrel control antics.  

That little guy probably thought I had a stash of candy canes in my purse!   

You never know!

Here Fishy Fishy Fishy

Saturday featured  the annual Trout Rodeo, which has been sponsored by the local township for more years than I can attest to.  I honestly don't know when it originated,  but once my husband became aware of this special event when the kids were little, you can bet that our calendar was marked so that we wouldn't miss this fun fishing opportunity.

No matter what the weather,  he had everyone up early so that they could register at the desk, and then hike along the stream to his "secret" fishing hole.  You can tell by these photos from the past, that the special spot was not a disappointment!

With the cut off for rodeo participants being 14, there has been an extended, sad lull in this household,  since these cuties have exceeded that age limit for quite some time now.

But this year, excitement was rekindled when our son, pictured above,  decided to visit this weekend, with his wife and our two grandchildren, for the express purpose of attending the rodeo.  My husband checked ahead of time to be sure that they could participate, and he was assured,  that since he was still a resident of the township, he could bring his grandchildren along for this fun experience. 

The weather was gorgeous, a bit nippy but bright and sunny, when we headed to the park for our adventure.  

Much to our surprise, the stream was not elbow to elbow with potential anglers, although there were a large number staking out their claim near the entrance where one could see several dozen of large Palamino trout swimming around, not the least bit interested in bait, much to the dismay of those hoping to bring one home.

The treasured spot was not to be accessed this year, as fencing had been placed to keep anyone from heading so far downstream.  That was a brief disappointment, but let's face it, there was plenty of stream to pick from, even if we couldn't get to the "lucky" spot.

Everyone set to work, waiting for a trout to come along.  

It was definitely slow going for awhile.

Then there was a tug on the line......hopes were raised....

but it soon became obvious that the worm had become breakfast for some clever trout.

Luckily, grandpa came stashed with lots of bait, and once again, the rod was cast.

In short time, there was another bite, this time resulting in a successful catch of a spotted trout.

Luckily, adult hands were able to net the catch, and soon there was a very lively fish slapping about, much to the delight of all.

Our grandson carried his prize fish to the measuring table

where all of the adult volunteers were excited to see this little guy holding his trophy.

It measured a very stretched length of 9 inches!

This little guy was perfectly content to head on home with his single fish,  and grandpa looks pretty happy himself, doesn't he?

But before we packed everyone into the car, little sister had to have her turn holding the fish as well.

Pretty in pink and happy as a clam!

It was certainly an exciting day for all!  

Really...can you ask for anything more?

Close Call for Snacky!

This morning, I was in the kitchen, making breakfast with my grandson, when Snacky showed up just outside the kitchen window, on the ledge, under the feeders.  Ever since the candy cane debacle,  he seems to be quite satisfied just cleaning up the seeds that fall from the feeders.

That certainly makes me happy!

When Snacky suddenly popped up onto the railing, I mentioned to my grandson that there was a squirrel on the deck.  He was standing at the window, just about 3 feet from Snacky, and I ran to grab my camera so that I could capture another photo.

I was just zooming-in when my grandson decided to pound on the window, which set Snacky scurrying.  Obviously, this was a missed photo opportunity, so I turned off the camera.

Within seconds, I noticed an extremely large bird land on the railing, spread its wings, and bob its head a bit, facing our direction.

Suddenly, I realized that I was looking straight into the eyes of a rather large HAWK!

I tried to capture a photo, but wouldn't you know, by the time the lens was focused, the creature was up and flying away, having been foiled in its attempt to secure breakfast right before our eyes!

Do you comprehend what almost happened?

Snacky was nearly the Snack!

Whew!  That was a close call for sure!  I've determined that my grandson can now be considered a hero, and, in my opinion, Snacky just might want to consider returning to his previous Sneaky status. After all, now that I have squirrel existence in happy harmony,  I'd hate to see all of that effort wiped out in just a matter of seconds!

Don't you agree?

,

Happy Easter!

We had a glorious weekend!

There were eggs to dye

Pastries to bake

A Butter Lamb to complete

and the many delights of our long held Slovak Traditions to share and enjoy.

We managed to to set up our camera for a photo of us all dressed in our Easter finery

and even Wellie posed for a fancy photo

And he didn't seem the least bit dismayed that we enjoyed ham as part of our Easter feast!

But while we were enjoying ourselves, a quick peek out the window made me realize that someone obviously finds us interesting enough to set up surveillance.  At first, it appeared this guy was on the sly, popping up for a quick peek.

But, the next thing I knew, he was demonstrating his balancing skills.

Definitely entertaining.  But his tricks don't have me fooled.  It's obvious to me that I better be on guard.  

Because you never know who might be watching.

I think I'll play it safe and hide the leftovers!

Hope your day was wonderful!  Happy Easter!

Squirrel Happy in Spring

It dawned on me today that it's been nearly a month since I posted a squirrel update!   Wow!  Time sure does sneak by, doesn't it?

I don't know about your area of the woods, but the idea of spring certainly hasn't matched the outdoor expectations in this neighborhood!  Here you see our early March snowfall.

Birds have been awfully hungry this winter, and after filling the feeders that weekend, it wasn't too surprising to see Snacky return.  He was perched on the railing, gobbling up the sunflower seeds that had been discarded by the birds when it was obvious that he spotted me looking at him through the window.

Unfortunately, I did not have a camera nearby to capture the moment.  

Snacky sat up on his haunches, perked up his ears and stared directly into my eyes for at least 30 seconds.  

It was a look of disdain and disgust.  No fear in his eyes.  In fact, he had the look of contemplative retaliation as he stared me down.  I have witnesses to this behavior, and the comment was made that Snacky appeared to have a grudge regarding the sticky candy cane episode.

Ok….that's fair.  How was I supposed to know that he'd be so silly that he'd manage to get the sugary treat stuck to his tail?  Really…is that my fault?  After all, if Snacky had not been hanging on the feeder, sucking down the bird seed, there would be no debacle, right?

So, I claim complete innocence here.  I was merely protecting the right for poor, cold, hungry birds to be guaranteed a meal. After all, they deserve to eat, too!  And Snacky was being quite the Glutton, which was what prompted me to take action in the first place.  

And, let's not forget that I supplied a perfectly good cob of corn, covered with peanut butter and sunflower seeds, which Snacky did not seem to feel was up to his satisfaction.  Who's fault is that?  Certainly not mine!

Surely, he found sustenance elsewhere, because he was noticeably absent for several weeks and seemed no worse the wear when he did reappear, on the first day of Spring, after yet another snowstorm dropped 6 more inches of snow on the ground.

And, a few days later, little Red appeared.

And you can tell how frigid it is outside by how his tail is snug against his back, attempting to help keep him warm.

Brrrr!   

Both squirrels seemed quite content eating the scattered seed off of the railing.  It appears that the candy cane idea did the trick keeping those furry creatures out of the feeders.

But, one thing that I did note about one bird in particular:

She doesn't seem to be too pleased by the food selection.

I'm hoping this is a soon-to-be Mommy bird.

Because if she got that rotund feasting on birdseed, I'd better reconsider rationing Snacky!

Only time will tell.  

Happy Spring!!

Snacky Sighting.....Plus

Look who I spotted today!

A happy squirrel munching on the dropped sunflower shells.

But, there was something different this time.  Notice anything unusual?

It appears that Snacky has been a bit Sneaky.  Or is it via-versa?  Does the tip of that tail behind the orange pot look a little shaggy?  As if a candy cane may have been responsible for some lost tufts?

I can't be certain who is who, but one thing's for certain.

Snacky is no longer single!

Skedaddled?

I know that Snacky has a small fan base, eager to hear of new adventures, but I am sorry to say that it appears that Snacky, alias Sneaky, alias Sassy, and at least one time, Slick, not to mention Sticky, has

SKEDADDLED!

And I felt bad.  Now, you would think that after I went out of my way testing ideas to squirrel proof my deck, that I'd be elated.

But there hasn't been a sign of he or Red this entire week.
Well, actually, I did see Red darting across the road down by the highway, and Marty was sure that he spotted Snacky up by the park, but there was no sign of either in my backyard.

And, to be quite honest, that 's probably a good thing, because those birds have been starving, gobbling up bird food at a rate that we can hardly keep up with.

We've inherited a pair of mourning doves who show up several times a day.

And the lilac bush is a safe haven for many as they scope out the feeders.

waiting for the opportunity to grab a bite to eat.

In addition to our usuals, we have some new visitors like this Nuthatch

And this surprise visit from a Red Bellied Woodpecker

which is kind of an odd name for a bird which obviously has a very RED head, and, perhaps, just a tint of color on that belly.  But, hey, I didn't name him.

I've spent the last few days trying to figure out how I would break the news about Snacky to my readers.

Had I really discovered the secret to keeping those squirrels away?

Could it be that the candy canes were effective?

Or had the candy cane incident affected Snacky so significantly that he feared for his tail should he dare venture near my deck?

But today, as I peeked out the bedroom window at the backyard, look what I spotted!

and then, out of the downstairs window:

Snacky Tracks!

And, it appears to me that those are the tracks of one Springy Squirrel!

Wasn't it nice of him to send me a message telling me that he's still around….. and having a grand time hopping around!

So….this blog is devoted to all of my Snacky followers!

 He lives!