Ginny Diezel Studios

Good morning, and welcome to the wildest party going today!  A Fanciful Twist is hosting this wonderful event, so check out her blog, and start your journey, or I guess, continue, if you are already here!

Welcome to my garden!  Mine is not the traditional fare – I have interesting visitors, not just today, but every day!  Be sure to scroll to the end of this blog entry, because there is a lot to see!

Dawn breaks over the marsh behind my house.  You can barely see our picket fence – it’s really open to visitors 24/7, and you’ll see why………

Usually the first visitors to my garden are the mallards.  They fly in or swim up to the bank, and make their way to the yard where I have tossed out corn the night before.  Or, they share food at my makeshift feeding station, on the outside of the fence.  If the tide is out, it’s a long walk to the yard, especially when they bring their babies.  The ducklings cannot fly as yet, so they must be exhausted when they finally arrive.

Squirrels are usually the next visitors.  You can see a stepladder in the picture.  I am called a wildlife enabler by my friends.  I put the stepladder against the back of the house (this is the kitchen window, in front of which I sculpt and paint all day).  The squirrels and raccoons (night visitors)  climb up the ladder to eat what I put out for them.   If I am not watchful, and all of the black oil sunflower seeds are gone, the squirrels will knock on the glass and look inside.  Boy!  They have ME trained!

An overnight shower has given way to a beautiful morning, and the impatiens are luxuriating in the rain and sun!  Aren’t they gorgeous?!

The heads of my everblooming hydrangeas are drooping a bit from the rain, but they will pop up strong as the day wears on.  This variety gives me blooms throughout the summer!

It’s late afternoon, and the geese are strolling slowly up the bank from the marsh, babies in tow.  My!  How they have grown, but they aren’t ready to fly as yet, and so they must walk here.  The nest must be fairly close by…….. Even though they are large, they still make the same sweet noises as they did when they were just a few weeks old.  Usually, one parent always stands guard while everyone else eats.  And, if you get too close to the babies, the parents hiss!  They know me now, so they trust me to take their picture for everyone to see.

Early evening finds my friendly little muskrat.  For those of you who have not seen one, or do not know of their existence, muskrats   are of the rodent family, marsh dwellers.  I would describe them as essentially beavers with rat-like tails.  They don’t build lodges, but rather burrow into a bank.  They are vegetarians, but this little guy enjoys the dog food I put out for the raccoons.  He’s an amiable little fella – great whiskers, delicate little paws, but I bet his teeth are something else!  He likes the watermelon, but prefers the dog food, and will eat right along side the raccoons.   I wish I had a picture of the raccoons eating with the possums who live on the marsh.  It’s an excellent example of species being able to get along without strife.  There is plenty of food which I provide, and so they see no need to fight for something to eat.

The last visitors to my garden party are the baby raccoons.  When they are large enough to be learning about their environment, the parents bring the kids to visit in our yard.  At night, you can see them playing in the moonlight, and you can also hearing the parents giving them instructions, particularly if one strays off in the dark.  Ah Nature!  isn’t this grand!

Well, there you have it!  My garden party which I offer for your enjoyment!  I wish you all could be here to enjoy my backyard, nestled against the marsh.  I live in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and our home is tucked away in a subdivision which is bordered by bustling traffic on one side, and this tranquility on the other.  We moved here 36 years ago, and think we made the right choice.  Our vista is a gift every day of the year.  I hope you have enjoyed it as well today!

Please come back and see me, look at my artwork, visit the sites where my work is available, and visit the many places I have listed on the blog.  You won’t regret your adventures!  And, please let me know how you liked the party!     Ginny

Tags: Canada geese, duck, garden party, geese, goose, goslings, hydrangea, impatiens, mallard, marsh, muskrat, squirrel, wildlife

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 26th, 2010 at 12:05 am and is filed under Internet Fun, my family, wildlife. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.