Wildlife

We have lived in our house for 3 years now and the only kind of wildlife we have ever seen are pheasants, and then the annoying wasps and ants and bugs, and we can't forget the gophers that dig holes everywhere in the yard. This past week it's been kinda crazy with the critters that have been coming through the yard. It all started with our hawk that has been living on our hawk pole that Ben put up last year. The pole was put up in hopes that the hawks would come and take care of the stripped gophers that are tearing up our yard. It seems to be working because I have only seen one stripped gopher in our yard and usually we have about 3 hanging out everyday. Then the other day we were out in the yard playing and I saw something moving across the yard. I went over and it was a turtle. I'm not sure where he came from or where he was going, but we kept him for a few hours and played with him then we brought him down to the lake so he could go find his mother (as Connor would say). Last night Ben and Connor were outside and I heard Connor yell, Mom come here, so I went outside and they had found a salamander. Connor thought it was so cool, he named him sugar and they played for awhile and then let him go too. When I woke up this morning I looked out our window and there was a bunny right next to the window, so I woke up Connor and he got to see it to. It's not like these are some unusual animals to find in the country, but it is just so weird that we haven't had any of them for 3 years, and then they all decide to come out of hiding in the same week. Connor has been pretty excited.

Yesterday when my sister was watching Connor, she took him down to the library in town because they were having wild animals visiting. So he got to see a big snake, turtle and what he calls "DragonTales". I assume to be a lizard. DragonTales is a cartoon on PBS that he watches. On our way home yesterday he says to me, "Mom, I had fun with Hailey." It was so cute. He has had quite an experience with the wildlife this past week and is so excited about it, I can't wait to take him to the zoo this summer.