I was unloading groceries from the car this evening, when I caught a turtle trying to sneak into the garage.  He did sneak in, and then he hissed at me when I tried to shoo him out.  I carefully picked him up and found a spot for him in the yard, pointing him in the direction of the woods. There’s another interloper behind the house;  a little brown bird has built a nest in one of my potted flowers, and I see him bringing back more nest supplies, as well as treats for the babies in the nest.

I love living here in my unfancy house in the middle of the woods.  The poison ivy taunts me, but I love that there’s a raccoon on my deck some nights, and that I see deer grazing in the yard many mornings while I pour my coffee.  In the fall, the turkeys come with their baby turkeys, and there are at least 4 squirrels who have a meeting in my driveway in the late afternoon.  There’s something immediately soothing about watching nature do it’s thing…no matter how bad the day, it all melts away when you watch a family of animals wander through their home.