Critter Central

When we bought our house, one positive factor was its reasonably big yard for the kids to play in. While the chilluns were growing up, we erected the obligatory swingset in the back yard, and even had a big Anderson window installed in the back wall of the house so we could watch the children while they ran around and did all those kiddie things back there. Then, as they grew, we would host some neighborhood kickball or whiffle ball games in the side yard we shared with Faye, our accommodating neighbor, an elderly (thought I never really thought of her as elderly) woman who even came out from time to time to have an at bat or cheer the kids on.

Well, the kids have dispersed, and you may think the yard has fallen silent, having raised the kids 'til they fledged right out of the nest. But the evidence says otherwise. Thanks to a couple inches of snow, I have pretty good proof that the yard is still seeing a lot of activity - by critters. I submit the following photographic evidence.
I took the dog out back to sniff around this morning, and it looked like Grand Central Station back there.


Some of the tracks indicate that some of the varmints were just passing through. To the left, I'd say a rabbit, and to the right, one of the many walk-bys or creep-bys or stalk-bys performed by one of the large number of neighborhood cats.


Then there is the bird feeding area...




And finally, the tracks of our very own animal....
It's kind of good to know the yard is getting some use by all those birds, squirrels, rabbits, occasional raccoons and possums, and domesticated felines and canines. And the occasional human, too.