Our Local Animal Friends

Laurel loves to be outside.  Even when she was a baby she would always calm down when we would take a walk outside and "look at the flowers."  Every day she stands by our door looking outside, and would spend hours walking around in the yard.  Unfortunately, she does not know what "stay in the grass" or "don't go in the street" means yet, so when she is outside I have to provide constant supervision.  It has been pretty hot lately, so not as much time outside!

This afternoon we went on a bike ride, and made it around the entire bike trail!  12 miles or so in just over an hour!  When we got home, we ate supper, then spent a little time outside.  At first we just sat on the front porch, as there was a rabbit apparently taking a nap in our front yard.

The rabbit was lying on a bare spot in the soil, about 10 feet away from the bird feeder and a squirrel.  Even us coming in and out of the door a few times (20 feet away) did not scare it away.  Neither did a sparrow fight in the bushes behind it.

Laurel pointing at the bunny.  She thinks they say "woof"

This squirrel was eating all the bird seed on the ground beneath the feeder.

Laurel showing me a leaf

 Eventually we let Laurel wander around the yard, and she walked after the bunny and the squirrel, making cute little squeaking noises.  The rabbit ran off to the back of the yard, and Laurel followed it for a while.  The squirrel came back to the feeder, and when Laurel would get close it would run through the bushes and sit at the bottom of the wood electric pole on the edge of our yard.  Actually, it did some flips, then sat on its bottom with its back against the pole, scratching its inner thighs.  Seriously.  Must be a man.

Anyway, Laurel was very interested in the squirrel, and kept a close eye on it.  Here is a video of her watching the squirrel.  She is momentarily distracted by plants near the beginning, but then starts pointing at the squirrel again.  If nothing else, skip ahead to the 1:10 mark to watch her monkey crawl downhill through the bushes to get closer to the squirrel.