Que Bella!

This is Bella. She is one of the squirrels that frequent the trees around the house. She is probably the oldest of the squirrels, and does not seem to be territorial at all compared to the others. But she is very wary. The other squirrels do not seem to be too alarmed when we are around outside. But Bella quickly finds a high vantage point to watch us.

In order to get her to pose for this shot, I had to bribe her with peanuts. Yes, they are the raw, unsalted kind. And she loves them.

Thank you all again for your lovely comments at my 500th. I am still trying to get through them all. As I have mentioned to several of you, there is a ton of stuff going on right now.

- We are in the process of selling the house - going through all of the appraisal and building inspections is a bit of chore. The buyers are also being rather difficult. And, yesterday, in our own inspection, we found that we will need to install radon mitigation. So, we need to get that scheduled and done very soon.

- The mining industry is going through a slump right now, and some of my clients have decided not to pay their consultants, including me.

- I found out last week that I have to have eye surgery. I have not just one kind, but two kinds of glaucoma, one of which is very rare and rarely is seen in someone as "young" as I am. Thankfully, though, I have no eye or nerve damage. But it does mean that I have to have surgery very soon. So, we have tentatively scheduled it for after our Thanksgiving holiday. Also, I have to stay out of the wind and cold, which means that I won't be able to get out and take pictures for a while - at least not the kind that I like to take. So, my fellow blippers, either my blips will be incredibly boring, or I guess I will have to find a new "mojo" for indoor photography.

Then, on top of all of that, . . . November . . . the month when almost all of our family members have passed away. It is always a tough month for us.

So now that I have "dumped" all over you, you will understand why I have been absent alot lately. I just want to say how much I do appreciate your wonderful comments and encouragement. I may not comment much, but I love looking at your wonderful photos! Thanks for your patience!