There were 10 squirrels out there at once, and one ran away. My backyard is a wildlife refuge, with food for all the birds and squirrels. 10 or so different kinds of birds eat throughout the day, and territory is always in question but everybody gets along, somehow. Squirrels rule tho, cos they are aggressive and run some of the birds away.

All that activity makes for excellent Cat TV.

Even Miss Belle can get bored in the winter, but Cat TV right out back is pretty amusing for her, cos there is lots of activity.

Geyri the uromastyx is brumating and only comes out maybe once a week for a couple hours. In about a month, she will be getting a new enclosure. What we have is glass and it’s impossible to keep the heat gradient even inside there. (Call that: things you wish you knew before…) The new one will be made of PVC, recommended by long term uro keepers. It will also be a foot longer, to give her a little bigger desert to roam in. Once she wakes up from brumation. That might not be till February. 😦

In the meantime while she sleeps, I’m doing good growing some cactus for her, in a sunny window with a gro light. Once the new enclosure comes, I’ll use this glass one as a little greenhouse, with the same UV tube I have for her inside, cos it will be good for growing plants. I can grow some greens for her, and also start my tomato and pepper seeds in there way early, with no fear of frost, and keep them in there till they’re ready to plant in the garden.

Winter will pass and we’ll get thru it somehow, one day at a time, and spring will come. It might seem longer this year than ever, since we are all in the grips of this horrible virus. I mostly stay at home, puttering at lots of little things to keep busy. There is virus all around and people still won’t take the common sense precautions that could reduce the spread. My son and DIL and I had a not-quite-normal Thanksgiving, but very good. 2 tables across the length of my kitchen. Everybody served themselves, sat down at their table, and took off masks to eat. Then masks right back on. They are both out in the world working, as carefully as they can be, while I live the hermit life inside my house. I don’t see it as trapped in my house, but safe in my house.

There are squirrels and birds to watch, cactus to grow, little projects to do and good stuff to cook. I’m thankful for all that and so much more.

I hope you can be safe in your house, or safe wherever you need to go. And be well.