Happy Easter?? April's Fools Day??

Buddy's Backyard been experiencing some decent weather until Last night. We weren't expecting to get any snow but we did because the snow shifted south towards us.

We were enjoying seeing the snow melt almost completely around Buddy's Backyard, but now we got about 1-3 inches. Today we did get some sun, but we are going to be having some cold weather.

The blackbird Grackle or Red-winged expressed their distaste of the last night snow. Our turkeys been kind of absent.

A little piece of A Day in Buddy's Life . . .

You might ask what does Buddy do when we suddenly get snow when he could walk freely on the grass. Well our house happens to have dried trails all along the edges of the house, so when I went out to take pictures I used his trails.

As long Buddy had his clean trails, the snow or rain wouldn't stop him from doing his outside walk adventures until he comes across a wet patch of snow or rain along his way. He would make these cries like never before because he was yelling saying his feet are cold or wet and where he was, we had to encourage him to come out (meaning step into the snow path so I could pick him up from the ground).

I hope Copper and Coal will learn about his trails, the trails serves many purposes for them, for buddy and for us.

April 2nd: GUESS WHO MADE AN APPEARANCE???

Hint: If they see their shadow, it's six more weeks of winter . . . .

YEP our woodchuck! Is it Wilbur or Chick? I have no idea but the fact that he/she came out before our impending snow storm (there's an April's Fools Joke) but I'm sure he/she will be going back under the ground until this small spout of cold passes.

Happy Birthday Buddy

Today would have been Buddy's 17th birthday, while I'm sad that he's not here to celebrate another year. We can celebrate his life in spirit, remember all the memories we shared with him. He's also been gone from us for 6 months now.

Typically on his birthday, we give him some extra treats and the occasion milk. As he got older he started begging for more milk especially when I'm eating my cereal. Coal does the same thing, except he comes right up at my bowl and start sniffing and giving me cute eyes.

I don't know what Buddy thought as he aged over the years, I know his arthritis made it hard for him to get up on certain surfaces. So we were able to buy cat stairs for areas that he like to get up on, now he won't have to worry about falling. I know he fallen a few times because of the arthritis and we would always help him out.

What would Buddy do on his birthday, pretty much everything he does all the time. If we had decent weather he would be on the porch. Even if we didn't he would still go out on the porch but then comes back in when we ask him to. Play with one of his favorite toys or on his favorite sleeping bag.

Here's are some throwbacks of Buddy of his younger years and years in the past 6 years.

Buddy in his younger years throwbacks . . .

Losing Buddy was the hardest thing we had to go through as a family, but getting Copper and Coal truly did help ease our heartaches. They are keeping us on our toes and they are very eager to explore Buddy's Backyard soon enough.

Buddy lived his life the fullest, sure we would have wanted more time with him. However he gave us 16 and a half year of his unconditionally love and we gave him ours.

I promise I will be doing posts of A Day in Buddy's Life, I've just been very busy with my day work. So Enjoy these throwback pictures of Buddy. PS if you wonder about his collar . . . that is the only one we ever had for him even as he grew we never brought a new collar. His collar was truly one of a kind, it was a stretchable type until he got big and outgrew the collar.

Happy Birthday Baby Boy, no matter what I will still celebrate your birthday always.

A Copper's & Coal's Tail

Jan. 5th, 2018

Copper and Coal learn something new about the mysterious backyard and why myself and dad go out there all the time. While they have manage to sneak out, they know it's cold and wet (for right now) but the kitchen window plays wonderful bird TV!!

Copper's Tail . . . Meeting Petrie!

Earlier this week Copper happen to be in the kitchen looking at me then looking at our window, I knew I kept seeing something big fly towards the window. But I assume it was the crows doing their dances and whatsnot, but Copper was so curious that he jumped on the kitchen counter to the sink and saw a great big giant bird!!! 

Copper met Petrie! Our Pileated woodpecker Petrie loves to eat Suet closest to the house, it kind of provides some shelter from the winds. He just flew in to do his normal thing, but little did he know that he had an audience! Copper was so entertains by Petrie's large size. 

It was the most adorable thing to watch, while Copper was trying to figure out how to get closer to Petrie. So Petrie had visited! 

Coal's Tail . . . When Turkeys Fly

While it's no secrets that we get turkeys, both Copper and Coal have seen the big turkeys in our backyard. One day I had to help dad out with putting food out, while the Turkeys were here.  The Turkeys aren't a fan of two people being outside at the same time.

Coal was up on the kitchen counter, looking out the window to our backyard and saw the turkeys initially but he probably never expected to see them fly!

Coal's eyes were probably wide with curiosity as the turkeys flew!

Coal's tail is a little shorter than Copper only because I wasn't personally inside the house like I was when Petrie came flying in. But Coal loves to watch the birds on the porch and watch the pair go into the birdhouse we have attach to the porch in an upside down position. 

Spring is here

These last few days have been filled with new returnees to Buddy's Backyard. First we heard a Robin and what we thought was a Red-winged blackbird but actually it was a Grackle.

The very next day we did hear a Red-Winged Blackbird! We also saw our group of Common Redpoll. The Goldfinches are gaining their color back, I took some picture of their color standing out pretty vibrant.

Today I saw our Red-breasted nuthatch, I didn't have the camera on me but I do have an older photo of the Red-breasted nuthatch. These Red breasted nuthatch are small and fast, they don't stay on the feeders long enough to get photos.

Stay tuned for more visitors as warmer weather comes, I look forward to seeing our orieloes, White-Throated Sparrows, hopefully our hummingbirds can appear at Buddy's Backyard.

I also hope this summer that I'll be able to go to some locations in my area to get photos of other birds and expand our horizon.

Spring is near!!!

Today is the first sign of Spring is near!!!

While putting out the food, I notice someone flying around. It was hard to see with the sun but someone was very curious about the seeds and tiny peanuts.

It was a common redpoll, we had a visit from one a few years back in winter. But we haven't seen them since . . . UNTIL today. I'm sure half the birds I was seeing were possibility Common Redpoll. I'll review the photos over and share some!

Some of our goldfinches are gaining colors! So we're excited to see that.

Dad heard a Robin! that's where we know that Spring is near/here and he also heard a Red-winged Blackbird.

I'm hoping to catch some more photos tomorrow since I am off and for the next two days after, so who knows what I'll capture for the backyard.

Copper and Coal are starting to enjoy the porch more but are very curious about what it is that we do in the backyard and why we always go out the backdoor.
We will be looking to buy them a harness.

I can't wait to start doing the things that we did with buddy for Copper and Coal, plus I think it will help my dad get into a routine of doing something. The kids don't really relies on him (sometimes they do) but it's different with two younger kids.

With Buddy especially in his old years, he tends to rely on us a lot but that was Buddy way of quality time.

My other spring cleaning is to find Coal's favorite toy, it had disappear last week and it is still not found. I'm hoping to find it on my days off.

A Day in Buddy's Life: Winter Edition

To Copper and Coal, the young pawawans you will learn the amazing views of my porch. I've lived on this porch for 15 years. Your humans will demand that you come in when it's below freezing out at night and you insist on staying out there.

Your humans will insist that you lay in the sun during the winter and not the shaded area where my food would always be. I open my platform(s) to you to enjoy, you'll need to share (Copper I'm talking to you).

Respect the birds that flies in the bushes and in the bird house above you, they won't yell at you, leave them be. You can watch from a distance, listen from a distance but do not touch.

You will respect that the harness is for your protection, do not attempt to slip out and go wandering by yourself.

You will respect the humans on when they will allow you outside to learn my territory, do not attempt to break out otherwise there will be consequences.

Most of all have fun and enjoy everything that I left behind for you.

~ Buddy

A day in Buddy's Life: The WINTER EDITION 

I hate the white stuff that sits on the ground for months, I hate that it leaves a wetness on my paws and it's coldness. I do like it when I can walk in certain areas that are white stuff free, but I dislike the cold.

I know on days that it's cold that I must lay where the Sun is, the sun is to keep me warm while I nap. Sometimes I get an blanket to cover me so I can remain outside a little bit longer.

The porch is my second closest way to being outside without actually being outside (because that white stuff can't disappear fast enough). I like being able to step out onto the steps if there's no wet white stuff.

Most of all its one of my all time favorite place to be, if it's not with my daddy, being outside with my daddy and occasionally with my moms.

Four months & Kitten Bowl

While the pain is diminished of losing Buddy, he is still very missed in our household. Both Copper and Coal have helped take away that pain. There are still time when I'm in bed I wish I could cuddled up with Buddy's blanket but that blanket is with him. We still have other blankets that he often slept on and we still have his pillow blanket and the blanket that was on his heated pad.

Most of all I miss hearing him and watching his waddle walk. The backyard I'm sure knows that Buddy is no longer here, but we the humans are still here. I hope that they'll learn quickly about Copper and Coal when the time comes for them to explore the backyard.

I keep a journal that I write to Buddy, not everyday but just when I want to talk to him. I think I need to start sharing some more photos of Buddy on here, to kind of share his life with you guys that follow this blog. He's a special boy to our heart.

The boys are so curious about everything outside, so we are letting them on the porch more and more when we have some decent days.

Copper and Coal will be 7 months on the 11th and 14th, I'm thinking about choosing between the 12th and 13th as their joined birthday,. If you were also wondering if I hadn't share the news of whose bigger . . . here's the weight in January 17th.

Copper: 7.9lbs and Coal: 7.0lbs 

In other news about Buddy's Backyard, 

We have gotten a few ducks visitors (which is common during some cold tempts) Two may be our Donald and Daisy. Our Turkeys are slowly returning more often since our big snowfall we had. 

Hop-along our miracle squirrel is nice and healthy, getting all the seeds and nuts we can give her/him. The Blue Jays were very happy when we tossed out quite a few nuts and our Crows are still making their initial visit to Buddy's Backyard. 

The birds are eating a ton of seeds that I'm constantly filling most of the feeders.

Whose ready for Kitten Bowl???

We'll be tuning in and watching all the kittens and learn about some special kitten journey since hurricane Harvey and Irma.