The circus is always in town for me but I never have to buy tickets.
It's going on in my own backyard!
I live in my grandmother's old house in what sort of used to be the "rural" part of town. This was my second home growing up but, my, how things have changed!
You used to turn onto this road and see nothing but fields--now you see dozens of new track homes.
Behind the house itself used to be all open, you could see to the boulevard WAY WAY across it. No more. Now there are brand new monster homes blocking all the view.
At almost half an acre, it still affords me some nice space. I can sneeze without disturbing my neighbors, the houses are a nice distance apart. That is for all of us still in the "older" ranch homes. The new homes, (neener neener NEENER!) are much closer together and with hardly any yards at all. I know they don't have as much fun in theirs as I do in mine!
Just looking out my back door has entertained me more then any concert, event or movie I've been to all year.
There's a vast array of circus animals to begin with.
Last winter on a drizzly rainy day, I saw something drop out of the sky onto the lawn. A few seconds later a hawk landed and proceeded to scarf down his kill, a half eaten rat. Mind you, I was sitting at my table going, "EEEwwwwwww,yuuuuuuck!" the whole time....
But it was entertaining.
Not long after I saw a possum scuttlebutting at the farthest end of the fence. Oh no! I still had my dog then and didn't want him nosing around it so I went to the feed store and rented a trap.
Poor possums,they're such dodo's. A little peanut butter on bread did the trick. The next morning it had been caught already. I grabbed the cage and put it in my car but not before noticing it had 5 or 6 babies crawling around on it, neato! How can you not love any baby animal?
Somebody told me,"why don't you just call the animal control?" NO!! All they do is kill the animal. I like to return it to the wild so I always bring them down to the river and let them go. It doesn't take any time at all and helps me sleep better at night.
One day a few months ago it sounded like a bomber jet just nipped the roof.
I actually covered my head and ducked down, thinking World War III was starting! In today's world you just never know,do you?
Running outside to see what the heck was going on, I caught a glimpse of a strange looking plane. And then another one.....
and another one!
Again it came roaring low over head and I could finally make out what it said underneath.
There were Angels in my back yard--The Blue Angels!
They were practicing before the air show that weekend which was going on about 10 miles from my house. What a treat! I felt like they were putting a show on just for me and I had a front row seat!
They did all sorts of manuevers, and flew so low I felt I could just reach up and touch them. And the roar, wow! I was out there screaming everytime they flew by, it gave me goosepimples! The best one of all was when 4 of them came all together, hovered what looked like right in the middle of my yard and did slow motion somersaults all together. That was one exciting moment!
Angels is right! I felt like I was in heaven!
With various bird and squirrel feeders in the yard, I attract all sorts. What's great is when you see the mix of animals all together eating. The Crows, the magpies, blue jays and doves all feed on the ground next to the squirrels. "Rompy", the only gray squirrel around, sits in the middle of them all. Oh, and then the bunnies come in too, somebody owns them around here and they come in and out through the hole in the fence. One day I actually saw a squirrel reach his paw out real slow towards the bunny's back and the bunny swung around and chased it!
It almost looked like a cartoon!
Just recently I was browsing on the LP and saw some movement out of the corner of my eye. I glanced out the back door and a TURKEY just strutted by. In the city?? That was a shocker. I sure hope he didn't wind up on someone's table that night.
Uh oh! The next act sounds as if it's starting. Another air show in town! No Blue Angels this time but I recognize that thunderous sound.
I just ran out outside and witnessed 4 planes together doing some other kind of aerial act. They aren't as close this time but I can still see them. Wow, looks like it's going to be another interesting evening.
Next time I have guests come to visit and they ask me what there is to see in town, I will just sit them down in my backyard and yell...
"Let The Show Begin.....!"
