Pam Webb

a writer's journey as a reader

Archive for the tag “nature”

29 Aug 2026
15 Comments

Backyard Bystander: A Squirrely Dilemma


Oh, those squirrels. I have a grudging appreciation for them since they are fairly entertaining and liven up our window side theatre.

Once I learned how to (mostly) thwart their attempts to raid our bird feeders we settled into an amicable relationship: we provide peanuts and they provide a show.

That is, until recently.

Our primary squirrel residents are fox squirrels, the large ones with gray coats and orange tummies. They are curious, personable, and definitely comical. For over 20+ years they were constant in our yard. We even had one squirrel, Syringa, who would come bounding up to us and sit on our leg while she cracked open peanuts. She would never allow us to pet her though. She lasted a couple of seasons, as a squirrel’s life is a short one, unfortunately.

Syringa would hang out with us. On hot days she resorted to “splooting” — stretching out on the cool concrete patio

In the last couple of years our squirrel population increased with the addition of a couple of red squirrels.

These are odd little critters. Tiny, just a bit bigger than a chipmunk, about half the size of a fox squirrel, these little guys are frenetic compared to their foxy cousins. They zip and dash about gathering up seeds and nuts, burying with the determination of a terrier hiding bones in the backyard. They resemble little terriers as well, the way they bound about with purpose. They are not personable. They are caffeinated. They rarely stay in one place long enough to be watchable. Their main purpose in life to claim as much food as possible and as quickly as possible.

They have also chased away all our fox squirrels. I wondered what happened to them, thinking it strange how we went from several cavorting around the yard to none.

It became clear to me one day as I glanced out the window. I spied JB (short for Jitter Bug), the alpha red squirrel, suddenly zip out from the day lilies and take on a juvenile fox squirrel, who, though young, was twice the size of JB.

JB tussled with that foxy intruder (an interloper in his mind) like a tiny tornado. Foxy, being a squirrel, being food-motivated, did not give up, and kept attempting a raid on the birdfeeder gleanings. Although after the third time of being trounced soundly by JB he is gone.

I did spy a couple of fox squirrels crossing the driveway, migrating to our neighbor’s yard. I see them frolicking together, living the squirrel dream.

We are now a one-squirrel yard. We have reluctantly accepted the fact we harbor a bully squirrel. This presents a problem, as we like our backyard to be a haven for wildlife, with the idea that feathers and fur can safely come and go in peace.

JB is not interested in that agenda.

What does one do with a bully squirrel?

I am quite open to suggestions.

Posted in reflections and tagged , , , , , , ,
20 May 2026
6 Comments

From Dearth to Birth


As dedicated bird and squirrel (by default) fans we enjoy the variety of feathered (and furry) friends that visit our yard.

Juncos, chickadees, doves, nuthatches, sparrows, robins are stock characters while seasonal guest visitors such as warblers, flickers, jays, goldfinches, hummingbirds, grosbeaks, and siskins drop in, adding both drama and entertainment to the landscape.

Sometimes, right around the beginning of May our bird activity suddenly vanishes. So distressing! Well, we know why when suddenly we see moments like in this video:

Snack time!

The birds have been busy at home!

I’m amused how mom bird pulls away for a few seconds to get a couple of bites in before her “toddlers” cue for a handout. I noticed her fledglings are quite capable of feeding themselves but pester her anyway.

Reminds me of my long ago days of my own fledgling feeding times.

Any springtime feathery episodes to share?

Posted in Animals, birds, Family, humor, reflections, Seasons and tagged , , , ,
20 Mar 2026

Bard Bits: Spring


Having grown up in a town surrounded by the country, William Shakespeare was comfortable and familiar with the onset of spring. Since the 20th marks the beginning of spring, according to my Dollar Store calendar, here is WS’s tribute to spring in a poem appropriately titled “Spring.”

When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver-white
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue
Do paint the meadows with delight,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men; for thus sings he,
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo: 
Oh word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!

When shepherds pipe on oaten straws,
And merry larks are plowmen’s clocks,
When turtles tread, and rooks, and daws,
And maidens bleach their summer smocks,
The cuckoo then, on every tree,
Mocks married men; for thus sings he,
Cuckoo;
Cuckoo, cuckoo: 
Oh word of fear,
Unpleasing to a married ear!

For those interested in analyzing possible intent in his words, click “here.“

Being Shakespeare, it is par for the course that he would mix in references to country life, marriage, and the season. There are times I wonder if WS would have found a niche as a country western singer had he traveled in this era.

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09 Aug 2025
7 Comments

BBQ Feng Shui: Part Two


Recap: Part One addressed the situation of setting up a really boss BBQ area in the backyard only to have proximity issues with a new neighbor.

As Paul Harvey used to say:
“Now for the rest of the story…”

Got the table-

Ready—-

Got the BBQ kettle-

Set

Got a lovely setting-

No go-

Yes-it was a No Go for the BBQ area because of the neighbors.

They had moved in right after we had arranged everything and set up their living space so close to ours it was going to be awkward to hang out in our backyard.

Plus, wanting to be good neighbors we accommodated their needs to raise a family so we moved the BBQ grill around to the other side of the yard and forwent using the cozy cafe corner so diligently decorated. The magnificent fern in the background (an annual volunteer) clinched the Feng Shui vibe and we were sad to forego the Feng Shui. We abandoned all of it for the sake of the neighbors.

Granted, we still used our backyard, and unfortunately we got into the habit of peeking over towards the neighbors before we utilized our yard. Just trying to be considerate but maybe our intentions were misunderstood.

I thought we were coexisting pretty well until we noticed it was pretty quiet on our neighbors side.

Then we realized overnight the neighbors had disappeared. Just like that. Barely a month in residence and vanished.

We wondered if it was something we did or said and then we realized that it really comes down to location, location, location.

And our new neighbors must have decided to raise their family in a more private area.

I have to say though they did overstep their sense of boundaries as I did catch them sometimes cutting through our yard.

“Don’t mind me-just passing through.”

Yes, our new neighbors were a pair of Pee Wees—no relationship to Herman. Delightfully cute little birds who decided to build their nest on top of a utility ledge just above our outdoor dining area.

Gone. No forwarding address.

Mama bird diligently stayed nest bound for a couple of weeks and though we tried to be courteous and reduce our backyard use our birdie neighbors abandoned their efforts to set up their family.

Now that they are gone we miss their presence. Isn’t that how it goes? Something that was once inconvenient becomes favorably reflected upon once absent? I haven’t seen them around in the neighborhood. I do hope their new place worked out for them.

Have you ever had to readjust your lifestyle to accommodate a bird nest?

Posted in reflections and tagged , , , ,
05 Aug 2025

Reader Roundup: July


A baker’s dozen read through July. Most were pretty good, a couple not so good, and a couple were really good reads.

Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

This was my 100th read of the year!

An unexpected debut in that the author in all likelihood didn’t expect a book, a bestselling book at that, would be a result from her making the snap decision to rescue a leveret, a baby hare, seemingly abandoned in the February snows of the UK countryside.

By rescuing the leveret Dalton made a commitment to keeping it wild and not a pet, knowing that raising a hare in captivity is rarely successful. Hares haven’t been domesticated like rabbits, which Dalton acknowledged and respected. She changed her entire way of life to accommodate the leveret’s needs.

It’s a truly engaging story of how a wild animal can be nurtured by a human without becoming a Disney movie. Dalton writes with honesty and a poet’s eye as she describes her symbiotic life raising hare. She reflects on how it awakened her appreciation of nature, to take in the moment instead of pursuing her goals with blinders to the beauty surrounding her.

As for the hare? It lived an unusual life, benefitting from human companionship without obligation while keeping to its natural tendencies to raise a family and stretch its legs out about the countryside. Highly recommend for those who seek out positive reads involving nature.

The Cost of a Hostage by Iona Whishaw #12

Can’t Wait For the Next One

This twelfth entry of Lane Winslow and her adventures is a treat. The author places our plucky former SOE agent in Mexico with her inspector husband Frederick Darling. Kidnappings, bandits, nefarious war criminals are the main plot—meanwhile, in Nelson BC, Ames and Terrell man the police station, with the help of newly appointed April, and are caught up in their own crime situations of kidnapping and drug running. Both plots are well-paced. But what really stands out in this entry is the characterization,. Whishaw continues to develop and provide fully developed characters, each with their own distinctive personality.

It’s always difficult finishing one of these Lane Winslow books because it means having to wait at least another year for the next one.

I’m trying to par down my TBR list and yet so many tempting titles are out there! Anyone else have difficulty passing up a possible good read?

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05 Dec 2024
8 Comments

A Surfeit of Bees


I’m an appreciator of bees. They are truly amazing in design and admirable in purpose. I keep bees in mind when landscaping my backyard by maintaining a dedicated mound of lavender, not only because I find lavender to be a fairly perfect plant, I know bees enjoy lavender as well.

Once spring arrives and the lavender starts flowering I watch for the bees to arrive. It’s a Capistrano moment for me.

image: Stockcake

Some years it’s the tiny golden bees that are dominant. Occasionally there is a variety of bee with a bit of red to them. My favorites are the big, black bumblebees. They remind me of teddy bears, yet I wisely refrain my urge to hold them and hug them.

image: Bumblebee Conservation Trust

My penchant for bees came forth when I realized I’m reading my third book, or is it my fourth, where bees are a main focus. I scampered to my Goodreads list to confirm this epiphany. Actually, make that seven books.

The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Lily is introduced to the world of bees when she find refuge with three beekeepers and she learns about the power of not only bees but of women.

image: Amazon

The Bees by Laline Paul
The Bees is a creative tale of one bee, Flora 717, who is almost put to death for her lack of physical conformity but is spared and readers follow her rise from humble hive janitor to respected forager.

image: Amazon

The Music of Bees by Eileen Graven
Three people with deep hurts are brought together through the caring of bees.

image: Amazon

He Should of Told the Bees by Amanda Cox
A daughter working with her beekeeper is devastated when he passes away since impacts their business, and the hurt is even more deep upon the discovery she has a half-sister who wants to sell her interest in the business.

image: Amazon

Hour of the Bees by Lindsay Eagar
This middle grade novel features twelve year old Carol who unexpectedly finds herself helping her parents care for her grandfather who is slipping into dementia. A touch of magical realism as he believes the drought will end when the bees return.

image: Amazon

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice by Laurie King
Sherlock Holmes has retired, passing his days with keeping bees. His interest in mystery is awakened upon the arrival of a young woman who rivals his intuition and maybe even his intellect.

image: Amazon

The Keeper of Bees by Gene Porter-Stratton
A classic that is as beautiful in prose as it is rife with politically incorrect references; however, ignoring those or at least placing them in the context of the era it was written, a reader will delight in how a physically, emotionally, and spiritually wrecked WWI soldier is healed through the unexpected experience of caring for an ailing man’s bees.

image: Amazon

Are you a bee lover as well or have you read a book or two about bees? Please share the title, as I aim to keep on beeing a beeliver.

Posted in Animals, reflections and tagged , , , , ,
17 May 2024
4 Comments

The Writing Life: Bird Buddies + One


Since retiring from teaching (two years come June) I am writing more, since my excuse of not having time because of how much time teaching requires is no longer my safety net of non productivity.

I diligently try to write from 9 am to 2 pm and even though the hubs will pop in and say a brief “hi” as he does retired guy stuff around the house, I have to say writing is quite solitary.

However, I have discovered writing has become less solitary since I have set up a bird feeder, birdbath, and squirrel platform outside my office window. My bird buddies, an ever changing rotation of chickadees, nuthatches, and sparrows brighten my day. The squirrel adds hilarity as it plots to get more than its fair share of birdseed.

The other day a white-crowned sparrow discovered the feeding station as well as wayward seeds on the windowsill. He hung out all day.

A personable sparrow

At times it seemed as if he was peering in at me. Wanting to encourage his return I sprinkled more birdseed on the window ledge. The sparrow did not return, instead the resident squirrel crashed the party.

Yes, it is big for a squirrel

I do not get as much work done, unfortunately, with all this distraction, but I did manage a blog post.

Posted in reflections and tagged , , ,
15 Aug 2021

Backyard Visitor


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Backyard Visitor
Posted in reflections, Seasons, summer, Uncategorized and tagged , , | Leave a comment
29 Apr 2016
2 Comments

POM: April 29


Emily. Emily. How amazing is the ability to capture a moment for all of us to wonder and appreciate centuries later. And to think your poems lay hidden, languishing until a sister realized they needed freedom not a burial.

A lane of Yellow led the eye (1650)

Emily Dickinson
 
A lane of Yellow led the eye
Unto a Purple Wood
Whose soft inhabitants to be
Surpasses solitude
If Bird the silence contradict
Or flower presume to show
In that low summer of the West
Impossible to know—
Posted in American poets, Poetry and tagged , ,
03 Apr 2015

NPM: #3–Serenity found in brooks…


Serenity

Edward Rowland Sill (1841-1887)

Brook,
Be still,—be still!
Midnight’s arch is broken
In thy ceaseless ripples.
Dark and cold below them                 
Runs the troubled water,—
Only on its bosom,
Shimmering and trembling,
Doth the glinted star-shine
                  Sparkle and cease.

                  Life,
Be still,—be still!
Boundless truth is shattered
On thy hurrying current.
Rest, with face uplifted,
Calm, serenely quiet;
Drink the deathless beauty—
Thrills of love and wonder
Sinking, shining, star-like;
Till the mirrored heaven
Hollow down within thee
Holy deeps unfathomed,
Where far thoughts go floating,
And low voices wander
              Whispering peace.

 

Although I am drawn to the ocean, I think I favor the quiet charm of a brook ensconced in the cradle of the woods. What is it about archaic language that makes reflections so much more profound?

 

image: Natureworks/Morguefile

Posted in Nature, Poetry, reflections, writers and tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

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