Come and play with us in the Ocala...I'm Spyro T. Bushtail, the guy you see hanging off the end of Am's walking stick most of the time (When old Am isn't hanging off of it himself.) I invite you to play here in the Ocala as you will...No peeking under my kilt...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/AmrasElfwine/P5040134.jpg)
*Bramble Blossombark, Earth faerie, peeks into the Acorn Wood* Hello? *dances over to Spyro* Pleased to meet you!
Spyro! I've missed you! :D
Spyro has been meaning to talk to you about making cookies...with...(wait for it)...NUTS in them...
Hello, lovely Analise!
*skitters down the tree and envelops the squirrel in a big hug*
So glad you found us!!
We were floating thru some strange time warp for a while but the magic seems to have settled down.
Great...Spyro can't get enough fae hugs...kinda like me...Trill, its truely grand to be here with you.
The time warp was scary. Very scary!
But, life goes on. One of the great things about the fae is their optimism, and we surely do need it now.
So, how about a game of squirrel tag?
Your it!!
*Spyro tags Trill, and scurries up the nearest oak...* :o
Its so good to be home...
Spyro, I can't wait to see you!! I'll have to send a hug through Amras to you!
*skitters over to Bramble and tags her head*
YOU'RE IT!! :D
*Bramble dances around the Wood, trying to find someone to tag...Then, seeing Analise sitting by a tree, she tags her* Tag! You're it! :)
Lady G, as you know, Spyro is never far away. 8)
The sun is out! YES!!
OOOH! Squirrel Tag? Can I play too! Spyro is a cutie!
Yes, please join in, lass...Spyro has been trying to teach me how to flick my tail...good tail flicking is, evidently, absolutely necessary in "Squirrel Tag"...or, perhaps the little blighter is just "pulling a good one" on me... 8)
*It would appear that my previous post has disappeared into the mist in this magical wood...I shall post it again.
Greetings, Master Amras and Sir Spyro. 'Tis an honour to meet thee. *Anne offers her hand to Amras...and the other hand - full of nuts, of course - to Spyro*
As one who comes from the oaktower, I find myself most at home in the woodlands with the animals and the fae. Amras, perhaps as Lord of the Squirrels, you might be willing to aid me in beseeching the good Queen Bonnie to appoint me Royal Protector of Chipmunks (and other assorted four-footed furries)?
May I stay and visit awhile in these wonderful woods?
A/O
You are certainly welcome to stay in our wood with us for as long as it pleases you.
And, though I would never speak for the Queen, I'm sure that she will take your request under advisement.
Chipmunks are very, very special!
We welcome you and your gifts! Spyro is kinda spoiled...:-)
Thank you, Amras. You are quite kind. I have petitioned the good Queen for my royal appointment and am anxiously awaiting her reply. Chipmunks are indeed quite special, and they speak highly of you, as well.
I have seen many of them on my very early morning walks at Ft. Meade...more and more of them this year, as they seem most, er, "prolific" this Spring...them, and the strain of jet black-colored ground squirrels which inhabit the woods there...
...and, chipmunks seem to be very, very good at squirrel tag...oh so fast...
Indeed, chipmunks enjoy a rousing game of squirrel tag as much as their squirrel cousins do. You must send some of your jet-black squirrels out to visit our western PA region...my chipmunks and I would very much like to make their acquaintance.
The jet black squirrels are a phenomenon I have seen to our east, on Ft. Devens, MA, as a matter of fact...hmmm, Ft. Meade, Ft. Devens...perhaps some form of military stealth research is involved...no matter, they are a peaceable strain of squirrel now.
Acorn Wood forecast for the holiday weekend, sunny and 72 for the next 3 days...yessss.....:-)
Quote from: Amras Elfwine on May 22, 2008, 09:07:26 PM
The jet black squirrels are a phenomenon I have seen to our east, on Ft. Devens, MA, as a matter of fact...hmmm, Ft. Meade, Ft. Devens...perhaps some form of military stealth research is involved...no matter, they are a peaceable strain of squirrel now.
That, or you stumbled upon the Squirrel's chimney sweep academy... ;D
Hmmmm....perhaps the poor little blokes are the outcasts. Black sheep squirrels?
QuoteThat, or you stumbled upon the Squirrel's chimney sweep academy...
Now I've got images in my head of squirrels as the chimney sweeps in Mary Poppins *giggle*
*curtsies low*
It is nice to meet you Spyro...
I am Dracconia...
*rises*
Hello Aramas...how are you dear?
Hail, Draconia...I could not feel any finer this day were I twins...but, there are sad tidings from my beloved woods on Fort Meade, where I have walked regularly for years...they are now closed (effective yesterday) for that accursed word, "development"...*sigh*...Spyro has been attempting to get the word out the the chimney sweep squirrels that they must move, asap...
Time for a mead...or two... 8)
Amras...I was looking and I can't find the thread...I think we had one at least, on learing to speak/read Elvin...could you point me in the right direction?
I shall look...I can't help but think that Master Calith is behind any instruction in the Elvish arts...
Has anyone seen Master Calith?
I've seen him poke around here every once in a while, but I don't think he has posted anything. :'(
*on a side tangent* Oh that is the coolest picture ever! It's In a KILT!
We love Side Tangents!!
Hail, oh Elemental Airy one...Spyro has been known to lift his kilt up when he's had one too many shots of macadamia nut liquor at faire...I try not to encourage him!
This will teach him...I guess the squirrel's work WAS done... 8)
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Quirks/2008/06/02/man_uses_pepper_spray_to_ward_off_squirrel/4789/
Quote from: Amras Elfwine on June 07, 2008, 04:09:13 PM
We love Side Tangents!!
Hail, oh Elemental Airy one...Spyro has been known to lift his kilt up when he's had one too many shots of macadamia nut liquor at faire...I try not to encourage him!
Oh dear! I'm blushing just THINKING about Spyro lifting his kilt like that! ;)
Quote from: Dracconia on June 03, 2008, 11:36:50 PM
Amras...I was looking and I can't find the thread...I think we had one at least, on learing to speak/read Elvin...could you point me in the right direction?
This is the link that Calith gave me a while back.
http://www.grey-company.org/Circle/language/phrase.htm
I hope it helps you as much as it has me!
*covers eyes to save her innocence and not see Spyro lift his kilt*
Appl...since when were you innocent?? :o ;D
Tee hee I was thinking the same thing, but opted for keeping my mouth shut. ;) ;D :P
*giggles* that's why it's funny!
*Tosses a bunch of black walnuts all over*
The squirrels back home love those.
Appl, you almost cost my laptop a green tea bath. I don't think there's a single Sis of mine who's innocent. Tee hee That's why you're all my Sisters! :P :o
Fall seems to be gaining momentum here...the leaves were startnig to plummet already...picked up many acorns (for craft purposes) today...they seem to be smaller than normal this year, and should make for some really fine looking art work eventually...the furry ones out back only eat about half of them, and I seem to be welcome to the rest...they love bombing the truck with leaves.
Soon, the two-handed claymoore rake will come out of the scabbard, I'm afraid...
It wasn't one of mine...I swear... ::)
http://www.sj-r.com/homepage/x1776792376/Army-sergeant-details-squirrel-attack-in-Washington-Park
(The cadre of the Squirrel-Mmando Brigade Training School shall not be held liable for the behavior of any of its graduates...yeah, thats the ticket)
ROFL!!! In this round...hunter 0, squirrel 1!!! Someone needs to send him a squirrel translation for idiots book for Christmas!!! Tee hee
Oh my gosh, that story was hilarious!! Totally made me laugh and that's always good... I especially liked this one ladies comment about her husband getting bullied by squirrels on their back porch. She recommended a squirrel attack support group for the two men.... how hilarious is that!!!
Personally I think squirrels are pretty cute, but I'd not want to meet a 2 foot one in a back alley, they can be pretty aggressive. My dad always has squirrel issues cause they are just so smart and they always figure out a way to get into his bird feeders.... He's always dreaming of them scheming behind his back on how to attack and capture the bird seed in his feeders.... it's pretty funny to hear him talk about it!!
Some of the little guys out back are, well, lets say, "nerdier" than others (especially the ones wearing wee glasses), and would probably excell at hiring chipmunks and prairy dogs to do their dirty work for them! 8)
Now that you mention it, I have seen a few squirrels with diagrams and tiny spectacles musing over the drawings!! They are a crafty bunch!
Apparently it's not so much what you say to a squirrel as how much you twitch your tail.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/books/news/2004-01-13-animal-talk-part2_x.htm
Taken from the above site:
"Vocalizing like a squirrel requires smacking the tongue against the roof of the mouth in a manner similar to the way a horse would be coaxed to trot, or when a person wants to convey tsk-tsk. Almost immediately the squirrel came from around the tree and stared at me. I was startled but I made a few more of the sounds. The squirrel raised its bushy tail, pointed its ears toward me and began to approach, looking straight at me with genuine curiosity. Within a few seconds it had climbed onto a branch that stretched out nearest to my balcony. (I was not holding food, which would be baiting the experiment.)
The squirrel cautiously investigated the situation; head fully extended, ears still pointed forward, tail raised about halfway twitching only slightly. Faster tail twitching would be a visual signal that conveys aggression or fear, or more likely a mixture of both. I made the sound again, taking care to sound as friendly as possible. Time seemed to stand still. The squirrel appeared to sniff. Its dark eyes were alert as it continued to gaze at me, now less than 10 feet away. Then, having satisfied its curiosity and certain that I had nothing more of interest to offer, the squirrel scampered off."
Thats a pretty good description of the "smacking" sound, Anna...I can call them like that, when they're in the mood, anyway...they have a distress call thatsounds like a long, drawn-out crow call...I have a squirrel call that will make that one...the tail twitches are a language all their own, as complex as any type semaphore done with signal flags...much like prairie dogs out west, they usually leave one on watch here, to warn the others when one of the numerous hawks around here is detected out shopping for lunch.
Well, I'm gonna give it a try. We have squirrels all over the property and I have a birds eye view of a particular tree with a number of nests. Got the "Doctor Doolittle" bug in me today. :)
Currently battening down the hatches for a mighty blow tomorrow...
Now hear this, all you furry little seed stealers!
All squirrel nests are to be strapped down tightly, and make sure the wee gutters are clean!!
And don't go out without your tiny rain boots!
Take care when climbing while holding an umbrella, and if a gust carries you over Annapolis, save me a table at The Melting Pot while your there...
Things are cooling off in the wood...the acorn harvest was excellent this year, and the lads will be eating for a good while on the fruits of their hide-the-nut labors...raked half the wood last weekend, and anticipate raking the other half this weekend...all a first rake scenario, of course...it'll take at least 2 more...reminds me of what my step-father always says..."thats why the call them leaves...you leave them alone, and they'll blow away..."....sigh, would that that were possible...
Cheers!
I read an article in one of the local papers yesterday that the squirrels here are getting rather fat due to an unexpected windfall of pecans thanks to Ike. Ike's winds knocked down tons of pecans early so the squirrels have fattened up early. I know they've been all over my yard pigging out!
I'm so thrilled the new house has a small patch of woods on the property! Actually it's considered "wet lands" so it's protected! And the squirrels have been busy busy all over the back yard and front yard! And I've got the BEST view of the back yard from my bedroom window! I love taking little breaks and watching our furry friends playing in the trees! I think the little snow flurries we had the other day made them decide to pick up the pace a bit. lol Not like they are skinny, but living about two blocks off the Delaware river is COLD!
More pumpkins in the Jack-o-lantern graveyard this morning...the lads are baking pies now, I think...very cold out there today and tomorrow!! May get the first flurries of the year today.
The squirrels are all fattenend up nicely, and are showing their thick winter grey coats...which reminds me, I tried on the old "fat" long johns this morning, and lets just say, I need new ones that fit... ;)
We got a dusting of snow this morning! Some is still in the trees. No wonder the little furries were all hyper yesterday. Lol
Am, *HUGTACKLE* needing new long johns is awesome! ;D
My goal is to always stay well and truely hugtackled...and FairyFly, Trill and Appl always help me...:-)
Flurries yesterday in the wood, but nothing on the ground...it is indeed COLD today, so of course, I raked up after the oaks for four hours today...should hold it for a day or so, anyway, and icey adult beverages may be in order tonight....heh heh heh, I said "may be"...right... 8)
Cheers!
My pets are soooooo ready for winter, that a few of them may just be accompanying me to the Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday...
So tired...so tired...just need a place to rest...perhaps under this old oak...
*sits down, back against the tree, and looks up at the stars*
Thats better...just need to rest, thats all...
*Somehwat rejuvenated by the marvelous light show put on in the last week by the Moon, Jupiter and Venus, Amras gets up from his tree trunk, stretches, shoulders his pack, and begins another hike down a moss-strewn path*
Mi'Lord Amras, and Sir Spyro T. Bushtail,
I would like to introduce you to Mi'Lady Dixie. She was looking over my shoulder as I read this topic, and begged to be introduced to the handsome lad in the kilt!
(http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k196/tammy_1980/DSCF2918-1.jpg)
*Please forgive the fuzziness of the picture.*
*Leaving behind a selection of nuts and berries for the sweet furries...*
Curtsy's,
Tammy & Dixie
Outstanding...and we are pleased to make the wee lass' acqaintance...here's one of Naughty Todd (also known as Spyro T.) with the gang out back...
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/AmrasElfwine/Just%20Me/P1010018.jpg)
He does look kinda like he's tipped over a bit... ;)
And, here he is with some reprobate in the front yard...
We are very pleased to meet yuh!!
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v222/AmrasElfwine/P4120360-1.jpg)
Gramercy for the warm welcome to my little one. She's a handful...much as Spyro seems to be ;) , but that just makes me love her even more!!
The wind is howling here...Mother Nature doesn't seem to be very happy this day.