Guest Rodent

We have a new guest at Dix's bird feeder. At first we thought it was a baby squirrel but it was not trusting like a juvenile would be - it runs for cover when approached. Hence the telephoto picture is the best I could do for now. It's not big enough to be a prairie dog. It stands up like a Meerkat.

My school days chum emailed me to say he has had the big 70-foot Locust tree in his front yard taken down. The last big windstorm got it leaning towards his house and his arborist could not guarantee cables would secure it in the next storm. He could not sleep with it looming over the house like a monster at night. It was a beloved tree so now he is devoting his attention to a large Dogwood in his back yard. Dix is very envious, as she has made several attempts at growing a Dogwood in the marginal climes we live in.

I spent the day in the Gas Hills for the final inspection of the company's mill tailings site we are transferring to the Department of Energy. In addition to the many millions it took to reclaim it, it will cost us another million to fund long term care of the site. Actually, the $1M will not be put in an escrow fund for DOE's use, but rather sent to the Treasury for Congress to fritter away on such things as getting homes for more people who cannot afford them and who will eventually default on their mortgages.