I am in Connecticut,
arrived safely on Monday eve
.....after driving through horrific rainstorms
and many accidents along the I-287 corridor in New Jersey.
Yesterday, I woke up in my old bedroom at my Mom's house ~
to a chilly morning full of sunshine.
I headed down to the kitchen to have a bit of tea
and noticed one of Mom & Pop's cats, "Petey" in the small kitchen window ~
obviously intent on watching something or someone....
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| "Petey" is a Russian Blue (one of two that live here with them, the other guy is "Timmy") |
This is what he was watching:
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| a beautiful white squirrel sitting on Mom's deckrail |
Our small hometown of Stratford, CT
is known for it's abundance of white squirrels such as he...
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| ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ nibbling on toast crust that Mom feeds them... |
Mom has fed the squirrel here for years,
and they know they will always get something good from her....
stale cake
raisin bread
and cookies.
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| ~::~ |
needless to say,
squirrels from far & wide know about
'Mom's Diner'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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| These are not Albino Squirrels ~ they are a small band of true White Squirrel with black eyes ...that have bred to greater, stronger numbers here in Stratford undoubtedly with the help of Mom. |
Growing up here,
I was so used to seeing them, but now I must admit
seeing this one yesterday took my breath away ~
Taking a short walk out to Mom's backyard to get a closer look at Mr. White,
I snapped a few photos of the beautiful AUTUMN day:
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| reflections of my memories in the backyard birdbath... |
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| ~::~::~::~::~ |
the air smells just like I remember...
damp, clean & fresh~
the colors just as vivid:
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| inspirational colors |
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| ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ |
Old stone walls,
laid years ago ~ confine the backyard and make me feel safe...
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| ................................................................................ |
~ a carpet of maple leaves beneath my feet ~
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| my color palette |
It's no wonder that when I create & design
my mind wanders here, to this place...
my pencil sketches tidbits of memories
....my needle and thread captures the surroundings of my youth....
Have a Beautiful Autumn day where ever you are!!
*Blessed be, my Friends*
~ Lori ~
31 comments:
Good morning Lori - I so enjoyed your pictures...the squirrel is beautiful...and the leaves and rock wall make my heart sing!
I saw your write-up in the latest Country Sampler and and loved it. It was fun to learn more about you and your journey, as I've been following your blog for some time now.
I admired the tall snowman in one of the pictures..did you create him or is he from a pattern? I'd love to make one for myself.
Enjoy your visit home.
Blessings
Oh my goodness, I've never seen a white squirrel before, they are beautiful. Have a wonderful trip.
doreen
Enjoy your visit with your family, Lori! What fabulous pictures you have shared; love the ones of the squirrel and the rock wall!
Robin in Virginia
beautiful post.....always nice to go home for a visit....I have never seen a white squirrel, didn't know there was such a thing.....have a safe trip back home...
I felt very much at home with you in this post...you described everything with such warmth - it shows that you are blessed and happy to back home with your parents on the homestead.
Never seen a true white squirrel...not even an Albino one for that matter. They are beautiful.
Blessings and enjoy your stay
Karen
Lori: Your post brought tears to my eyes thinking about the smells and sounds of childhood.
WOW. I never knew about white squirrels and am so glad you posted their photos.
Such a lovely post!! I had thought that the white squirrels were Albino because of seeing only 1 in my time and that one white squirrel was along with a few grey squirrels .. *interesting ;0) They are precious! Thanks for showing their beauty up close ..Gosh i would love to awake to the beauty you are showing us.. The Stone walls and thickly dense landscape of CT is a part of my roots too.. Many childhood hours spent looking for treasures of nature in between the stones along the walls and making good use of my Bicentennial outfit ..pretending to be Laura Ingalls all day long in our woods.
Thank you Lori for bringing such a smile to me today!
{{hugs}}
Morning Lori, how wonderful to be back home with family......Love the stone wall, back yard looks so cozy and those white Squirrels are so great. Never ever seen any before, thanks for sharing, can't wait for more, Blessings Francine.
Lori,
What beautiful creatures those white squirrels are! I think it's fascinating to learn of them as we have a little town here in WI (Chetek) where my family is that have black squirrels. They are known for them and they never seem to populate outside of that area. Such beautiful photos and I can feel the strong feelings you have for your childhood home. How wonderful you can tap into some of that energy and renew your creative spirit!
Sweet Blessings and hugs Lori!
Cathy G
Such a beautiful Squirrel! A beautiful muse someday for you? I can smell the leaves~ and there is no better smell on this Earth~ thank you Lori for sharing your heart and family~ enjoy!
Stacey
I could not live anywhere outside New England, it is home and nothing else like it. One thing I noticed when we were thinking of moving, no stone walls, not home without them, lol. Love that squirrel, I have never seen a white one, it is beautiful.
Debbie
Beautiful country yard! I've never seen a white squirrel... he looks pretty big too! I-287 is pretty dangerous through here... I try to avoid it in my travels. Glad you made it to CT safely!
Lori, I did not know there was a true white squirrel. Thanks for all the info! Looks like a lovely area your parents live in. Enjoy your family:)
What a lovely little creature! I have read of white squirrels, but that's the first pic. Thanks! Have a great visit.
I've only seen red squirrels, so thanks for sharing the pic; so beautiful!
I enjoyed seeing your lovely photos! I know you will revel in the beauties of your home and being with your family.
My news...I have 3 hooked pieces published in the latest ATHA Newsletter!! So thrilled...many thanks to you!
Glad you arrived safe and sound...your pictures bring back memories of the white squirrels we had in Wisconsin many years ago, they are so beautiful! Enjoy your stay and the lovely autumn colors!
White Squirrels !!! We have black ones around us....and we had flying squirrels in a bird house. Have a wonderful visit with your family, the weather has been so nice & the leaves are just beautiful .
I loved your post today! Got a little teary. I too grew up in Ct, Middletown/East Hampton area. This time of year is forever in your heart and soul if you are from New England. It breathes on its own inside you; an integral part of your being.
Love the squirrels.
Loved this post today. It gave me a little peace (which I sorely need) to look at such wonderful pictures. I've never seen a white squirrel. When Hollis lived in Alexandria, VA, there were black squirrels in her complex. They were not cute like the white ones, really looked evil. Please have a safe trip home my friend. Blessings, Sandra
Beautiful photos of the white squirrel. Glad that you are up here this week, last week was warm and humid, but now Fall is here to stay. Enjoy your visit!
Hi Lori,
This was the first time seeing a white squirrel, and what a beauty he is!
Thanks so much for sharing and have a great time back home!
Xo
Biała wiewiórka-coś niesamowitego!
The white squirrels are amazing. There is nothing quite like Autumn in New England!
my dear friend i am missing autumn so much here in the african summer days :)
white squirrel is so sweet...we have like red one here in africa..
enjoy your time with your mom..
say hi to mom from me and from africa.
love x
Loved this post.
Home, furry friends and I have never seen a white squirrel.
Very cool.
Have a wonderful visit with your family.
Happy Fall.
We lived in Bethel Ct for a short time in late 70's. I loved it there. Being from Midwest, the grey squirrels were new to me ....but white ones would have thrilled me! In children's books you always read about grey squirrels . Thanks for the beautiful pictures. Lee, North Carolina
Absolutely love these pictures. Makes me want to sit outside with a cup of tea and just contemplate. Thanks for sharing.
totally the sweetest squirrel....have never seen a white squirrel before, what a treat on your first morning home....
I have enjoyed your visit home very much. It's been many years since I have visited this area of the country. Thank you for sharing.
I don't think I've ever seen a white squirrel before. Wonderful!
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