After my meeting with the Turkey Vulture a while ago, I started thinking about all the cute little animals that we are lucky enough to have in our neighborhoods.  In fact, a friend of mine has adopted an entire troop of small animals as pets.

It probably began because my friend and her husband travel quite often for business and family visits.  Therefore, having a dog as a pet didn’t seem fair.  And, since her husband is allergic to cats, that eliminated the feline pet opportunity.  So, over time, she seems to have adopted all the local wildlife and turned her backyard into a haven for quite a variety of outdoor pets.

The staple food for her pets are the peanuts that she throws out on the back patio, deck and lawn.  As long as the various species get along, they are all welcome, but there are rules.

First, squirrels aren’t allowed to chase the chipmunks away.  If such an infraction is discovered, a quick sweep of the broom sets the squirrel felons running.  And, in fact, it is the squirrels that live on the left side of the yard that are always the culprits.  The squirrels that live on the right side of the yard never get so aggressive.

The hawks aren’t really part of the family, but if they stop by, they aren’t allowed to hunt the squirrels, chipmunks or rabbits.  The squirrels and chipmunks can take shelter under the outdoor furniture.  But, the rabbits mostly stay on the grass, so there are a few strategically placed chairs on the lawn to provide emergency shelter.

Box turtles stop by from time to time.  A shallow water dish set out for their use reports their visit if no one is around to see them.  The amount of mud in the dish indicates that a turtle has recently taken a bath there.

And, like any pets, the animals have rules, too.  The bully hummingbird won’t let any others share the feeder by the house, and the interlopers seem to prefer to fight it out rather than just go to the feeder in the backyard.

It isn’t unusual to be sitting around my friend’s breakfast table chatting, and look out the glass door to see a squirrel or chipmunk sitting on the doormat outside peering in.  A sure sign that peanuts are required.

Or, to see a titmouse or cardinal sitting on the outdoor furniture making a racket.  I’d think it a coincidence, except that all is quiet once the required peanuts are thrown out the door.  And, the birds don’t even fly away any more when the back door opens.

When my friend and her husband bought this house, they also looked at some new construction.  The new homes had all the latest amenities, but the backyard on this home won out.  And, there’s a large family of nature’s children who applaud that decision.