Have you ever stopped and thought about all the animals that share your world with you?
Oh sure, you have a companion animal, be it dog, cat, or other animal friend.
But what other animals do you share your life with? Do you even notice them?
I share the place I live with chipmunks.
Squirrels.
Toads.
A whole host of birds: blue jays, mockingbirds, sparrows, wrens.
Nearby lives an owl. I’ve never seen him, but I’ve heard him often in the early morning hours.
A opossum has visited once.
And there are a variety of insects.
Funny how we all live here in harmony, yet we live separate lives. I don’t feed them, and they typically don’t bother me or Rumpy, though the squirrels will sound the warning to the others when we enter the backyard.
Most of us don’t even consider those animals, unless they annoy us. Then they aren’t living things. They’re a nuisance. Vermin. Pests.
We break out the chemicals to kill them. Or hire exterminators to do it for us.
Because, after all, it’s OUR place. And we have a right to live free of their terror.
In the process, we also poison the earth. The ground water. And ourselves.
.
Sad, isn’t it?
Dogpaddling Through Life 
We drink our groundwater. Hard to forget when that hole in the ground is life and death.
Ironically, it is life or death for us all, but when water is regulated, it’s easy to forget.
Beautiful post- love your photos
Actually, I have thought about it. I’m quite proud that our garden is about the only one in this street that has a variety of wild animals (and some domestic ones as well) visiting regularly. We have seen squirrels, several different species of birds and naturally different types of insects, among others butterflies. When I was a child, there were also hares and for several years after that, sometimes, bats. In the neighborhood, we’ve also seen badgers and heard that there were foxes as well, but I doubt the latter are still around.
There’s a park nearby here, and I’m wondering what all lives there?
I do agree with you , I actually love all the wildlife we have, insects ( well we co exist) but I am at one ( I hope) with the birds and we have lots, foxes,deer, pheasants, peacocks, horse ( respectfully cautious of those) squirrels great fun, bats , the list goes on. My husband will not knowingly hurt any animal or insect in fact I can be walking along and he will call out careful mind the ( insert which ever insect it might be ) Love the world and all it’s creatures! xxxxxxx
Wish I could convince Mex about letting wildlife share with us.
He has a phobia about creepy crawlies.
I am with him on the snake story!
I was always told it was a good thing to have a snake in the yard-provided it was not poisonous- to keep down the mice and insects.
The snakes around here are not friendly creatures.
Then maybe not a good idea to let them hang out under the house.
Oh good grief…I hope there aren’t any under our house!
Sure. Thats where the food would be.
We have all those same animals and insects too!! xo Chloe and LadyBug
Sometimes, I feel so sorry for very tiny insects that we don’t know if we might step on them accidentally….I know it can’t be helped….but they also have lives to live…….it always reminds me monks in Myanmar…..
Indeed we value all the life here on our patch..i did a recent post with the gorgeous lizards that have taken up residence as gardeners in our front yard..we try and use exclusion for anything that could pose an issue..so fencing etc that keeps wildlife safe..domestic animals safe and all happy..it has been very very trying but we are intruders in the land..even the snakes unless they are in the yard (and then get moved by snake handlers ) can be left alone on the property they all serve a role in the system of life we call home..now the catio is complete and the backyard snake and roo proof we can breathe easy..we have a huge swarm of bees at the moment that are really enjoying one particular tree..awesome..so very vital…I am allergic but have happily watched them close up while they do their thing…life is indeed full of wonderful critters 🙂 hugs Fozziemum pee ess no chemicals here..
I fear my neighbors will report me for having a zoo. Living at the edge of a city next to a wildlife preserve I can get anything to come for dinner. We had a coyote last week and deer are common. I try to scoot the deer away from my favorite plants but have resorted to planting things they don’t like. Love the wild turkeys too. My cats think they are the funniest looking cats ever. What I don’t like is to witness dinner when another critter is the entre. Saw a fox scoop up one of my squirrels last week. I know it’s the circle of life but it still made me sad.
It’s hard to click on “like” when it’s just meant that I saw and appreciate your post. Then my mind plagues me to come back and say that. We try our best this end, to coexist with all forms of life. We even put flies outside. But then we’re way out of the box and considered a little weird.
I share my life with ants, kinds of birds, squirrels, worms, stray cats & dogs, etc. I saw them on the way to office…. Dogs, cats are all over my housing complex. But for sure news of endangered animals make me realize that humans are more and more “eager” to be free from fellow creatures named animal by saying those animals are destroying this and that and that’s why humans kill them…. So sad.
Yes. We think inly of our own selfish momentary wants, not realizing that by killing them, we harm ourselves.
Ma landscapes our yard for wildlife. We have a mint section that is in the corner of our yard with a compost pile that the rabbits make their home. It keeps them nice and warm in the winter and in the summer it provides shade and security from other predators. We bushes to protect our little sparrows from those hawks that come around and we have squirrels with an occasional possum. If it wasn’t for finding nest of ants in the summer hiding under tarps and such , our yard would be perfect. Not much you can do when your neighborhood has a ant problem.
As I can’t travel around much, all my photos of birds and animals are in the backyard, or nearby at the fairgrounds. It’s amazing, as you say!
Reblogged this on Ann Novek–With the Sky as the Ceiling and the Heart Outdoors.
I have to admit, I do not like bugs. Then again many don’t. I have a big fear of them for whatever stupid reason, nut squirrels and chipmunks etc… I love them!
I often leave carrots and things in the yard for them and the bunnies too 🙂
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
Theres ways to lessen the number of bugs without chemicals.
In years past, I have to admit to using chemical control products in my yard i.e. to kill fleas & ticks, slugs in my garden, things like that. Thank Ceiling Cat, I finally wised up and quit using those poisons! Since moving to this house 10 years ago, I’ve tried to be diligent and if some sort of insect control, or weed control, or such IS needed, I try to Google “natural” remedies instead of poisons. There are lots of natural, green products to repel insects & critters, clean our floors, all sorts of things. What did we do before Google? The human race seems to be trying very hard to destroy all living things including themselves because of our stupidity. Hopefully people will get their wits about them before it’s too late!
Reblogged this on Green Living London.
yoove vizzdidd “my place”. THAT (the ‘system) is a large part of “home” !