Summer Surprise!

On the very last day of Spring, my Monstera (split-leaf philodendron) that I had given up for frozen dead, decided to come up from the roots!  I've been watering it, more for the ivy than any hope the larger plant would survive.  Neither looks great at the moment, but we now have some hope.

Goofy The Squirrel

Squirrels are a cute menace.  My yard is overrun.  I had a favorite for a while (Buzz,) but quit feeding him when he got greedy. I moved the bird feeder into the kitchen one warm summer day and Buzz tore a hole in my window screen to get at it.  He doesn't know what that cost him.

Other squirrels in the past have done some real damage. One chewed through my wood siding to get at the pink insulation to build his/her nest.  I had to call a trapper for that one; he removed the squirrel to a distant pasture.  Another chewed a hole in my chimney surround big enough to cause serious water damage to the ceiling and wall below.

The current pest isn't so destructive, but still quite annoying.  S/he insists on chewing on my metal gutter.  He's always in the same place.  The noise is amplified by the gutter and can be heard throughout the house.  Sounds like a dyslexic woodpecker.

Seems senseless. Beats me what's going on.