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It’s a hot one


With higher than normal temps for spring, it feels more like August than early June. Stepping outside today is like entering a sauna FULLY CLOTHED. Yuck.

Momma Told Me There'd Be Days Like This

“Momma Told Me There’d Be Days Like This” (American Red Squirrel, Juvenile) Nikon D300, 340mm, F/6.7, 1/50s, ISO 640

Now, I like the heat and all but it is just too soon to be in the 90’s. I broke a sweat just doing the morning chores! The air is so hot and thick, it is difficult to even breathe let alone move. And it isn’t just me who is feeling this way. I spotted many yard residents acting very lethargically.

Just Resting My Eyes

“Just Resting My Eyes” (Adult Female American Red Squirrel) Nikon D300, 650mm (200-400mm F/4G w/1.7x Teleconverter), F/6.7, 1/25s, ISO 640

Can’t say I blame them. The heat is tough enough to take without sporting a fur coat! I felt bad for the furry beasts knowing I could escape back into the AC when it simply got to be too much. Sadly, they do not have any other option but to grin and bear it. Sigh.

Takin' It Easy

“Takin’ It Easy” (American Red Squirrel, Juvenile) Nikon D300, 370mm (200-400mm F/4G w/1.7x Teleconverter), F/6.7, 1/50s, ISO 640

Hang in there, my little critters. Relief is coming! 🙂

37 Comments

  1. Great shots! Very cute 🙂

  2. Did you ever see the episode of Seinfield where George hits a squirrel?!
    “Fortunately the tiny air conditioners arrived just in time…”
    Awesome shots, M.P.! 🙂

    • LOL! Ya know…I’m sure I have but I cannot recall it at the moment. Glad this post could drum up a memory for ya, Sig!

      Thanks! If these guys only knew how much entertainment I get out of them!! ;D

  3. Awwwwwwww but they sure are cute while they suffer through the heat. Boy, you really captured her looking lethargic. Sooo cute and wonderful shots!

    • I have a soft spot for the Li’l Reds (as we refer to them) since they are just so darn small and adorable but yet, fiesty as all get out!

      Thank you, Amber! 🙂

  4. Cute squirrels! It has been quite hot here lately.

    • Cute indeed! Thought we were going to get a break today but it is already mid-70’s so who knows? Perhaps it will max out only in the 80’s which will be a great improvement over yesterday’s mid-90’s!

      Thanks for stopping by and commenting! Much appreciated! 🙂

  5. I don’t think I have ever seen squirrels at rest like this before! Seems like they are always scurrying somewhere. Too funny. This early heat and weather pattern has indeed been strange. WMass had a little scare last night – conditions were reminiscent of last Wednesday. Wicked high temps and humidity followed by nasty thunderstorms that knocked out the power for a time. Forecast is a much more seasonable 82 today.

    • Ha! We actually see this all the time…we have a large, gazebo-style platform feeder just outside our kitchen window and it is not uncommon to see a grey squirrel laying flat out inside it STILL eating! How lazy is that??!

      Yea, last night was scary. We had the high wind gusts& lightening at the front of the storm followed by torrential downpours. No damage or power outages that I know of locally but I imagine the city didn’t escape without some toppled trees (heard many sirens race by our house). I must say, after last week I do view the stormy skies with MUCH more trepidation than I did in the past. I was just grateful for NO mustard yellow sky!

      We are already in the mid-70’s with some humidity so not sure what is going on there. (We are already at a higher temp than the forecasted ‘high’ for the day). Perhaps, the temps will drop as the day goes on. Last night’s rain was welcome, tho, as I now don’t have to walk the yard with a watering bucket!

  6. Oh Tracy, you are so lucky to have these cute little fellows living close to you, – and we are lucky that you are so good at catching their funny behaviour with your camera. The photos make me laugh, what a wonderful lazy moment they have. Is it perhaps because of the warm weather? Actually I have seen “my” squirrel lay on a branch once, almost like this, It too looked very funny, and unusual.
    It sounds like your weather has become more extreme, just like ours. The weather report is slowly becoming more interesting than most ordinary news. I don´t know how your weather use to be, I will look at the internet to see.

    • Yes, I feel oh so very lucky, indeed, Birgitte! I am pleased you enjoyed these so! 🙂

      Yes, the heat is part of it BUT the other part is also, these are females who are at the end of taking care of their spring litters so I am sure they are completely exhausted! Just like most moms, no? 😉

      Extreme weather has been the topic this year, starting with our brutal winter and now, the crazy spring storms and temperatures. I do hope things even out and Mother Earth settles down. We all could use a break.

  7. After driving straight home yesterday from West Virginia in 16 hours, I feel a lot like the middle squirrel!! Cute!

    • 16 hours??! YOU are insane!!!

      That is a momma red squirrel and every time I look at this image I can remember how my mom used to catch a few zzzzz’s and when we’d say, ‘Mom, you’re sleeping!” She’d respond, “Nope. Just resting my eyes.”

      Thanks, Derrick and get some sleep! 🙂

      • It was a great drive, the roads through West Virginia’s mountains are awesome!

  8. I love how creative you are with your shots and storyline. Fantastic captures. I feel for them. And you. It’s been hot and steamy here, too. I hear there’s a cool down expected. Maybe we’re in it now. 80s and steamy instead of 90s and steamy.

    And being nosy and reading your other comments note: Derrick is right about the roads through West Virginia’s mountains. I used to live in WV. Awesomely beautiful. But all that winding and turning and up and down will wear a person out.

    • Thank you Robin! I do try. 😉

      Our temps have cooled back to normal for this time of year so that is nice relief for me AND the critters. I do feel for them as well. They persevere on through all sorts of weather conditions, never seemingly to give it much thought.

      I’ve never seen WV. Hoepfully, one day I will make it to every state in our country and experience the beauty you and Derrick describe first hand!

  9. These are hilarious, and beautifully done, too. I’d trade you some of our cool temperatures for a dab of your heat, but you wouldn’t want the rainstorms and recurring power outages that seem to be part of the package.

    • So glad you like them, Gerry! Thank you so very, very much!

      Thanks for sending along the cooler temps…they arrived last night (along with the rain, thank you. 😉 ) Hopefully, the warmer temps I sent back to you will arrive soon! 🙂

  10. Great catch Tracy. It’s so hot here that I just want to lay about sans the clothes.

    • Thanks, Tammy! Yeah, I hear ya. When I was sweating just filling the feeders I thought about going au naturale…but then, thought that going back into AC migh be smarter… 😉

  11. LOL… Can’t believe your critters are so laid back and relaxed… Mind you, the heat is fine, but you can keep the humidity mefinks… so you can’t blame them at all..

    • Yeah, they have it pretty darn good here at ‘Chez Milkay’…free food, lots of areas to roam, fresh water…it’s no wonder they are relaxed!

      Our temps have dipped considerably. 😦 Now it feels more like March. Crazy N.E. weather!!

  12. Your nice Squirrel friends really seem to feel at home in the heat with you. I imagine how their photos of you in the heat appears??!!…..

    • Ha! I am GLAD the critters DO NOT own cameras! NO ONE wants to see that!! 🙂

  13. I think they got some relief last night, it was cool! I love your critter shots, the one of the eyes closed is adorable!

    • Yes! It has been MUCH cooler…actually to the other extreme as it felt like March with the cold, rainy weather for the past couple of days. Today, the sun is out and the air is nice…I’m sure the critters will be back to their normal, peppy selves!

      She was actually napping! That is the first time I’ve ever witnessed that level of tiredness from a red squirrel. She is a momma so that explains everything!

      Thanks so much, Becky Sue! 🙂

  14. So cute – especially the straddler and the napper.

    • Thanks, Lynn! If I could domesticate these cuties, I would! 🙂

  15. Relief did come, didn’t it? Last weekend was darn near as perfect as it gets where I live. 80’s during the day, low humidity with cool overnight temps for sleeping. Hope your critter neighbors are acting a bit more spry these days. Summer officially shows up early tomorrow. Can the Dog Days be far behind?

    • And, HOW! 🙂

      Yes, no complaints here. Lovely temps, sunshine and a cool breeze to keep things comfortable.

      ALL critters are happy, happy! 🙂

  16. Just one word: Precious!

  17. Wonderful images! I know just how they feel.

    • Ha! Yes, the summer heat is certainly upon us.

      Thank you, Ted! 🙂

  18. So cute!

    Just stumbled upon your blog and am happy to see such nice photos. 🙂


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