Disney Princess Unlocked

Featured Amy23 Comments

Happy Saturday morning from these parts of the woods! This day is also known as Caturday, but the only cat I have right now is the one who visits my backyard naïvely thinking I won’t capture him and force him to go to the vet and live inside the house forever and ever. Oh, silly, silly boy.

Tom Cat stopping by for water and a meal – he was unsuccessful and the birds told everyone who would listen that he was there

In other news, Foxy Red is back. He thought he might have a little snack, but I caught him. Fox look like a combination of a dog and a cat in the same body. And their behavior is much the same. I heard from a neighbor there are two fox, so I deduce there are many more. I also heard from a neighbor there is a deer nearby and that a small group of them live up in some small woods behind a few houses at the front of the neighborhood. This makes me sad. I hate that their homes have been demolished for human greed. I have not seen this deer, but others have seen it walk through the yard of my neighbor directly next to me. I did see one deer walking down the middle of the road early one summer morning about three years ago. I thought it was hallucinating, because I’ve never seen a deer in this neighborhood, and I have lived here a long time. It walked so quietly it didn’t make a sound. And it didn’t notice me. It was a peaceful moment.

But I’m not here to talk about peace. I’m here to talk about a compact, pudgy, fluffy, black-and-white striped, armed with stinky solution in the rear ball of fluff. Yes, that’s right. I’ve got a skunk. And if you think he is not the cutest thing in the world, you are wrong. I’ve seen him on at least two occasions now and I have squealed both times. I got nervous because he crossed the street and did some weird investigating in my neighbor’s front yard. And it wasn’t even dark. But this skunk appears to be very well fed, so I suppose he needs to get an early start on the grub.

Squee!! 😍

I also have a bunny, but I’m not sure how long I will have a bunny, due to fox plural. And a stray cat.

🐇💨 + unhelpful 🐧 + 🐿️

Oh yeah, and a bunch of squirrel moms dropped off their crazy babies in my backyard and took off. Two of my favorite squirrels have taken off and left crazy babies in their wake. I don’t think that’s an equal transaction, but who am I to say? I just live here. 🤷🏼‍♀️

Good morning. I was waiting for you to open the blind and see me here. I have left you my children and I am going off to greener pastures. But before I go, do you have a moment to talk about your car’s extended warranty?

I also have plenty of flowers in bloom, and although one of the three late frosts that we had killed off the leaves on the weeping cherry tree, everything else seems to have come through okay. Everything is very slow to bloom, however. But don’t worry, we’re getting three or four 90°+ days coming up this week before returning to somewhat reasonable weather. I can’t wait because I don’t have any air-conditioning at the moment. I guess I’ll have that dewy glow, au natural.

The first penny bloom on one of five peony plants

I plant pink petunias around my mom’s tree every year because those were her favorite. 💞

I better go. I hear the birds in the tree outside the window and they know I’m late. I expect there to be a crowd on the porch when I open the door. And sometimes, the sparrows bang on the door for birdseed if I’m too late.

Enjoy your day/afternoon/evening wherever you are in the world.

And always remember: the Disney Princess life isn’t chosen, it is given. ✨💫✨

©️2026, itsamyisaid.com

animals · birds · blog · blogging · Flowers · Humor · Nature · spring · squirrels · Writing

Squirrel 1, Azalea 0

Featured Amy17 Comments

It’s been a very warm week. We’ve broken records and hit 9000°F. I’m sorry, it only feels like 9000° but it’s been 88°. Everything is blooming and it shouldn’t be. Not quite yet. We’re dropping down into the 30s again next week so I will likely be covering everything that’s starting to bloom that shouldn’t be. Sigh.

Speaking of blooming, the azaleas are in full bloom, and the squirrel teenagers are in full zoom. And I mean zoomies. The squirrels have been splooting – the term for what they do when they lie on their bellies to try to cool off – and they have been doing this:

Menace 2 Society

Sploot happens:

I brought out the ground level birdbaths and the hose, so now we have three functioning birdbaths/refreshing water sources. Yesterday, the mourning doves couldn’t figure out how to all get into the same birdbath at the same time, which is not surprising because mourning doves share one brain cell. They are beautiful birds, and they are very fast in flight, but they are afraid of me on foot, but not afraid of cars. They often walk to their destination, even though they have wings. And when they look at you, it gives you a feeling of the most beautiful creature with not much going on behind the scenes, if you know what I mean. Anyway, while the doves were trying to figure out how to all fit into the birdbath, a sparrow showed up. Sparrows are not shy, and it came in for a landing. The MoDo’s were not impressed. This was their reaction:

👁️👁️ 👁️👁️ 👁️👁️ 👁️👁️

It was really awkward. I, of course, recorded the whole thing and could not contain my laughter.

Sparrow: “HEY, YA’LL! 🤠” MoDo: “Darlene, is that a sparrow? Tell me that is not a sparrow sitting right there next to us?!“ 🧐

These are two couples (not seen: Daryl, who made an early exit after being pecked by Dave.) Doves mate for life, so tensions were already brewing between the two couples and the fact that they couldn’t figure out how to all fit into the birdbath without ruffling feathers. I mean that figuratively and literally. One of the doves got too close to the other dove and got pecked. This caused an indignant, awkward hop out of the birdbath as one couple *had* to leave. And then the sparrow showed up. It was utter chaos.

It’s Saturday morning as I’m writing this, and don’t for a second think that the birds and the squirrels don’t know that I’m already awake in here. I’ve been sleeping with the windows open, which is necessary because I don’t have air-conditioning at the moment and it has been very hot. I would also like to point out the trees are pollinating and all of the yellow stuff you see on your car is now in my nose and eyes when I wake in the morning. But the birds and the squirrels don’t care about any of that. They just know that I’m awake and that I should be refilling the fuel sources and the watering holes, and they will come knocking if I’m late.

Happy Saturday, everyone!

Hello, can you spare a morsel? Also, umm, i think maybe…you’re a little late…

p.s. still obsessed with the Bleeding Heart

bees · blogging · bugs · butterfly · Eastern Redbud tree · Flowers · hibiscus · Nature · Nature photography · Photography · spring · squirrels · Summer

End Of The Season

Featured Amy9 Comments

It’s late summer now, and the plants feel like they’re done. It’s been far too hot, far too rainy and the plants are tired. My eastern redbud is dying, its leaves have been dropping all summer and at the base of the tree, you can see the borers doing their damage. The shock of ERJ being sick combined with several other losses this summer broke my heart a little bit. But after some tests, the doctor says my heart is normal. It broke, but it is getting better. I saw a hummingbird a few days ago. I opened the front door and it was hovering above the red Zinnia, staring at me. It looked displeased. I apologized for the lack of selection, but most of the Zinnia had to be pulled because they got powdery mildew. A few days ago, a monarch butterfly arrived to the same plant, and was visibly irritated by the lack of selection. Hopefully they don’t leave me a bad review. I’d like more visitors next year.

I’ve seen a cicada shell, in the usual space I see them. On the clothes pole. I never catch the live bug – I arrive too late.

Ma’am has been here on and off. She had babies this summer, and her face is totally healed. I saw her last week. She’s looking good.

I have four fledgling robins in my backyard, two young squirrels, many sparrows, and very demanding Cardinals. My backyard is the nursery for all of the babies. There was plenty of water at ground level and above in the birdbath, and there are peanuts, served daily. I just wish the moms would come back and pick up their kids!

The hibiscus just finished up blooming. Acorns are dropping prematurely from William I, my 100-year-old Willow Oak. It’s likely due to the weather, or the small acorns not being pollinated. As I said, it was a rough summer.

We’re heading into spider season. I’ve got an office mate named “Stephen with a ph,” and he takes care of any fruit flies for me. I have to be careful not to bump him with my chair or he runs and hides. His cubicle is quite small, so I don’t insist he pay rent. Plus, he’s doing me a service. I only wish he could get the mosquitoes down to his lair.

Here are some photos of late spring and summer. I haven’t posted photos here in a while, and I have missed it. Watch the space for a 🕸️ post.

I had no idea these blooms were the last

Some type of Daisy like plant I couldn’t resist

Annoyed Monarch butterfly on giant zinnia

animals · birds · blogging · daily prompt · Photography · squirrels

There Are Strategies?

July 26, 2025August 8, 2025 Amy28 Comments

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being?

I wish I would’ve known that sooner. Jokes aside, it’s very difficult to maintain health and well-being in these days and times. Whatever you’re doing, and it’s working for you, and it’s not hurting you or anyone else? Do more of that.

I talk to the plants and the animals. I feed the birds and the squirrels. When it’s really hot, I fill up the birdbaths at least three times a day. Note: birds know when you wake up. Just like cats know when your eyes pop open first thing in the morning, birds know when you’re awake. They can hear you in your room when the alarm goes off and you start reaching for your phone to snooze it. They hear it. As soon as a bird knows I’m awake, it’s in the tree outside of my window chirping at me to get out of bed and do the right thing. And the right thing is to feed it. As I open the blinds, I see many pairs of eyeballs staring at me. So of course I have to feed them.

I visit with my trees and give them pats and scritches on their bark. I sing to my inside plants. I tell them they are beautiful, and when they are flowering I congratulate them on their children. They haven’t complained yet, but maybe it’s because I can’t hear them complaining. I don’t speak plant. Yet.

I very carefully watch for bees and then walk through the grass. It’s very important to be grounded to the actual earth during these times. If you’re not grounding, you may be getting lost in the ether.

I avoid news. I know enough to be informed, but other than that, it’s a detriment to my mental and physical health to invest in anything harmful that has the ability to enter my brain via sound waves and visual recordings. Once taken in by the brain, they can never be taken away. I have learned this the hard way. I must also be careful with reading the written word. But there is slightly more control over getting your news via the written word.

I keep a routine. Routine helps the brain feel regulated.

I like to go outside and see what I can snap a photograph of. There’s always something, if you’re looking close enough. One of the reasons my mother always kept creating new – and sometimes judged as wacky art projects – was to keep herself occupied and uplifted. It kept her from falling into anxiety and depression. Some may say that’s a little bit nuts, but I think it’s very wise. I have learned this wacky creativity lesson from her and I try to utilize it via photography and in other creative small projects.

I watch shows and films that are comforting or interesting. I will re-watch shows I like specifically for the comfort factor. I try to avoid heavy drama because if I wanted heavy drama, I would not be writing about how to maintain my mental physical health…

Since Susie died, I have been rearranging and repurposing things in the house to make the house more “me.” I have a very tight budget, but this is a new phase of life and with a recent birthday, I’ve decided now is the time to switch things up a bit.

What strategies do you use to maintain your health and well-being? Comment below!

animals · blogging · bunnies · butterfly · daily prompt · fantasy · Flowers · Forests · Humor · Nature · squirrels · Writing

Not Sure It’s A Plan, But…

May 13, 2025June 4, 2025 Amy3 Comments

What is your career plan?

I guess you could call it that. I call it a lifestyle, and this is what it looks like:

animals · birds · Nature

Little Bit – Part III

October 20, 2024December 1, 2024 Amy29 Comments

Hey everyone! Popping in to share an update on that baby bird I found this past summer. As far as life goes, it’s been hectic. My new job is intense, the people are great and I love it. I have had no desire to write a single word, but I am enjoying this nice weather and all of the animals that visit every day.

I hope you all are doing well and I also hope to get bit by the writing bug again soon. Probably when things settle down a little bit (see what I did there?) at work. Until then, please enjoy the reappearance of Little Bit (and her friend, Plus One)! Apologies for the darkness of the video – it was hastily recorded through my window. Miss you guys! 🫶🏻

Little Bit is Big Bit now

AI art · AI images · birds · blogging · Hummingbirds · poetry · Summer · Writing

Not Now

August 18, 2024September 9, 2024 Amy27 Comments

I waited, but you didn’t return

The clematis weren’t as tall

Nor as full

And they bloomed too early

Because of that heat wave

So soon

I missed you this year

But I still have your nest from last year

And I’ll save it forever

Maybe I’ll see you next year

I really hope so

✨✨✨

This is my entry for Kevin’s NTT, 8/15/24 edition

animals · birds · bunnies · daily prompt · Humor · Nature · squirrels · Summer

Again?

August 3, 2024August 23, 2024 Amy18 Comments

Describe one habit that brings you joy.

OK, WordPress, but I have answered this 5711 times.

I feed the birds and the squirrels. And one bunny. I enjoy their personalities. You would think the squirrels would be the most problematic, but this is not true. The male cardinal chirps at me through the window if he misses the morning or evening feeding. He does not relent. He is quite the character. Sometimes he brings his wife – she has better manners. I haven’t seen a single hummingbird this summer, which makes me sad. I wanted the hummingbird from last year to rebuild her nest in the clematis on my porch, but it’s not to be this year.

Here’s a video I took a month or so ago of Ma’am. She’s the most tame and is missing part of her tail. I sat next to her while she munched on peanuts. I could see the brown iris of her eye as the sun hit it. She has gentle eyes.

Let’s convene here again in two months when WordPress asks us the same question once more, shall we?

Ma’am has breakfast

animals · birds · blogging · Nature

The Return of Little Bit

July 25, 2024September 9, 2024 Amy8 Comments

This spicy child thinks the water trough is her own personal birdbath. She arrived with her mom (or dad) today. Parent had a short bath and left to forage for insects. Little Bit had a little bit more than a long bath. The smaller birds were getting annoyed, but what choice do they have? She is now foraging with her parent. I don’t think they have taught her yet about The Food Lady.

Little Bit is ✨spicy✨

animals · birds · Nature · Summer

Little Bit…Bigger!

July 7, 2024July 18, 2024 Amy18 Comments

Yep, it’s her. Fledglings grow feathers – and their bodies – quickly. And there’s no mistaking that flapping beak anywhere. She’s still in the nursery (backyard), and only appears in the evening. Most likely, she sleeps all day and ignores her mother.

Little Bit with her mom (or dad – dads take over feeding when mom needs to 🪺)