Gray...

This is, in fact, an Eastern Gray Squirrel, but one that is melanistic.  I've seen a black gray squirrel several times around the property but I've never been able to react quickly enough to get a usable photo so today was my lucky day.  For some reason, he hung out on the cherry tree next to our deck and allowed me to get remarkably close, so very little crop in this image.  Honestly, I've wanted to get a photo of one of these for years so I'm a happy camper at the moment.  

It's another perfect day - light overcast, temps in 70's, humidity bearable.  Jax and I have been spending time in the garden where he defended me against an apparently dangerous deer in the lower end of our property.  Shot in Extra of him racing along the fence barking ferociously.  My protector.  

I spent some time on the phone with the Move-in Coordinator at the community where Mom and Dad will be living and did an email intro between her and them.  So now, they have a couple of contacts which will be helpful while I am gone.  The people at the community are all so nice and helpful.  Easy to work with.  And since I had an appointment with my family doc this morning, I also talked with him about my parents.  He has promised that he will take excellent care of them!  My husband and I have been his patients for many years and he knows us both very well so I have total confidence in him.  And I think my parents will really like him.

I snapped off the connector cable on my CFExpress card reader, so off to Amazon to order a replacement cable.  Meanwhile, I traded out a cable from an external hard drive to use in the interim.  Then, I ordered another CFX card form my trip.  I also continued spraying clothes for the trip (permethrin to deter mosquitoes).  Tick tock.

xoxo
Debbi