A few visitors dropped by the backyard today, each stopping in at their own hour like they were checking into a tiny woodland hotel with flexible scheduling.

Before dawn, the tailless mouse made the first appearance of the day. A small, round shadow skittering across the dim camera view, moving with that cautious little hop-hop-hop that only nighttime creatures seem to master. No tail, but plenty of determination. It lingered just long enough to be seen, then slipped back into the pre-dawn hush, leaving only a faint ripple in the stillness.

Hours later, once the sun had rubbed the sleep out of its eyes, a chipmunk arrived around 8:30. This one had attitude. It zipped up onto the concrete like it was clocking in for mischief, then made a very deliberate show of glancing toward the house. There’s a good chance it was taunting the cat, who watched from behind the glass with that slow-tail-swishing, offended dignity only a cat can manage. The chipmunk seemed pleased with itself before dashing off to whatever important acorn diplomacy awaited.

And then, a final visitor: a deer, calm and quiet, wandering into the frame just long enough to gather itself. One moment there, the next leaping up the hill in a single smooth arc, like gravity was only a suggestion. A brief cameo, elegant and gone.

Three tiny chapters, stitched into the morning. I love catching these fragments of the world going about its business while we rub the sleep from our eyes.

Tags: #backyardzoo #taillessmouse #chipmunkantics #catdrama #morningdeer #salemva #littlewildthings