Monday, August 18, 2014

beauty and the thief

There is a thief lurking in our backyard and he isn't afraid to strike when people are around!  Mr. Nutkin (the squirrel) as we like to call him, is notorious for taking toys, plants, you name it.  Yesterday one of the beans left a water cup by the tree and Mr. Nutkin picked it up in his mouth and jumped up over the shed with it.  All the while we were chasing and having our words with him.  But nothing shakes this guy!  The most disappointing thing he has gotten away with were my "Bluesette" dahlias.  I was looking forward to seeing these bloom as they are a smaller variety of dahlia and I thought they would compliment the front of the border in the back.  

Luckily he didn't get away with these.....   


"Cafe au Lait"










Ahhh don't flowers make everything alright?!?!  

Happy Making, Baking, and Growing Friends!!!


67 comments:

  1. That is one beautiful dahlia. Such a pity we can't share plants. Think I will have to plant some in my garden this year.

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  2. I'm sure it was very exciting for the beans. I wonder if you will find Mr Nutkin's cache one day?

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  3. Naughty Mr Nutkin! And yes flowers do make everything alright. I love having fresh flowers in the house. Your dahlias are magnificent. xo

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  4. Oh those pesky squirrels! The nerve of Mr Nutkin. Your dahlias are so incredibly beautiful. Flowers are the best!

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  5. He was probably having a squirrel tea party and needed an extra cup. lol. Your dahlia is sooo beautiful - mine have done terribly this year eaten by slugs etc. Such a disappointment.

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  6. Lovely dahlias! My granny used to have them in her garden, I always remember her when seeing dahlias:)

    Oh that Mr. Nutkin, quite a fellow!

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  7. Oh, I am sorry that there is a thief at your house

    And yes, flowers make everything right!

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  8. Oh my Nicole, they are magnificent. Keep chasing that Mr Nutkin away! Jo x

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  9. You're right, flowers do make things better. Those cafe au laits are beautiful. Naughty squirrel, pests are so hard going aren't they. Enjoy the rest of the week. CJ xx

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  10. I could not help laughing when I read about your Mr. Nutkin, the Beans will have been excited chasing him. The ´Café au Lait´ Dahlia is wonderful, it has a beautiful delicate colour. So nice to have such a beautiful bouquet of flowers in the house, it always makes me feel so Happy.

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  11. Oh my! They are just glorious! I'm glad the naughty little fella hasn't managed to snaffle them before you got to enjoy them! Flowers really do make everything better... have a beautiful week Nicole! xxx

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  12. That is one bad squirrel! Shame on him! I've never heard of one stealing flowers, maybe he has a sweetie he's trying to impress? Well, I'm glad at least he did not get all of your lovely dahlias. My but those are absolutely lovely!

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  13. Cheeky little thing! We don't have any Mr Nutkins here- but we do have naughty bowerbirds who pinch my strawberries :) Glad he didn't get your blooms. They are spectacular!

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  14. We had a toy thief squirrel in my yard when my kids were small. He ate through the hard plastic tires of the big trucks! My mom used to lay chicken wire over her bulbs to prevent them from digging them up. So sorry you lost a blue dahlia (blue is my favourite colour for flowers). Café au Lait is stunning!!! Wendy x

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  15. Oh wow...this is breathtakingly beautiful.

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  16. your blooms are so gorgeous-aren't squirrels just somthing else? they are huge pests for sure-but the are so comical at the same time-we have a set of triplets that come by to eat most of the corn that I put out for all the critters-they will come some days and stay til they pretty much eat all of it-where do they put it all-lol that is too funny about stealing the cup-lol

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  17. Your dahlias are absolutely stunning Nicole!. Such a shame about your bluesette dahlias. That Mr. Nutkin sounds like a little scoundrel. Hope your week is off to a splendid start!

    Rowena @ rolala loves

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  18. I love the color of this beautiful flower dahlia. so delicate and noble......
    Have a nice week
    Helga

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  19. Ahhhhhh, the Nutkins is back! I'm going to email you a picture of one I took at my Dad's house this summer...he catches and releases them, far from his yard. Those dahlias are GORGEOUS, friend! So happy that you and The Beans had such a grand summer. XOXO

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  20. Nicole, I love how you look for compensation in daily living:) That's a blessing! We don't have any Mr. Nutkin in our garden, nor any of those beautiful beautiful dahlias that you have! Now, that's another blessing! Stay blessed:)

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  21. Dear Nicole, these 'Cafe au Lait' dahlias are simply drop dead gorgeous! I am so glad that Mr. squirrel didn't get them, too. Your post just reminded me that I have some white dahlia tubers sitting in the garage that I forgot to plant this year, yikes :-(. Wishing you a wonderful rest of the week!
    Christina

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  22. Such beauties! I have always love dahlias but have never had much luck growing them. When we lived in town we had one of those pesky creatures in the backyard. He caused the puppies so much trouble! lol.. I love looking out the window at my flowers! They make me so happy!

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  23. Your flowers are stunning, Nicole. I love the soft colors in them. I hope Mr. Nutkin learns his lesson soon! :)

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  24. Oh my gosh...Nic...I feel your frustration dearie...I have a persnickety squirrel who is always taking things in my yard...so uncool...argh. Last fall, ALL of my fall bulbs were dug up and then, this spring, I was supposed to have a whole section of sunflowers...well, the bugger dug ALL of them up. Double ARGH. When I see him out there while doing dishes, I run out there and yell at him...hehehe....my neighbors think I'm crazy...I think they are right!
    xo Jen

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  25. ooooh I've been just thinking about this kind of dahlia. So beautiful! good job! (you think it'll work growing this on a terrace?)

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  26. indeed! I'm in total agreement with this! =D
    xo,
    nancy

    http://www.adoretoadorn.com

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  27. I hate it when squirrels bite off flower buds! They always do it to my crocuses. I have stopped planting crocuses as a result. Your remaining dahlias are certainly beautiful!

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  28. I had a little chilli plant with 4 big fat chillis on it and and enormous slug came and ate them all - couldn't believe my eyes when I found it actually finishing off the last one. Slightly less bedtime storybook potential there than Mr Nutkin!!! Those cafe au lait dahlias are so elegant xxx

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  29. They are gorgeous those flowers! Naughty naughty little Squirrel!!! Hopefully he moves on in time! xx

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  30. Nicole I am in love with this flower "Cafe au Lait". Perfect in garden or vase...and do I spy some hosta flowers and Joe Pye?

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  31. Those are such beauties! I wonder what that furry kleptomanic did with that cup?

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  32. They are beautiful! I am visiting my brother and he has gorgeous dahlias. He has been explaining the ways you keep them over the winter. I'm going to try them next year! xx

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  33. What is Mr.Nutkin going to do with a cup? Does he store stuff in there? Man, I would love to see his hide out and all his loot he has stolen. lol What a bold squirrel! Nicole, those flowers are gorgeous! Flowers do make things better. Hmm...maybe I should get some. :)

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  34. Your dahlias are beautiful!!!!! Just stunning!!! So, somewhere there is a big pile of "stuff" that the squirrel has squirreled away, I wonder where it is and what else it contains! xx

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  35. I have a sneaky feeling that Nutkin enjoys to see you tearing your hair.

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  36. I d love to grow dahlias as well!

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  37. So pretty Nicole! I've never had a squirrel take things before and the dog leaves his toys outside all the time. We have a racoon who has recently moved back into the yard, so that is our new dilemma. Guess I'll have to get the trap out and catch him before he catches my chickens. It's always something.
    Cindy

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  38. Wow. I've been too timid to grow the big dahlias, thinking they are too much for my garden -- I have some small flowered mounding varieties. But yours prove what beauties the big ones can be in a soft creamy color like that Cafe au Lait. So glad Mr. Nutkin left these for you.

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  39. I love it, I love it, I love it.. flowers..You are lucky that no insects come to eat that..
    I am not so lucky with petals in my flowers garden.
    Miss, xx

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  40. beautiful dahlias! and oh that squirrel! i love how you named him though! :)

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  41. Oh my! Your flowers are amazing! So beautiful :) Thank you again for your visit to my blog and for your kind words... have a wonderful day!

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  42. Lovely flowers, Nicole and I love peeking at the garden in the background, too! So pretty! How funny about your squirrel stealing things. My Dad, when he was a boy, had a crow that would steal anything shiny, even coming into the house! They eventually climbed the tree to his nest and stole everything back - including my Grandmother's watch. What a great story your children will have to tell their children some day! Hugs xo Karen

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  43. Hi Nicole. Your Dahlias are stunning. They've come a long way in 35 years when I grew some. Unfortunately, they have to be taken up in the winter here in NE and I'm too lazy!
    Mr. Nutkin sounds like a bold one.......what can he do with a cup???? Happy Gardening to you and the Beans! xoxo

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  44. oh,,the dahlias! I have one root I planted last year. EVERYTIME it's tried to come up, something eats it. It has just tried again and seems to be making it. Send it your good greenthumb vibes!
    xoxox

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  45. Mr Squirrel is quiet something stealing things right under your nose. I bet your kids are loving this. Beautiful flower Nicole.
    Meredith

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  46. Even by squirrel standards, that squirrel is cheeky. Cafe au lait is beautiful.

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  47. Lol really toys and all.. thats so funny good thing he didn't get those pretty dahlias that would have been so sad.. they are so pretty.. have a lovely evening with love Janice

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  48. Mr Nutkins is not a good garden visitor, your flowers are just so very pretty.

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  49. That is too funny! And how much do I love that dahlia!? It is soooo beautiful!!! I'm adding it to my plant wish list, for sure!

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  50. Beautiful beautiful blooms!! Those squirrels can be pretty pesky for sure. We see them in our flowers all the time!!

    Thanks for the love and support you send my way:)
    Vicki

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  51. That sneaky squirrel! Our squirrels and rabbits are battling for ground right now, the rabbits are currently winning. Your flowers are soooo beautiful!! I love it!

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  52. I don't blame him for stealing those beauties! Our squirrels have been stealing our watermelons which are about the size of a golf ball. At this point, I guess they can have them. :)

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  53. Those are stunning!! Such a lovely, soft color!! Flowers do make everything better!

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  54. Hi Nicole,

    Oh dear, naughty Mr Nutkin!
    The dahlia is so very beautiful and such a fabulous colour.
    Hope you are enjoying the weekend dear friend
    hugs
    Carolyn

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  55. Hi Nicole! I have never known squirrels to take things, how funny. We have a few in our garden, but they just come in to bury their nuts and off they go again. Mr Nutkin sounds like quite a character! These flowers are absolutely stunning, what a joy to look at. :)

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  56. They are such bad little things, funny, but bad! We used to try and foil them by adding little puzzles so that they couldn't take things, but they soon work out what to do to get around them. So glad they didn't take away your blooms! xx

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  57. Wow. That flower is absolutely stunning-gorgeous! It looks to perfect to be real... Ah, the beauty of nature! :)

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  58. Hello Nicole,

    In our minds there is always something bittersweet about the appearance of Dahlias in the garden. It is a wonderful burst of late colour, always welcome when so many other flowering plants have long since given up the ghost, but they herald Autumn when one wishes for summer to last just that little bit longer.

    But, how wonderful these Dahlias are. The pastel shades are charming and mix delightfully with other flowers. How pleased you must be that your squirrel thief did not make off with these beauties!

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  59. What a cheeky little squirrel!! We have the same problem here but with possums. They eat just about all the buds off my camellia bush out the front.

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  60. Nicole, thanks for stopping by and commenting on my post! The Dahlias are so beautiful, and what a cheerful sight they make! We are at the end of winter here in New Zealand, and the flowers are only starting to bloom. It will be so nice to see some colors in nature after a barren winter.

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  61. O my, how very very lovely. We don't have those here, but they remind me a bit of chrysanthemums. Trust you and yours are doing super! I'm using Tiger Balm white ointment and oral antihistamines on those bites; they're taking the edge off, praise God. Thank you so much for popping by *hugs*

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  62. My girls killed a squirrel this past weekend and then brought it to the door like they were so proud. I'm not a fan of them as they can wreak havoc on my garden (and bird feeders), but I sure felt sorry for that poor squirrel.

    Your Dahlias are absolutely beautiful!

    Have a wonderful week.

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  63. Lucky for me chasing squirrels is a recreational sport for the dogs. I am glad Mr. Nutkin left your dahlias in peace. They're beautiful Nicole!

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  64. That squirrel is quite a stinker!!! But what a fun story! Didn't he also make off with something else, too and now the cup and dahlias? I wonder if your beans are imagining what Mr. Nutkins is doing with all of your things? Maybe redecorating one of his rooms like you are? lol!!!!

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  65. I can just see the image of that squirrel running and every chasing him..funny! Why do I not have dahlias in my garden??? I am so going to plant dahlias for next year.. love them. Can I plant them in the Fall for next year.. I know they are bulbs? Love my visit...Blessings!

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  66. Cheeky little squirrel! Though I do like your Cafe au Lait, very safisticated.

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