Activity in Our Backyard
By DianneN
@DianneN (247186)
United States
February 21, 2018 10:30am CST
Just moments ago I returned from playing tennis, and stopped by the pool to speak with a friend. As I glanced at the Intercostal, a saltwater body of water in our backyard, I noticed a mommy and baby manatee feeding!
I love this Intercostal! It is always buzzing with activity. We've seen manatees before, dolphins, fishermen, kayaks, motor boats, yachts, sailboats, water planes, blimps, birds, ospreys, eagles, barges, and even police boats.
At lowtide, we can walk along the beach and explore the crabs and small fish, and wade in the water.
I think it's much more interesting than living on the ocean.
At our main home up north, we have a lawn and the woods that make up our backyard. It, too, has its own beauty and wildlife.
What is your backyard like?
38 people like this
40 responses
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
21 Feb 18
@LadyDuck I agree that water is life. I've only seen grown foxes in my yard and neighborhood. I've only seen baby raccoons baby turkeys, and baby skunks with their mommies. So has Doodles! He just watches, thank goodness! Give Willy a hug and kiss from me.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116936)
• Anniston, Alabama
21 Feb 18
Wooded area, 3 acres of woods.
3 people like this
@rebelann (112786)
• El Paso, Texas
21 Feb 18
Wow, if you hadn't told me I never wooda guessed them were manatees .... course, I ain't never seen one.
My back yard is mostly dried weeds, I leave it like that in the cold months for the little birds that like to fly in and out of them, I think they are eating bugs or seeds or something.
Soon it'll be warm enough to be outside more .... ok, it's probably warm to people from the north or northeast but to me it's still cool and I just wanna stay inside.
2 people like this
@RasmaSandra (79750)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
21 Feb 18
I would love to see manatees. How wonderful. My garden is pretty big but there is nothing exciting about it. Some apple trees and a pear tree and one large big oak. My cat Sid love climbing the apple trees in the spring. Here is a photo of my Sid in the apple tree while it is blooming.
2 people like this
@Melanie_Marie (1871)
• New Baltimore, Michigan
21 Feb 18
Very nice pic! How cute.
Here is what my backyard looks like. (In the winter.) We're on the lake, so we see swans, geese, snapping turtles, loons, seagulls, ducks, etc. all the usual lake stuff. 
2 people like this
@Melanie_Marie (1871)
• New Baltimore, Michigan
21 Feb 18
@DianneN 
Thanks! You're close, it's Lake St Clair.
In the summer, me and my niece and nephew have a ball out there. Wait, I might have a pic of them on the dock....hold on.
Thanks! You're close, it's Lake St Clair.
In the summer, me and my niece and nephew have a ball out there. Wait, I might have a pic of them on the dock....hold on.1 person likes this
@shaggin (72125)
• United States
22 Feb 18
Oh boy well cobras would scare me as well. I used to be scared of snakes but I didn’t want my kids to be like that so I pretended not to be scared around them and it worked. My kids and I have picked up and played with ring neck snakes and garter snakes many times. They do bite but it’s usually more startling then painful. They emit a disgusting musky scent as a defense so that’s not pleasant either.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55582)
• Los Angeles, California
22 Feb 18
That's so awesome - not everyone can say they've seen manatees in their backyard!! You have all kinds of nature right there - oh my kids would love that so much! Our backyard is small - and typical of the suburbs here - with squirrels and birds and neighborhood cats that come through. We have a lot of work to do back there - we've put off any landscape work because of this whole drought thing . . . but at least the squirrels and birds have a park to play in for now . . . we have no pets that will chase them off 
. The best thing back there is our lemon tree - and a tangelo and orange tree on the side.
. The best thing back there is our lemon tree - and a tangelo and orange tree on the side.1 person likes this
@much2say (55582)
• Los Angeles, California
27 Feb 18
@DianneN Is it a rare occasion to see manatees up close like that? Yah, citrus grows well here . . . the new blossoms are here and the bees are already buzzing around. Ah, are there rules about planting around the condo there?
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
27 Feb 18
@much2say It's pretty rare, but very exciting when they do show up. You live in such a perfect climate for so many wonderful things. Oh, the rules in condo living are many, but they benefit all. At least we have lots of fresh local farm markets which are so reasonable.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136133)
• India
22 Feb 18
My backyard is a part of our property touching a road. We have many fruit trees there and also a small house which we had constructed a long time ago.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (136133)
• India
22 Feb 18
@DianneN It was designed by me when I had that accident. I was restless and so I called my Engineer to build something to keep me occupied (lol) You have a guest room upstairs in the main house (lol) but not sure if you will be comfortable. You will have to come down your pedestal and come to our level
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
22 Feb 18
@allknowing We should all be so lucky to keep occupied by building houses in our yards. 
. Just show me where the English toilet is and I'll be happy!
. Just show me where the English toilet is and I'll be happy!1 person likes this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
22 Feb 18
That would be very interesting. It gives you something to enjoy every day. My backyard is houses and apartments. Nothing to really enjoy. Not like what passes my window every day. I enjoy watching people pass, firetrucks, ambulances, school buses, and traffic in general, and an occasional police car with its siren howling.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317040)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
26 Feb 18
@DianneN I'm sure it would. Nobody wants to see anything happen to those close to them. I find myself worrying about the man across the street. I've never met him in person, but I'm quite sure he lives alone. I've never seen anything of a wife. I have seen what I believe are his children, who showed up when it snowed and shoveled his walk. Though, I've also seen him shoveling. In summer he sits in the chair on his porch and watches what's going on. He lives in the house that figures in most of my photos out my window. He also mows his own lawn.
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
21 Feb 18
Woah! That's awesome. It's funny just reading this I thought about the following:
Growing up I had a huge yard - 80 acres worth. Always wildlife - birds, deer, cougar, wolves, rodents, birds we had creeks, ponds and hills.
In my 20s I lived in town - small "town" back yard
Now I live in an apartment which I adore - but no "yard" to speak of... there is a little chunk of land with a stream running through it, real pretty....
1 person likes this
@FayeHazel (40243)
• United States
21 Feb 18
@DianneN Water is so hypnotic, isn't it?
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
21 Feb 18
@FayeHazel It is. We have a waterfall in our woods at home. It's my favorite place to go.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
22 Feb 18
What a beautiful setting your house is in ! I have not seen the manatee myself. Would you tell me what Intercostal refers to ?
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16759)
• China
26 Feb 18
@DianneN Thank you for explaining it to me ! In my dictionary it is just defined as "the curved bones that go around the chest"
1 person likes this
@PainsOnSlate (21852)
• Canada
25 Feb 18
My backyard is government land its a deep ravine filed with huge trees, I own the land down the mountain to the stream that goes through the ravine but can not change it,or build on it which is just fine with me. I love the privacy it gives and its so easy on the eyes.There are walking trail through it too, and we have seen a lot of wild animals there and some come up to our yard. The biggest was deer. Love the manatee photo.
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
26 Feb 18
@PainsOnSlate The trip went by too quickly! How's the weather?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
23 Feb 18
My backyard is a habitat for many kinds of birds, perhaps 20 different species at a time, an occasional Cooper's Hawk looking for a meal and squirrels too. I feed them generously.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
25 Feb 18
@DianneN They are waiting each day.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
24 Feb 18
oh, our backyard is just a vacant lot- my lot, and then, the house of our kid brother. when i saw your picture, i was puzzled with what those black things are in the waters.
what do manatees eat?
1 person likes this
@DianneN (247186)
• United States
5 Mar 18
@ridingbet I believe they are eating other growth.
1 person likes this
@ridingbet (66854)
• Philippines
27 Feb 18
@DianneN so, even if the grass is already yellow or dried, they can still eat those?
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78882)
• East Tawas, Michigan
25 Feb 18
Kobe barks at deer every night, through a chain-link fence. He's bossy and arrogant, while they walk basically ignore him. We see wild turkeys twice a day, once feeding in the neighbors yard. The second time, they're heading into the woods to roost in trees for the night. Every day, we have squirrels and chipmunks scampering around.
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78882)
• East Tawas, Michigan
25 Feb 18
@DianneN They are huge birds, I have no idea how they can perch in a tree all night!
1 person likes this
