It is always exciting when we receive a first-time visitor at the house. This little guy is an ermine, also known as the short-tailed weasel or stoat. It is a tiny carnivorous mammal native to northern regions of North America, Europe, and Asia. It features a long, slender body with short legs and transforms its coat from brown in the summer to a brilliant white with a black-tipped tail in the winter. As a fierce and agile hunter, it preys primarily on mice, voles, and other small animals. This one spent several minutes peering into our living room windows as Jeanine and I observed from the other side. These guys are quite reclusive, so we felt quite lucky for the encounter.