Squirrels And A Childhood Memory

[poliphilo]

We have fallen into the habit of referring to our squirrels as "squwidgers". Is it just us or does everyone do it?

We have a lot of squirrels. They gather round the feeders at the front and back of the house. The most I've counted at any one time is eight. Or possibly nine- they move around so fast it's hard to keep track.

My brother-in-law once had a visiting squirrel he'd trained to take food from his hand. Ours aren't quite that tame, but they've been coming into the house. Yes, I know some people think of them as vermin but they're so graceful and pretty...

I saw Marlowe take a lolloping run at one of them the other day then pull up short. After all he might have actually caught it- and then he'd have been in uncharted territory.

Which reminds me of a fight I had with a slightly bigger boy when I was eight (it was a mass ruck between one class and another)- which, thanks to a cunning judo move I'd learned off the telly, ended with me on top, pinning him down. "Now what you going to do?" he asked good-humouredly- and I really didn't know. Hit him? Kill him? So I counted to three and let him go- then wandered away from the battleground feeling slightly foolish...

Comments

[basefinder]

Squirrels are looked down on as pests by many here, especially those with gardens or bird feeders -- but I just love watching them scamper around.

[poliphilo]

We have bird feeders with plastic umbrellas halfway up the pole and these baffle the squirrels.

But we also scatter seeds and nuts around for the benefit of the squirrels and ground feeding birds.

[cmcmck]

Our squirrels are clearly well mannered beasties- they only take feed from the peanut holder and we don't grudge them those!