08 June, 2010

The Squirrel Saga



Soooo, squirrels are cute, right??
I thought so as I was watching the baby squirrels run down our pecan trees.  They'd stop about 6" from the ground, jump like it was 6 feet, pivot, run up the tree and do it all over again.  So dang cute.  I even did a baby squirrel rescue when one of the girls got between him and the tree.  Wrigley actually had it in her mouth, poor baby thought it was her squeek toy.  I had to run like the wind, (not a good visual, I know) to cut her off at the pass.  Wrigley was making a bee-line for the doggie door.  You have to know that as soon as she was in the laundry room, she was releasing that baby squirrel.  Remember, she thought it was her favorite thing in the whole world, a squeek toy that looks like...a squirrel.  Thank God no one could see me screaming like a banshee running for the doggie door. I had to cut her off!! I scared the living daylight out of poor Wrigs.  She dropped that squirrel.  I had to put the dogs in the house, and then use the hose to gently coax that baby to run back to the tree to see him run back to his momma.  If you've ever heard a PO'd squirrel, you know what  that momma had to say!  I think it's safe to say I'm out of her will!  So, I'm hoping I'm not becoming paranoid, but there was a squirrel in the cottonwood tree, and it was throwing the seed pods at me.  We're talking ping pong size seed pods. Solid.  Bouncing in the pool, splat, splat. I still thought they were so cute.  Then it happened...they discovered my garden. Those little S.O.B.s. After babying my garden and harvesting spinach, lettuce, wax beans, onions,  herbs and lots of cherry tomatoes and my favorite-yellow heirloom tomatoes, I looked out the window to see one of those cute baby squirrels with an heirloom tomato that was twice the size of  it's head in his mouth.  And it looked me right in the eye...and I swear... it laughed!!  The next day same thing, except it had a cherry tomato...he looked like he was wearing lipstick!!  I haven't harvested a tomato in a week or so.  This may be war, although I refuse to use the BB gun offered to me. However, it ain't over yet!!
P.S.-did I mention these critters also run down the trees and stick their tongues out at the dogs...lots of their barking and lots of my yelling at them "NO BARKING!!!". Sometimes it works....most times it doesn't.
ann marie

12 comments:

  1. That was the funniest story! You sound kind of weird, but that's what those sneaky creatures will do to you.

    I think squirrels kept my dad alive about 5 extra years - because he lived to outsmart them. And he never did. They ate all of the pecans out of his trees, were able to do some fancy gymnastics to do whatever was necessary to get in the bird feeders and thanked him for his hospitality by chewing up the fabic on his lawn chairs! They are destructive little things.

    Finally he started trapping them and taking them to large trees at various old churches around his small town. He'd catch them and say, "This one looks Methodist. And I think this one is Baptist..." And he'd put them in his truck and take them to "their" church and release them. Then he swore they were beating him back home. So he decided to put a cirle of orange paint on their tails so that he could tell if they were getting back to his yard.

    Those squirrels provided hours of fun...for the rest of us who were watching Dad try to win over these tiny little creatures with enormous attitudes!!

    Good luck and keep us posted.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I too think squirrels are adorable up to a point...My grandparents would put peanuts out for them and had planted fruit trees - not for themselves but for the squirrels. It was fun to watch but I know I would be devastated if squirrels got into my garden and snatched all my fruits and vegi's before I could enjoy them....but they are fun to watch.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I know exactly what you mean...after we were overrun with them and they were uprooting my plants and digging in the flowerpots, I decided they were nothing but hairy-tailed rats!! I finally resorted to using my husband's BB gun...never hit anything though. My grown sons got hysterical trying to picture their mother, who never wanted them to even have toy guns, chasing a squirrel with a gun in her hand. I tell you, they'll make you crazy!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. If it wasn't so maddening it would be hilarious. Good luck with the squirrels. I'm glad we don't have squirrels and my cat is a good tree rat hunter so don't have that problem either. Thank goodness. Love your guest room. You're a busy lady. Wow! You're amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That was some good storytelling. Good luck with them. The squirrels ate just about all 300 of my crocus bulbs and I've spent at least $1000 having squirrels removed the attic of my last two homes and fixing the damage they caused. Not so cute.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How HILARIOUS!! I rescued a chipmunk from my cat the other day! I was chasing her through the yeard screaming "drop it Bella! Drop it!!" My neighbors were saying, let her kill it! Those dang chipmunks eat your plants from the root up!!! I saved that one....but I ain't saying what will happen next time!!

    Keep us posted on the garden!!

    Lou Cinda :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. G'Day~Thanks for saying hello and leaving such a nice comment.I am going to have to check out your Etsy shop too! I will be back for another visit so I can have more time to look around.~Cheers Kim

    ReplyDelete
  8. Lol,lol.... I can picture the whole thing,sounds like my house.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hello from Canada....where our squirrels are anything but cute!!! So glad I found your blog going to go have a peek around! All the best,Chrissy

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hi Ann Marie!
    I've been blog hopping and don't know how I came across your blog but am glad I did!
    I am a nut for squirrels :-) and have my own "herd" that I support with peanuts every day!
    Your story had me laughing and I'm so glad it had a happy ending!!
    The baby squirrel pic is the cutest thing ever!!
    We had a very similar situation with a baby rabbit a couple years ago. One of my dogs found mommas fur covered nest in the middle of the backyard and with a soft mouth and wagging tail proudly brought me a baby! After finding the nest I ended up putting a circle of chicken wire around it with an opening for momma to get in and feed the babies. Happy ending :-)
    Thanks for sharing your squirrely story and I am your newest follower!!
    Hugs and SMiles,
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  11. I loved your story and nodded my head along as I read. Our girls love to chase and bark at the squirrels too! Last summer we found a rabbit one of them had found and hid in the garage. Jason wanted a doggy door and I was considering it, until the dead rabbit was found - ick! This year Sport has gotten a hold of a garder snake at least once, but thankfully just put it back on the ground when she thought it was dead.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Love your story! I have to say the photo is adorable!!
    Kristin
    www.katemcrostie.com

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for stopping by!