Squirrel-A-Bration!

Last year in the first week of November, T’s beloved pet sugar glider, Zip, departed the earth for the land of sweeter treats.  Zip was a much beloved creature and this week we decided to celebrate his life by leaving extra treats for squirrels in our yard.  Living in our backyard means they dine on my garden on rather a regular basis.  This week meant more nuts, more stale bread, and more bits of leftover cereal.  It’s our way of reminding the universe how grateful we are for Zip.  Naturally, of course, they opted for the front porch pumpkin as well.

We are not the boss of the squirrels.

Volunteer Gourd

Last Fall, toward the end of November, the neighborhood squirrels helped themselves to the gourds and pumpkins on my front porch, taking a few bites from each and then moving on for other items on the front porch buffet.  Before the month ended, the pumpkins and gourds were unceremoniously tossed off the porch into the flowerbed below, where they were left to rot over the winter.  I do this a lot, because this produce is good fertilizer.

This year, some of the seeds took root and in August, I noticed a squash vine clinging to a front yard bush.  I’m a curious gardener so I let it bloom to see what would appear.

Gourds.

A few of them, by the looks of things.  The vine is now clinging to several feet of bush, proudly showing the whole neighborhood what a messy gardener I sometimes am.  I’d be embarrassed, but the gourds are nice and I plan to add them to my October front porch display.  In this way, the squirrels can dine again and the cycle of garden life will b complete.

Signs of Winter

It is customary for the Fall mums to get a tad raggedy as November unfolds.  Some months, the squirrels who have finished feasting on my garden produce turn their interest toward the pumpkins on the front porch.   This month was a whole new game in the squirrel dining plan.  I came home one day to find that the pumpkin on the table by the rocking chair had become a squirrel buffet that afternoon.  Squirrels are frantic and untidy diners.

From then on, the pumpkins and gourds on the porch were fair game for the squirrels, who are both bold and disorganized when it comes to porch snacking.  T and I are convinced that there must be some kind of weather prognosticator in such a development……..as in, when the squirrels eat half a pumpkin in one afternoon, it’s going to be a long winter.  Surely there is something to  be read in this type of pumpkin and gourd killing spree.

We’ll see about that.  I the meantime, the pumpkins have been disposed and the worn out mums have been sent to the compost pile.  Now that the squirrel buffet is closing, I’m looking forward to evergreens, pinecones, and twinkling lights for the month of December.  

Sunbathing

Yesterday morning, one of the backyard squirrels was stretched out on the handrail of the back deck, sunning himself.

I made this picture from inside so as not to disturb him.  Private squirrel sunbathing is a thing.

One More Scene of Winter

Last Tuesday’s snow forecast originally called for nearly two feet of snow.  We didn’t receive that much snow, but there were about 10 inches in my corner of the world and that was plenty enough for me.  It was a dense, wet snow packed down by sleet.  JT and I stayed inside until the storm was over.  Outside, one of the squirrels that lives in my yard hunkered down in the dogwood tree.

The backyard squirrels love this tree.  On sunny days, they chase one another up and down its trunk.  But last Tuesday was not a day for playing games.  Squirrels and humans tucked in for the storm, which is likely to be our last storm of the Winter.  Soon enough, the squirrels will scamper around the green lawn.  I’m looking forward to it!

Meanwhile, in Squirrel News

I am confident that the squirrels who live in my backyard get into my garden and help themselves to the fruit on my trees.  Despite this, I find them charming.  On occasion, I have been known to set out a snack for them.  I did this a few days ago, when I placed a rotting mini pumpkin on the back deck.  It took the squirrels longer than I expected to help themselves but on Thursday morning I looked out the window and saw this.

I was only able to make one more picture through the window before the squirrel took his pumpkin off for some private dining.  

That’s happy!