Christmas Day revisited

Since the kids were gone on Christmas Day, it was pretty quiet around our house. That was not true of the backyard. While Kristie was busy preparing our Christmas ham, I noticed Mischa and Boo peering into the backyard. When I looked out the window, I noticed two small red squirrels chasing each other across the two trees that border the east side of our property.

Then I decided to chuck the rest of the holiday peanuts that never were eaten under one of the trees. It didn't take long before the squirrels busied themselves with the peanuts. But they weren't alone. Soon three blue jays appeared and began claiming as many peanuts as they could.

I spent a good hour watching the squirrels burrow through the snow to get to the peanuts. Then one would scamper up the tree and over into our neighbor's bushes to horde his stash. The other would scamper up the tree, leap onto another tree, and then leap onto our propane tank. From there her scurried under the cap to store his part of the booty. I checked the propane level a few months ago and saw a wad of grass and leaves clogged under there. Without thinking I chucked it into the snow. Then I thought that it might be a bird's nest and put it back, without much hope of it doing any good for the bird. However, I realized I was dumping the squirrel's food supply. I'm glad I put it back now.

I hope one of these red squirrels happens the be the small baby squirrel Einstein nearly had as a snack this summer. I was writing at our kitchen table when Kristie went to the door to get a package. The delivery woman said, "Oh, your cat has a squirrel in its mouth."

Then Kristie began calling for me. By the time I got there, I saw Kristie chasing Einstein around. I noticed something red and furry and moving in his jaws. Sure enough it was a baby squirrel that I noticed he had been eyeing from the table in the porch. Somehow he was able to catch the thing! You wouldn't think a nimble squirrel would have much trouble eluding an obese cat, but apparently he did for Einer was quite pleased with his catch.

Of course, I swatted him and the dropped it and the poor thing scampered up a huge elm tree in our neighbor's yard.

Then there was the time our main drain was plugged a few years ago. I had to call the plumber. He took apart one toilet and found nothing. He then decided to run a snake through our main line that feeds into the sewer under the street. He found a squirrel carcass in there. Apparently one must have found its way into our pipes and met a most unfortunate end.

Squirrels, cats, bats, dogs, and Gail! What a crew!

I was able to catch this guy leaping from the propane tank. He must have quite the little stash under the cap by now.



Here is his partner surveying the next peanut below the tree.



Now he is chomping on it in the tree.





I was so busy watching the two small red squirrels that I didn't even notice this monster brown one standing on top of our garage. He usually dangles upside down in our neighbor's (Nancy) bird feeder taking all the feed for himself. He didn't seem to care much for peanuts.

I think next time I'm going to buy unsalted ones though. I don't want to give these little guys high cholesteral or anything.



I caught one of the bluejays in action.



These apparently chubby sparrows were content to just watch the events from Nancy's bushes.