A to Z Challenge: “Q”uite the hardworkers!
I am fascinated by squirrels. First, they are one of the hardest working animals I know. You never see a squirrel kickin’ back on a Chaise lounge, drinking a fruity drink with a little umbrella sticking out of it. They are always running hither and yon, finding nuts, burying nuts, unearthing nuts, chasing each other (usually over nuts), harassing my dog, attacking our bird feeders (you guessed it – for nuts!)
Second, they have incredible memories. How do they remember where they planted their nuts? I can’t remember where I put my keys and my brain is larger (at least I think it is!) In the spring, it’s like they have little treasure maps and they go from site to site, harvesting nuts from a variety of terrain. I’ve seen them dig several inches down to find their hidden gold, untouched by other predators or fellow squirrels.
Third, for being small creatures with little means of protection, they are territorial and brave. Many squirrels will come within a few feet of our 82-pound dog on the back deck, and chastise him mercilessly. Hershey then barks and growls as if he’s going to rip them, limb from bushy tail.
I can almost hear them, “I can balance on this deck beam and no one can knock me off … la, la, la.” They must know that he can’t get to them, which makes him even more determined to end them. My husband goes out on the deck and shoos them away so Hershey will settle down. Before you know it, they are back on the deck, acting as if nothing ever happened.
Did you know they can run 20 miles per hour? That explains why the water stream from our hose never quite reaches them. This usually happens when the initial shooing doesn’t obtain the hoped-for response. What energy they have, even on cold fall mornings! They also have padded feet that can cushion their jumps from up to 20 feet. They seem pretty indestructible.
We’ve tried everything to discourage them from eating our birdseed. Our adventures are detailed in this past post. We even fed them corn cobs one summer, hoping that would appease them and save our bird feeders. They attacked the cob, the cob holder and anything that might stand in-between. It got to be quite the chore, shimmying down the hill to rescue the cob holder, just so we could go through it all over again.
I have two photos from a Colorado photographer in our house. One has the squirrel standing up on a camera, looking into the lens, while the photographer takes a picture from several feet away. I asked the guy how he got the squirrel to pose for the shot and he admitted that he put a few sunflower seeds into the lens hood. If the squirrel wanted the nuts, he had to say “cheese” for the camera.
In case you’d like a little background info on squirrels: They belong to the Sciuridae family, which includes prairie dogs, chipmunks and marmots, animals I also enjoy. There are more than 200 species and include tree, ground and flying squirrels.
dmweiden@gmail.com
I'm Diane, a marketing executive in the non-profit sector living in Terre Haute, Indiana. My husband and I moved from Denver, Colorado, 15-plus years ago and this blog highlights our joys and challenges in adjusting to our new home and town. I also share things I love: photography, wildlife and domestic pets, writing, knitting, making jewelry, food, travel, my faith in God and music. I'm also writing a mystery novel so stay tuned!
13 Comments
Linda Andersen
You know your squirrel facts. I’m impressed.
My father-in-law was very ill for a long time. He used to be entertained by a squirrel outside his bedroom window. He named him Charlie and fed him peanut butter
crackers on the porch rail. Thinking on this brought back many memories.
Thanks for commenting on my blog. I’m loving yours.
Shonna Slayton
Squirrels are fun to watch. My grandpa taught us to feed them peanut butter crackers, too (above comment!)
@ShonnaSlayton from
Author Shonna Slayton: A to Z of the 1800s
dmweiden@gmail.com
Yes the are! I made the mistake of feeding them sunflower seeds out the window of our second-story townhouse one year and when they feel between the shingles on the small overlook, they tore down into them to get the seeds. Oy! Had to replace some before we sold it. Thanks for stopping by!
Renée
I love this post- we too, are fascinated with squirrels! Thier grace and energy is amazing!
[Renée] from SpokenFingers
Spoken Fingers ~ Life, Understood
Quotes and Thought Provoking Words
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for visiting my blog, and for your comment. Enjoy your spring!
Ginni Deville
Interesting read, I always liked watching squirrels but I didn’t know a lot about them it seems 😀
dmweiden@gmail.com
Thanks for visiting! Hope you’re enjoying the blogfest.
Linda Andersen
Diane,
I linked to this post for my S is for Sock, Squirrel, and Sanctuary post at http://www.lindamartinandersen.wordpress.com. Loved it and I think others will too!
dmweiden@gmail.com
Wow, thanks for the added exposure! I’ve enjoyed many of your posts as well.
Josie Two Shoes
Delightful, and funny too! As a child I woke up to the sound of squirrels running on the roof in early morning sunshine, and my grandmother had one she could feed from her hand. My daughter also feeds the squirrels at her house, but then she doesn’t have a dog to be tormented! :-). My husband loves to tease her by telling her to fatten them up before we visit, and how good they taste; he grew up eating squirrel in East Texas!
Josie
from Josie’s Journal
dmweiden@gmail.com
I know people who ate squirrel in Indiana, growing up. I can’t eat rabbit because they are just too cute and furry. I’m getting to the point where I eat cage-free chicken and grass-fed beef on humane farms. Just can’t stomach most of the rest of it. Yes, I think squirrels can become quite friendly. Have a good weekend!
Megs
Oooh, man! I don’t know if you read my most recent post, but I have a long history and big fear of squirrels!
Fun read!
dmweiden@gmail.com
Whoops, I am reading your comments in order. Ha! You found my squirrel post and yes, I understand your fear. They are crafty, sneaky creatures!