My granddaughter gave me the subject for today's post. She is staying with me today because she has a nasty cough/cold. I'm happy for the company - and the suggestions!
So, the theme is "squirrels." I talk a lot about the creatures who live inside the house, but I have fur friends outside, as well. I have always liked squirrels. I think they're very cute and resourceful. When Poco was boarded at a friend's barn, there were lots of squirrels on the property. Sometimes there were babies that would peek out of the window at the top of the old barn. I loved watching them watch us. During the hurricanes a few years back, it was fascinating to watch the mother squirrels move their babies around until they felt they were safe to ride out the storms.
One of the squirrels discovered that Poco's horse cookies also made excellent squirrel treats. They were large, round cookies, about the size of a silver dollar; made with molasses and oats. They were also hard as stones. I can't quite remember how the squirrel got her first cookie, but they became an obsession. She would come right up to me to take her cookie, then run up to the barn rafters and position herself so that nobody could sneak up on her and take her treat. She was a good mom, but these were her cookies and nobody else was going to get one.
We have live oak trees out front. They are perfect for squirrels and birds. I tried to lure the squirrels here with leftover horse cookies, but couldn't get anybody interested. So, I tried peanuts in the shell. The squirrels love them! As soon as they hear the garage door opening, they come from all over, waiting for me to hand out peanuts. The good thing is, they love those peanuts. The bad thing is, they bury some of them - in the yard, in my flower planters, in the mulch, etc. I don't care and Andy has gotten used to holes everywhere. Sometimes the peanuts sprout and we have little peanut plants all over the place. I like to think I'm doing my part to help the birds, too, cause the peanut bounty keeps the squirrels out of the nearby bird feeders.
The emboldened squirrels in my yard have learned they can torment the cats when they're inside the pool screen. I can always tell when a squirrel is taunting the cats. First of all, the squirrel stays for awhile, hanging onto the screen, flipping its tail and chirping away. It sounds like its saying, "Nah, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah - you can't get me..." The poor cats sit focused; watching the squirrel; frustrated because they can't catch it. They look at each other like, "There has to be a way - somebody think of something!"
There's always a lot of action around here. I love it. But I guess, more than anything, I really want my grandkids to have memories of coming to Gigi's house and playing with lots of creatures. I also hope they pass on this love to their kids and grandkids...
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