Back in April I took a picture of this cute little squirrel just basking in the sun on our deck rail. I zoomed in for a closeup, shot through the window of our kitchen nook, while he watched me with interest, unperturbed by my presence.
Now a couple months later I see him back on our deck,
sneaking around. What is he up to?
Destruction! Sheer and utter demolition! That is the padding on our deck swing he is helping himself to for a nest. Maybe it is not the same little guy and maybe it is not a guy but a rather a girl squirrel, but
still... Now
I am the one perturbed by
his presence.
He/she is sure going at it. He is on a mission! And he is no longer sneaking. He is brazen about it.
Obviously this has been in process for quite a while based on the status of the swing seat. Rome was not conquered in a day nor was this seat de-padded in a day.
I guess with our extreme heat we had not been outside enough to notice. The chairs around the outdoor table had not been spared either. Half the stuffing of that seat cushion is just plain gone. Why would any critter need a warm nest in 100°F heat?
Where was Daphne when we needed her? Probably inside out of the heat. Probably nursing her arthritis after a long walk with Frank. Surely not earning her keep. Daphne clearly is not related to the Dug the talking dog from the Disney movie UP – the one whose ears prick up and whose head snaps around in a nano-second as he utters "Squirrel" at the mere proximity of one.
Wow, that is one brazen squirrel! And it is entirely possible he/she's had help from local birds, who are fast enough for you not to have noticed. Or I guess it could also be a multi-squirrel effort. But I second the surprise at nest-building in the middle of summer. Are squirrels really that forward-thinking?
ReplyDeleteI had never realized how much Daphne looks like Dug, but you're right, their personalities are very different. Maybe Daphne is just too much of a lady to chase the wildlife? But I agree, she needs to step up and earn her keep. At Snoopy is likely to keep the squirrels away with his incessant barking and other antics, so maybe that will help.