Feeding the Squirrels

Confession time here...

I have a weakness for squirrels.

While I realize that to a lot of hunters they represent nothing more than 'limb chickens' and a nice meal complete with hot biscuits and pepper gravy, to me they are a source of comic relief.

Leaping from branch to branch without a moments hesitation, they scramble down to the little log cabin feeder and eat the seeds and nuts I leave for them, moreso in the colder months than in the summer, but still a few days a month, I want to enjoy their company. So, I slip out early in the morning and stock the feeder and tell the birds and squirrels to 'come and eat, birds and squirrels, breakfast is served'.

And they do come. One or two at first but later, whole families arrive to fill their hungry tummies and enjoy the shade of the Wildlife Diner.

I love the squirrels scampering through the branches and chasing the opposite sex for mating rituals and the same sex for territory. And the sound they make as they scamper across the roof the nest in the front tree to the feeder in the back is like a tiny herd or horses galloping along towards the goal.

To me, they are much more than just 'limb chickens'. They are the acrobats of the circus in the wild. They are the clowns who make us laugh and the high wire artist who take our breath away. They double as ringmaster when they take the center stage for the family luncheon at the feeder. They are both the animal act and the animal tamer.

So I will continue to keep my little furry guests close by. Maybe one day, we can be a bit more than mere neighbors. Maybe one day, we will be friends.