MY LOVE/HATE RELATIONSHIP....WITH SQUIRRELS



THAT'S "SQUIRRELLY THE FIRST" ON MY HEAD.  LUCKILY, NEVER ANY JOHNNY CARSON ANIMAL- GUEST  MOMENTS WITH HER ON MY HEAD!

Usually, I love watching the antics of the squirrels in our yard.  I think squirrels are as cute as can be, and have felt that way ever since my little foundling pet squirrel.  Squirrelly The First was a pet of mine when I was in my late teens.  She was so smart and sweet and tame.  Still, to this day, every once in a while I will see a squirrel that reminds me of her.  It couldn't possibly be her, that was more than 40 years ago.  So that explains the "love" part of my love/hate relationship with squirrels.  Now I'd like to tell you about my current "hate", sort of,  part of the relationship.

TOMATOES - PRE-SQUIRREL THIEVERY

I had been wondering why I was not getting any ripe tomatoes anymore.  Then the other morning I found this.

A SQUIRRELLY PICNIC ON MY GARDEN BENCH.  WAS SHE TRYING TO MAKE ME MAD?

Apparently, the current version of Squirrelly decided to have a picnic on my garden bench.  A tomato picnic!  I was not invited.



FIRST LAYER OF CHICKEN WIRE.  SURELY, SQUIRRELLY WOULD TAKE THE HINT.

So,  I put some chicken wire around the tomato container.  Two days later, there was a half eaten tomato in my flower bed, placed where I would be sure to see it.  Squirrely was in the tree chuck-chuck-chuckling at me when I found it.

I WONDERED WHO PUT A TENNIS BALL IN MY FLOWER POT.  WHEN I LOOKED CLOSER, I FOUND IT WAS A BIG GREEN SKINNED WALNUT!  SQUIRRELLY COULDN'T GET IT BURIED IN THE NEARBY FERN POT.  WAS SQUIRRELLY GIFTING ME WITH IT?  I DON'T KNOW WHERE THERE IS A WALNUT TREE AROUND HERE, BUT SQUIRRELLY DOES.

I went to look at my tomato container, and sure enough Squirrelly had pulled the wire up enough to get in.  OK, it's on, Squirrelly!  I unrolled my spikiest edged roll of chicken wire and went to work.  Round and round I wound it.  I then put a couple of rocks on it where I thought Squirrelly might wiggle her fat little self into the wiry maze.  It would be bad if she got trapped in there.  I stood back and looked at my hideous wire creation, and thought that would keep my little nemesis out.

SEVERAL MORE LAYERS OF CHICKEN WIRE, SOME OF IT WITH SPIKES AT THE EDGE.  THEY STUCK ME!

It looks something like a chicken wire tornado.  Quite unsightly, isn't it?  Well, I intend to get some more of those delicious Early Girl tomatoes before summer's end.  See those two that are turning red.  Ha!  Ha!  Squirrely can't get them now.  I stood there,  the perspiration running down my forehead and back, eyeing my handiwork,  feeling like my tomatoes were now secure within the spikey edged chicken wire tornado, thinking of how good those tomatoes were going to taste.  My next thought was:  How in the heck am I going to unravel all of that wire, without getting stabbed by the spikey edges, to get my Early Girl Tomatoes out of there?

I think I could hear Squirrelly chuck-chuck-chuckling somewhere from up in one of the trees. 

 

Now, if I can just remember where I put those leather work gloves.