Squirrels

Growing up in Utah, we didn't see squirrels much unless we went to the mountains. When we moved to Massachusetts, I thought it was great that there were squirrels running around the back yard all the time. Our devil-cat Pepper, used to kill them and leave them as prizes on our door step.

Here in Michigan there seem to be about three species of squirrels running around and I now think of them as rodents, not cute, unless Brigham catches sight of one and gets excited. They eat up all of the suet cakes meant for the birds. They get into the garbage and also into our garden.

Today while driving down the road, one darted out to run across the road. If you've ever witnessed this, you know how crazy they can be, zipping back and forth trying to wrap their dumb little minds around the fact that there is danger and they should snap out of it and run to the side of the road. If I'm driving and I see wildlife (it happened in Florida when I saw a Great Blue Heron sauntering across the road), I usually slow or stop if possible, but I don't usually swerve. It would be useless to swerve with a squirrel anyway. In swerving, I'd probably hit it.

Long story short, I hit the squirrel with one of my back tires and it died instantly, contrary to the one my dad hit once that writhed and wriggled on the road for a while. My kids, who still like squirrels, were concerned and Sariah started singing the "Squirrels" song starting with, "Don't kill us squirrels." and continuing with, "We're cute and harmless, we are squirrels." Which brings me to my next point.

Who says squirrels are cute and harmless? I may have already blogged this story, but I don't want to go back and check. About nine years ago, when we were moving out of our apartment into our house, I was baking cookies in our apartment and since it was unseasonably warm, I opened the door so the sunlight could come in through the storm door. This crazy squirrel must have smelled the cookies from all I can guess because suddenly it hurled itself against the door. Then, it would run back some distance, get a running start and throw itself against the door again. Several more iterations! I don't call that cute. I don't call that harmless. That wretched, probably rabid squirrel is on my mind today.

Oh, the reason there's no picture to go with this post is because Joseph didn't want to get out of the van and take a picture of my road kill with my cell phone. The nerve!