The Squirrel
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We have a chihuahua that I can’t stand.
We have a fish that appeared over night.
There is a bird in Sam’s room that bites me.
We finally got rid of a hamster whose roll wheel kept me up at night squeaking.
The cat that stays outside is the only animal I remotely like at our house.
And I’ve always wanted a pet squirrel…
Carolyn yelled at me on Tuesday from her office to “come here quick!!!!” I jumped up and ran back there. To my horror, the cat had a baby squirrel, and was preparing it for dinner. Carolyn was just watching.”What are you doing, you sicko!?” I exclaimed and ran out the back door.
Apparently the door slamming startled the cat and allowed the squirrel to leap onto the nearest tree. It was barking/squeaking. And it was cute.
My photoset at Flickr probably tells the story best.
What happened next was a tragedy. I allowed Carolyn to talk me out of keeping it. I envisioned putting it in the chihuahua’s kennel and raising it with TLC&A (tender loving care & acorns). Carolyn didn’t think that was fair to the chihuahua. Mind you, this is the same demon (the dog, not Caro) that bit through my fingernail last month when I was trying to put her in her kennel.With regret, I placed the squirrel back on the tree, and watched it slowly climb up a ways.
As I entered the house, a surge of determination overcame. I will have the squirrel for a pet. This is nuts, I thought. I hurried back outside, to see to my dismay that the squirrel was higher than I could reach. I ran and got a ladder and placed it clumsily against the tree. The wobbly climb began.Little did I know that Squirrel Hater (previously known as my wife) was laughing her head off as I delicately climbed the ladder - and taking pictures.
I got the top run and for a brief moment, grasped the squirrel’s tail, but was unable to dislodge it from the tree without also dislodging myself. It was then that I realized that I was dangerously close to falling. I had a death hug on a pine tree. And here came SH - the photographer I live with…
Anyway, I think I’m over it today… But I still wish I had a pet squirrel. Its parents (or two larger squirrels) found it, and they were building a nest in the pine tree out back on Wednesday. Buddy (as I have now named him) could be seen watching from about 20 feet up.
September 21st, 2007 at 7:45 am
i had a pet squirrel. he was great. raised him from a baby….he would greet us at the door when we got home from school. scurry up my jeans and shirts and perch on my shoulder for most of the afternoon. he was playful, and actually much like a dog….that couldn’t be house trained. he would even roll over for a belly scratch. you should ask tj about him, we were dating, then, and i think tj loved him more than i did! :)
September 21st, 2007 at 7:47 am
a squirrel huh? while cute at times, they usually look like rodents. and i loathe chihuahuas as well. our sunday school teacher (whom you may know from school - scott spakes?) has one named chippy and he hates him as well. you should join the springer spaniel club - big and slobbery but very loveable :)
September 21st, 2007 at 7:49 am
TREE HUGGER!!!
September 21st, 2007 at 8:06 am
Just so everyone knows ‘the rest of the story’. Smokey, the cat, saw Jeff and his antics of trying to capture the squirrel. So he knew Jeff really wanted the squirrel. So last night Smokey left the squirrel at the back door for him. Not much was left of the squirrel, his head was gone!!! Smokey wanted to share his meal with Jeff. He remembered he really wanted the squirrel too. I haven’t laughed that hard in some time!!
September 21st, 2007 at 9:55 am
CAROLYN!!!!!!
guess jeff doesn’t like the cat anymore, either. poor jeff. :(
September 21st, 2007 at 10:30 am
I had written this entry the evening after the squirrel ordeal and timed it to be released today. When Caro reminded me about it coming out this a.m., it made me think “how fast things change.”
It was shocking to me… literally… to come across Buddy lying there decapitated last night. And then SH just died laughing when I held up his little headless body.
I am still pretty bummed about the whole ordeal. Brandy, your description about what a loveable pet he would have made makes it worse…
There has been a tragedy here at the Noble household. I tried to kick the cat last night. He is no longer my favorite.
Sniff.
September 21st, 2007 at 10:45 am
cat just did what a cat does, bro. btw, if merely driving down the street in one’s geo metro would cause one to “ruin” oneself, i dont even want to think about what hanging on for dear life from a tree would do for one’s constitution…
September 21st, 2007 at 1:45 pm
This is too funny. I love the picture of you hugging the tree. I couldn’t have a pet like this. My husband thinks they are for shooting not keeping. Terrible I know. I want a pet Mallard, and my spouse thinks I’m crazy too. There was some woodducks in the bayou down from the house that had babies and I could never get them close then one day I was talking to Brad and he was driving down the road and they were crossing and one got left behind, and he wouldn’t stop and get it for me. So here I am holloring at him on the phone trying to load up to kids to go get this duck and he tells me no that it finially caught up and I was outta luck. I was so dissapointed.
But on another subject I love the Wendy’s picture. I had no idea we were so much alike. I was in Wendy’s the other day (w/o my phone) and was wanting to take a picture (just like above) and send to Shelley (we waste all our husband’s hard earned money on sending stupid pictures to each other). LOL
September 21st, 2007 at 6:18 pm
Poor Jeff. Maybe next time.
September 21st, 2007 at 9:13 pm
Jeff, squirrels can be rabid!!!