Squirrel Haven

I don't know how it started, but it's been building for a couple of years. I offer squirrels a safe haven and a solid meal every day. Let's go back to the beginning.

{{{flashback}}}

It was a cold snowy day, maybe in 2006, when I looked up from the kitchen table to see a squirrel lean down from the roof of the wooden shed and nudge his/her head in between the two shed doors and disappear. And then I saw a second and third squirrel do the same thing. It was then that I realized this family of three was finding shelter in the dryness of my shed. It warmed my heart.

Okay, a few months later when I went in the shed during spring, my heart wasn't as warmed when I saw all my Christmas lights' wires bitten, Logan's bike seat chewed, and a bag of earth for the pool all over the place. We cleaned it up and it was now ready for the next year’s winter. We had squirrel-proofed it for our little furry friends.

Shortly after, Logan looks out from the pool deck over to our neighbor Henry's house and sees a dog swimming in the pool cover's water. I realize it's a squirrel and rush over & get it out with a skimmer. It's only weeks later that I learned its other two family members did not make it out alive. They had been found in the bottom of Henry's pool. It broke my heart. I thought that was the end of this family.

Not the case - since then we'd have numerous families of three (always a trio) visiting us.

But as with every family, more tragedy takes place. Another winter passes, and again I go back to the shed in the spring. This time we find a dead squirrel in there. It must have been trapped. Now fast forward to last year when Mom was visiting. She told me while getting out some garden tools, she had discovered a dead squirrel's skeleton and got rid of it before Logan would see it. I wasn't as surprised as she had expected. I responded with "oh, good - somebody finally got it out of there."

Now back to present day. I started sharing some bruised apples bits with the squirrels and love watching them sit back on their tail and use their little fingers (not paws...truly look like fingers) to nibble their treats. I began throwing out left over sunflower seeds and eventually began buying them their own bag from Trader Joe's.

Each morning, I let the dog out. Once he comes back in, I slide open the sliding doors and toss out three handfuls of apples, nuts, and old bread (can't forget the birds.) I have now two families of squirrels - six of them scurrying for food.

One particular morning I noticed that one family was all damaged. My favorite is Scabby. He has two red welts on both shoulders. I think from squeezing in or out of somewhere. Then there's Scar. He has a huge bald patch on the shoulder & a scar across his neck in the back, and finally there is Hippy. Hippy has a hutch scar patch on his back hip. I remember turning to Logan and asking him "what?!? is this a rough gang of squirrels or a gang that just gets bullied on?" I like to think that they are just rough necks.

Sometimes during the day, I look out and see a lone squirrel or pair gazing in the direction of the door. One time, one brazen one sat on the barbeque grill and looked in the window as if beckoning me out. Shhh! He won...I threw out a handful of treats for him to enjoy.

I'm sad to say I haven't seen Scabby in a while and hope that I'm just missing him in the crowd of now five. There is one who may have faded scabs, but I just can't tell.

So as I end today's entry, I look over my laptop and see no sign of my pals. I know though, that they'll be back tomorrow and I'll be glued to the window for my morning sips of coffee, looking on and feeling good that I can offer them a safe place for at least part of their days. Ahhh, the freedom of a squirrel!