If we are lucky, we get a moment or two during the Holidays that are filled with surprise. The ones that stop us in our tracks, fill us with wonder and maybe even elicit a giggle or two. One of those moments arrived in the form of a squirrel. Yep, walking right across my living room carpet. Really, come to think of it, it was more like a stroll. As though visiting humans in their natural habitat was a completely normal everyday occurrence for him. And though I am using the pronoun "him", in truth I didn't actually check so it could have been a girl squirrel. It was kind of hard to tell under the circumstances.
After saying, "Well, hey Cutie", I had the squirrels attention and I guess he figured it was a good time to pick up the pace a bit because he sort of loped into the hallway. I followed, trying to shoo him away from heading upstairs and getting into my Hero's guitars, or maybe worse, waking up any or all of The Kids. Visions of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation loomed in my head. Fortunately, he chose to ignore the stairs and instead did a couple of short kinda slow laps around this odd little section of wall where the living room, dining room, hallway and office all meet before trotting off through the dining room, into the kitchen, and right past the feet of my unsuspecting Hero before disappearing into the laundry-pantry.
My Hero was sitting at the kitchen table (sans his "office") working on his computer and was a bit baffled by my explanation that a squirrel had just walked right past him and was now taking up residence our pantry. Understandably, this is not something that happens to a person every day and it took a moment to sink. But he was quick to take me at my word and jumped into action guarding the doorway in case the little interloper decided to try to make a break for it back into the house.
I went in, feeling that the squirrel and I were now at least introduced and he might be a little less wary of me than the stranger I'd just invited to the party. But the little scamp was nowhere to be found, and this is a tiny room mind you. In the meantime my brilliant Hero constructed a makeshift barricade and propped open the back door creating a lovely inviting pathway to the great outdoors. Still not able to see the little dickens, I waggled a broom handle in behind the washing machine and that was just enough encouragement to get him moving again. I knew this because my Hero said, "It's okay. He just walked out the door.....I mean - he just walked(!) out the door." There is something just a tiny bit unsettling about a squirrel that feels that comfortable being in your home. You know?
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera close at hand, so completely missed this photo op. But then a single picture just wouldn't have quite captured the whole event.
And in case you are wondering, yes we did figure out how he got in. Remember that ancient oil burning furnace that we had removed? Well, the chimney is still in place, covered and closed, packed with a bunch of insulation and duct taped...but if a squirrel is really determined....
Hope all your holidays were merry and bright.
And squirrel free.
HUGS !!!
Cindy
After saying, "Well, hey Cutie", I had the squirrels attention and I guess he figured it was a good time to pick up the pace a bit because he sort of loped into the hallway. I followed, trying to shoo him away from heading upstairs and getting into my Hero's guitars, or maybe worse, waking up any or all of The Kids. Visions of National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation loomed in my head. Fortunately, he chose to ignore the stairs and instead did a couple of short kinda slow laps around this odd little section of wall where the living room, dining room, hallway and office all meet before trotting off through the dining room, into the kitchen, and right past the feet of my unsuspecting Hero before disappearing into the laundry-pantry.
My Hero was sitting at the kitchen table (sans his "office") working on his computer and was a bit baffled by my explanation that a squirrel had just walked right past him and was now taking up residence our pantry. Understandably, this is not something that happens to a person every day and it took a moment to sink. But he was quick to take me at my word and jumped into action guarding the doorway in case the little interloper decided to try to make a break for it back into the house.
I went in, feeling that the squirrel and I were now at least introduced and he might be a little less wary of me than the stranger I'd just invited to the party. But the little scamp was nowhere to be found, and this is a tiny room mind you. In the meantime my brilliant Hero constructed a makeshift barricade and propped open the back door creating a lovely inviting pathway to the great outdoors. Still not able to see the little dickens, I waggled a broom handle in behind the washing machine and that was just enough encouragement to get him moving again. I knew this because my Hero said, "It's okay. He just walked out the door.....I mean - he just walked(!) out the door." There is something just a tiny bit unsettling about a squirrel that feels that comfortable being in your home. You know?
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera close at hand, so completely missed this photo op. But then a single picture just wouldn't have quite captured the whole event.
And in case you are wondering, yes we did figure out how he got in. Remember that ancient oil burning furnace that we had removed? Well, the chimney is still in place, covered and closed, packed with a bunch of insulation and duct taped...but if a squirrel is really determined....
Hope all your holidays were merry and bright.
And squirrel free.
HUGS !!!
Cindy
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