Country Mouse Monday: the incessant busy of squirrels

If you happened to be driving down my street this morning about 7am, and noticed someone in my garden in a plaid men's robe, cowboy boots and a knit cap, that was me.

I was out wandering and taking pictures, making up for not getting out much this weekend. On the quiet of a Monday morning, before the week begins, I like to get out early to notice what's new.

Everywhere: holes.

The squirrels completely boomed this spring and summer and apparently own this place. They co-habitate quite nicely with the quail, who also appear in greater numbers than I've ever seen before. But cohabitating with the garden?

Not so much.

As we watched from our room the other day, a squirrel dug a series of holes in Bed #5, dropping in acorns and walnuts. We kept still and quiet, but he didn't care one bit. A nut buried, he then stood up on his hind-legs, and quick-as-you-like tamped the soil down over his treasures with his tremendous back feet. Just stood there, on two legs, stamping, like a busy little person in puffy fur pants. Such a tremendous survival technique, honestly, that drive to store food for later!

And as a consequence, in every garden bed now, there are holes and holes, places where you can see the soil has been moved by industrious little paws. 

Naturally, the squirrels like the same tender food we do, so the lettuce and the peas are all caged now, to give them at least a chance to get established without those little fingers pulling them up.

No free-range food here!

The busy doesn't stop with making holes and eating my food well before its time. Those rascals must need minerals, too, since apparently they can't keep their teeth off the deer antlers that ornament our yard. Yes, we have two full deer skulls, one on the front fence, one in an apple tree, out of range of the dog.

But clearly not out of range of squirrels.

At right you can clearly see where they've chewed and chewed, almost clean through the antler. They are serious.

In a minute, I'll get ready for work and leave this little paradise for the day. But it's OK, since I know while I'm gone, there will be endless busy happening here in the garden even without me.

Thanks to the squirrels, the work continues unabated. There's food to save for winter. There are things to do!

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