My boyfriend Scott lives next door. Yes, right next door. We share grass. NO, not that kind of grass. On our shared lawn we have a garden and have already eaten its bell peppers and Scott eats the hot peppers but I don't cuz they make me cough.
Two days ago he told me there was a dead squirrel in his yard. He imitated its position - lying face down and stretched out. "You wanna come see?" he asked.
"I'll pass," I said. "Last year I had a dead robin on my driveway. That was enough."
My first thought was Why did the squirrel die? We each have a compost heap in our yards. Had they eaten something horrible from there? We decided against having an autopsy done.
This morning before work, Scott came over.
"The squirrel's gone," he said. "Someone ate him."
I was gonna call David Robertson at Pennypack Ecological Trust but decided to stand on my own four feet. Who took the squirrel? What's your guess, Dear Reader? Scott surmised it was either a fox or a coyote. We do have owls and hawks but they only eat moving targets. Vultures?
Hmm, maybe I'd better call Dave Robertson.
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Russell Eisenman, PhD, from University of TX at Pan-Am, said this about my blog:
ReplyDeleteRuthie Gal--I just read/skimmed your blogspot. Has anyone ever told you that you write extremely well? Well, you do.
Speaking of woodpeckers, I once read that they were being studied to see why they do not hurt their necks when they move their heads so fast, while pecking. It was hoped this would provide some insight into how to help people avoid neck injuries in car wrecks, etc.
Ruthie Gal says: I think this is what Obama was talking about as inexcusable wastes of taxpayers' money. Also, my readers may read an interesting article submitted by Russell - oops, Dr Eiseman - to a learned scholarly journal. Simply copy n past this link into your browser:
http://www.nationalforum.com/Electronic%20Journal%20Volumes/Eisenman,%20Russell%20Explanations%20from%20Undergraduates%20NFAEJ.pdf
Ugh. I hate squirrels. They invaded our house a couple of years in a row and caused us a lot of grief and expense. I would not eat them but might execute them. At first I wanted the most humane means of dealing with them possible and soon changed my mind and if I believed in guns, could have envisioned myself with a shotgun, happily and gleefully picking them off one by one.
ReplyDeleteGood post as always. I had no idea that Scott was your neighbor and fellow gardener.
So now we sing, 'Who ate the squirrel", rather than "Who shot the sheriff?".
don't feel bad about wanting to kill the squirrels. even grace kelly in high noon succumbed to this ultimate solution. one time when i was touring local spectacular gardens, a man had a rifle leaning against his lawn chair. don't ask.
ReplyDeleteRuth - With your most perceptive eye (not sure if it is the left or the right) I am surprised you did not see the obvious. The squirrel wnet to squirrel heaven.
ReplyDeletethanks for your compassionate comment stephen. love the idea of a squirrel afterlife with all the tulips bulbs you can eat and telephone wires to tiptoe across!
ReplyDelete