Hi, I’m Crispin. Remember me from a few weeks ago in the maple tree?
I wasn’t much bigger than a Coffee Crisp bar then, and I’m not a lot bigger now, but it isn’t for want of eating enough.
I tried this wood but it wasn’t that tasty. Think I’ll try the walnuts instead.
My older brother Jasper is also hanging around today, but I want to avoid him. He gets annoyed if I try to eat from what he calls HIS plate.
Oh, I think I hear him up there gnawing on the old moose antlers.
Maybe I’ll sneak over to the walnut stash while he’s busy.
I just hope that Steller’s jay isn’t hanging around. He has a sharp beak, like a spear. Maybe when I grow up I’ll take him on, but for now, it’s better to play it safe.
See that beak? This was him last week with the sunflower seeds, but maybe he won’t try stealing the walnuts today…. Fat chance.
I was just about to head for the jar of walnuts when I saw that huge tool behind me. Is that a pick axe? Yikes! Made me lose my footing!
Okay, I’m all recovered now. My mother, Della, told me always to say grace before eating, so here goes. (I don’t think the god of squirrels will mind if I don’t close my eyes. Not a safe thing to do.)
And with that out of the way, I can dive in!
Yummy walnuts from the ornamental black walnut tree.
Many dangers, all I see,
Many dangers threaten me,
Tiptoe lightly as a breeze,
Tiptoe quickly, and then freeze.
Look around from left to right,
Look around, stay out of sight,
Hurry to the walnut stash,
Hurry, careful, do not crash.
Grab some nutmeat and abscond,
Grab the food of which I’m fond,
Nibble some and hide the rest,
Nibble fast and save the best.
Winter chill is coming soon,
Winter winds, perhaps typhoon,
Be prepared for hungry days,
Be prepared, these are my ways.
November 13, 2021 at 2:27 pm
The photos are beautiful, Anneli! these little critters are so sweet, I love how you tell the story too, fun post! ❤️🇨🇦
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November 13, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Thank you, John. Little Crispin is so tiny. He is so cute.
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November 13, 2021 at 2:41 pm
What a sweet little guy 😊. Excellent shots, Anneli!
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November 13, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Thanks, Belinda. I’m always happy to see the squirrels.
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November 13, 2021 at 2:58 pm
What a cute little guy, Anneli. Perfect photos, and a wonderfully amusing text. 🙂
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November 13, 2021 at 6:56 pm
Glad you enjoyed it, Pit. Thanks a lot.
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November 14, 2021 at 6:45 am
🙂
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November 13, 2021 at 3:05 pm
What a fun life for Crispin!
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November 13, 2021 at 6:55 pm
I hope he can stay safe. He’s such a sweetie.
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November 14, 2021 at 6:41 am
What are his natural predators?
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November 14, 2021 at 10:02 am
My dog! (Emma). We try to make sure she keeps clear of the are where the squirrels spend most of their time but she did get one of them a few months ago. I felt just sick! Also there are a lot of hawks and owls here who would pick up an unsuspecting little critter. They are probably the main threat to the squirrels.
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November 14, 2021 at 10:43 am
Got it. We have a few hawks here, and they are gorgeous. I suppose they must eat! My dog (Stoney, now over the Rainbow Bridge) once snatched a bird in flight. That was amazing.
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November 14, 2021 at 12:20 pm
Emma does that too. I hate to see it unless it’s in a hunting setting. I guess everything is “hunting” for her.
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November 13, 2021 at 3:10 pm
I love your squirrel posts. 💛 You have quite an adorable little family there and also love your text.
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November 13, 2021 at 6:55 pm
Thanks, Lynette. I love to see them out there, and they are sheltered in that woodshed.
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November 13, 2021 at 3:14 pm
Aw, I just love the photos. So sweet and Crispin is such a little cutie pie. Your poem is very cleverly written. Love it.
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November 13, 2021 at 6:54 pm
Glad you liked it, Sonja. This little guy is so tiny he is extra cute.
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November 13, 2021 at 5:39 pm
What a QT!
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November 13, 2021 at 6:52 pm
Tnx,Cindy.
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November 14, 2021 at 4:00 am
He is a cute little nugget!
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November 14, 2021 at 10:12 am
Funny, isn’t it, how we think of creatures as being cuter when they are tiny. But he IS!
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November 14, 2021 at 8:12 am
Anneli, I love reading about the exciting antics for Crispin – delightful photos and story. He is very well brought up saying grace before munching away! Your poem captures their behaviour exactly!
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November 14, 2021 at 9:56 am
LOL! Yes, Annika, Crispin is a good little boy. Thanks.
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November 14, 2021 at 11:13 am
Amazing photos, Anneli, and a great poem. We feed walnuts to Friskie and the Chippers. It’s so fun to interact with them. Those jays, though. So noisy and greedy! A fun post, my friend.
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November 14, 2021 at 12:18 pm
It’s fun for me too, to chase down the pics to make these posts. And today I saw THREE of the squirrel family chasing each other around the trees by the woodshed. So nice to see them.
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November 14, 2021 at 12:19 pm
They are fun, especially when we start getting to know them. 🙂
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November 14, 2021 at 12:21 pm
I should have known better than to give them names! It hurts all the more when they are hurt or killed. Meanwhile, I’ll exploit them with my squirrel poems and pics.
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November 14, 2021 at 2:11 pm
Oh, I can relate. The owls are very interested in the goings-on.
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November 14, 2021 at 6:38 pm
They are so cute and photogenic and I love these words.
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November 14, 2021 at 8:59 pm
Thanks so much, Anita.
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November 15, 2021 at 5:46 am
He is a cutie!
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November 15, 2021 at 9:41 am
Yeah, I love the squirrels around here. Thanks, Jennie.
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November 16, 2021 at 4:06 am
😀
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November 15, 2021 at 7:08 am
Anneli, your delightful photos create a setting that complements your poem. At one of the nature parks I frequently walk, there is generally a sighting of a squirrel or two. They are much too busy to pause and say “hello.”
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November 15, 2021 at 9:45 am
Isn’t it nice to see them though?! Before the squirrels moved into our backyard I used to see them sometimes when I was mushroom picking out in the woods, and the squirrels were so brazen about coming close and scolding me. And these were guys I didn’t even know! Of course they didn’t come quite as close as these nearly tame ones do in my backyard.
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November 16, 2021 at 11:20 am
Great photos, Anneli. I love the blue on the jay! Also Crispin is adorable and your poem has a lot of energy in it!
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November 16, 2021 at 11:29 am
Thanks for taking the time to read it, Carol. The squirrels are really busy these days. I was surprised I saw all three of them at the same time the other day.
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November 18, 2021 at 12:35 am
Crispin is as sweet as the rest of the now big family. Very good pictures and a lovely poem.
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November 18, 2021 at 8:50 am
Thanks, Ursula. I really like Crispin. He’s so tiny you just can’t help but feel protective of him.
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November 19, 2021 at 4:32 am
Beautifuls series of photos and a wonderful story Anneli! You must have plenty of patience to watch and capture them like you do. They are soooo cute 😀
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November 23, 2021 at 12:31 pm
I don’t know about patience, but when I see the birds or squirrels, I try to take a lot of pictures and then throw out most of them and keep a few of the better ones. They are really cute little animals.
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November 23, 2021 at 5:56 pm
Ha Ha!! Sounds like my strategy for that wedding, shoot shoot shoot, pick the good one’s out later! It took me longer to choose good pics than the wedding went for I reckon 😀
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November 23, 2021 at 9:55 pm
But I think it’s a good strategy, right?
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November 23, 2021 at 10:11 pm
Absolutely, works for me 🙂 Lucky we don’t have to send film off to be developed anymore – it would have cost me a FORTUNE!!!
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November 23, 2021 at 10:13 pm
Those days were terrible for me. I spent a small fortune because my hand was too shaky when I snapped each picture. I’m much happier in this digital age.
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November 23, 2021 at 11:22 pm
I used to find that by the time I took a roll in, I’d forgotten what I had taken earlier on and I loved the surprise of shuffling through the prints! But it’s great now that you can check a shot as soon as you’ve taken it and it doesn’t matter whether you take 4 or 4000 photos, it costs the same … except for your time 😀
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November 24, 2021 at 9:37 am
And I had forgotten about forgetting what was on the roll. I had that same experience each time. Another of the downsides of the old film photo era.
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November 21, 2021 at 2:24 am
They win every cuteness award going! I hope their middens are stacked full with pine cones, nuts and mushrooms.
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November 21, 2021 at 10:01 am
I’m glad you agree, Adele. I love my critters. And you’re right – they do have stashes of food. I try not to make them too dependent on my handouts, and am always happy to see them gathering fir cones or ALL of my precious hazelnuts, so they can have snacks on those cold winter days.
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November 23, 2021 at 1:49 am
Oh Anneli, the little squirrel is so cute! I love the geat photos and I love your words ! We have a little nut house on our terrace that our squirrels love to come to. 🐿️🐿️I also put nuts on the kitchen window sill. The squirrels jump up, get the nuts and look into the window.
Anneli, I wish you all the best!
Rosie
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November 23, 2021 at 9:08 am
That makes me happy, Rosie. I’m so glad you also feed the squirrels. They’re such sweet little creatures. Thanks for your kind words. Have a great week.
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November 23, 2021 at 10:10 am
I wish you the same, Anneli.
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