When we were kids, my brother and sisters and friends were delighted when a load of topsoil was delivered to backfill the edges of our new house that was in the final stages of construction. We would run to the top of the mound of dirt and then challenge each other to push us down and replace us, with taunts of “I’m the king of the castle, and you’re the dirty rascal.” (It was a good thing my mother didn’t hear us talking like that.)
Crispin is the king of the castle here, but he has no challengers at the moment. The new load of firewood is perfect for him as he snacks on one of the walnuts he has stashed away.
I’m king of this fine castle,
The view up here is great,
I don’t get any hassle,
To see how much I ate.
In case of any danger,
Of hawk or hungry owl,
Or any other stranger,
Who’d like to make me howl,
I’ll pop down in the wood pile,
And hide until they leave.
That way I’m sure I could smile,
No worry that I’ll grieve.


October 18, 2026 at 9:54 am
So sweet and cute, Anneli! Crispin always reminds me of the actor Crispin Glover… Have a great week. 😎
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October 18, 2026 at 10:23 am
Really fun poem, Anneli, and I liked the intro, too. Even though I’m not a squirrel, I, too, find that a very handsome wood pile.
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October 18, 2026 at 1:59 pm
Thanks, Jet. Funny how the squirrels always like to check it out and be on top of the pile. Lots of escape hatches, I guess.
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October 18, 2026 at 11:07 am
Cool Crispin calculates crunchy cover.
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October 18, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Carefully casing corridors of complicated non-caving courses.
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October 18, 2026 at 3:07 pm
Chatty conversations cause cosmic course corrections.
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October 18, 2026 at 11:46 am
I hope Crispin finds all his previously hidden walnuts before the new wood gets stacked up in that shed. Oh well, I am sure he will find all the treats in time. Sweet photo. (By the way, I think I spent most of those childhood games being “the dirty rascal”. ) Ha ha ha. — Sonja
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October 18, 2026 at 1:52 pm
We were all dirty rascals then. You’re right about Crispin’s stash places being covered up, but he will have other places to hide things. Thanks for checking in, Sonja.
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October 18, 2026 at 12:20 pm
He’s so adorable and he has such a good home at your place, Anneli.
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October 18, 2026 at 1:51 pm
Yes, he doesn’t seem to want to leave. Lots of places to hide and a cozy place in winter, with bits of food left out once in a while.
What more could a squirrel want?
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October 18, 2026 at 1:56 pm
He’s a cutie. I like the poem as well!
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October 18, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Thank you, Belinda.
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October 18, 2026 at 4:16 pm
Crispin wins. He is definitely the King of that Castle. Happy Sunday Anneli. Allan
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October 18, 2026 at 8:44 pm
Thanks, Allan.
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October 18, 2026 at 9:18 pm
Being a squirrel sounds like a lot of fun. You wrote a great story and a fun poem.
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October 19, 2026 at 9:21 am
Thanks, Thomas. They do look like they have fun, but they always have to be on the lookout for hawks, owls, dogs, and cats. (And those bigger gray squirrels who like to kill the little red squirrels.)
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October 19, 2026 at 10:33 am
Yes that must be stressful and cars too. A lot of squirels get killed by cars in our neigbhorhood. I did not know that the bigger gray squirrels kill the little red squirrels.
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October 19, 2026 at 2:43 pm
They have significantly reduced the red squirrel population.
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October 19, 2026 at 2:45 pm
That is sad
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October 19, 2026 at 2:47 pm
Yes, it is. They are an introduced species here on the West Coast and are making inroads quickly.
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October 19, 2026 at 7:50 am
I hope he has lots of food storied. Winter is coming.
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October 19, 2026 at 9:22 am
I think he does. He did a big harvest of our hazelnuts.
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October 19, 2026 at 7:31 pm
Ah, gee… Crispin is way too cute.😍
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October 19, 2026 at 7:50 pm
I like him a lot!
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October 22, 2026 at 4:55 pm
Who doesn’t like Crispin, king of the woodpile castle, right?
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October 22, 2026 at 5:07 pm
He is a cutie!
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October 23, 2026 at 4:17 am
Yes!
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