wordsfromanneli

Thoughts, ideas, photos, and stories.

Category Archives: squirrels


by 21 Comments

Breakfast with Crispin

I was baking this morning and wanted to put some walnuts into my banana loaf. I found them in the freezer next to a big bag of hazelnuts from last year’s harvest.

Should I substitute hazelnuts for the walnuts? Crispin would like some, I’m sure. So I used the walnuts for baking and put some hazelnuts out in the woodshed for Crispin.

He loves them! See how he gets right into it?

 

“These are so yummy. Who would have thought I’d get a taste of hazelnuts before this year’s crop is ripe?”

 

“I’m just so tickled to have found this treat waiting for me. Would you like a bite?”

 

“No?  Okay, that’s fine by me. I’ll just have to eat it all myself.”

 

“I’m just wondering if Anneli went without breakfast this morning. Her hands are shaking so much, the video clip is all over the map.”


by 31 Comments

The Food Filcher

I brought some hazelnuts out to the squirrels and put them by the post in the middle of the woodshed.

Crispin helped himself, and then nearly choked on his food.

 

“Yikes!” he mumbled through a hazelnut. His teeth chattered.

“Wh-wh-what’s Henry doing here?”

 

“I heard about all the free food,” Henry said.

“I’m comin’ up there to get me some of that, and you’d better be gone if you know what’s good for you.”

 

But Crispin had already stashed away most of the hazelnuts, and only a few sunflower seeds were left.

*****

Watch as Henry roots through the wood chips and dirt to try to find leftovers. Notice his fingers and the toes on the end of his long feet. But he’s a dainty eater when he does find a morsel.

Having eaten his fill of leftover sunflower seeds, he climbs a tree to look for a safe place to have a nap. Must check out the now-vacant birdhouse on his way up.

When he gets beyond the birdhouse, watch how he looks down and then decides to risk a little jump to the next branch for a new grip. He’s fussy about which branches to pull himself up on. One is rather skinny and dead, so he contemplates it only for a split second before moving on to a thicker branch.

And up at the top he found a very fat branch that provided a cozy platform for him to have a nap in the sunshine, out of reach of lower level dangers.


by 23 Comments

Ratty Graffiti

Good morning world, it’s time to wake,

And see what’s been donated,

I don’t expect to get a cake,

But scraps are ‘preciated.

 

Oh goodness me! A note I see,

It says, “Go check the middle.”

But ratty got there before me,

I know, I smell his piddle.

 

And also I can tell his script,

His writing is atrocious,

His spelling’s bad, his letters flipped,

I know ‘cuz I’m  precocious.

 

But oh-h-h-h how awful are his words,

They’re crude and so disgusting.

And what of all the little birds,

Who surely will discuss them?

 

That dirty rat messed up my den,

And now I’ll have to paint it,

I hope he won’t do that again,

It’s really mean, now ain’t it?

 

No need to have a heart attack,

I’ll get a drink of water.

I’ll hang on with my toes in back,

I hope they hold, they oughter.

 

That’s better, and within my means,

This cone is good, don’t doubt it,

Or like in gangster movie scenes,

I’ll just fuggedaboudid.


by 43 Comments

Crispin’s Dining Room

While pruning one of our yew trees, I reached in towards the center, groping for the branch to cut, and felt a bird’s nest, obviously left there late last spring. Hesitantly, I checked for leftover unhatched eggs or dead chicks before I would throw the nest away.

The “eggs” I found in the nest were all cracked open, but they sure looked like hazelnut shells to me.

“Aha! Crispin the Squirrel has been here. I hope he only found the nest after the baby birds had flown.” I reasoned that the hazelnuts would not have been ripe until late fall, and the baby birds would have flown in the spring, so I didn’t think too badly of Crispin for making himself at home in this new dining room of his.

 

“Uh-ohhh … she found my stash.”

Another cinquain –  five lines with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 2 syllables in each line respectively.

Crispin

Pampered squirrel

Who enjoys my woodshed

Where I bring him cracked hazelnuts

To eat.


by 39 Comments

Antler Ride

 

I heard the bells ring Christmas Day

As joyfully I chewed away,

The reindeer said, “WHO

On my antlers does chew?”

“I’m guilty,” was all I could say.

 

 

“I’m leaving,” the reindeer announced,

“Come down or you’ll surely get bounced.”

“No, I can hang on,

For the time that we’re gone,”

I foolishly squeaked and pronounced.

 

 

I shivered and held on so tight,

This trip might just cause me a fright,

The wind whistled past,

We were going so fast,

“Merry Christmas to all and goodnight.”

 


by 37 Comments

Nimble Fingers

If I hadn’t been able to watch squirrels up close in our yard, I might never have learned how dexterous their hands are. They can spin a walnut around to get at all the parts. Their little fingers are more nimble than those of some humans.

Watch how easily Crispin spins the walnut shell around to get at all the parts.

Little fingers work so well,

Flipping ’round the walnut shell, 

Making sure to get the best

Walnut meat, and then digest.