SECRET SQUIRREL!

Looking out at my rather dead garden area made me feel a little sad.  I knew that there was work to be done, but I did not feel inspired for some reason.  I knew I had to plant my seeds and could not remember when I did them last year.  I remembered telling Samantha to look at the 'babies' when she made the announcement of the 'bun' being in the 'oven', but I am not sure whether that was the first or second round!  Seeds, that is, not human babies!  However, I had decided last year that perhaps the seedlings had been put out too early and they went wild before their time!  Suffice it to say, it was time to get the seedlings planted!

There had been a slight concern in the community, as someone had seen a 'character' wandering around in the early hours of the morning, and although not seen since, it was disturbing. There was nothing taken, nor was there any damage.  It is possible it was a prank.  Despite 'hazing' being illegal it still happens, but is usually retold as being a 'dare', which is basically what 'hazing', is it not?  However, whether a dare or not, it did not put my mind at rest when we came home to my lights either dangling from the sunroom lattice, or strewn around the ground.  "Who would have cut the string?" asked Dana, as I checked to see if it was frayed.  A couple of pieces did looked frayed but some looked like they had been cut.  I emailed our chairman to see if he knew of any work going on around our building.  He did not.  It was a mystery. Again, nothing had been taken and nothing else disturbed.

Having not picked up any soil for the seedlings, and not having a car at my direct disposal, I was at a bit of a loss.  Monday was quite a warm day, but I had promised Samantha that I would help her clear out some things from her house, and she came to collect me.   Not being one to watch daytime television, or reality shows, I had become quite addicted to the programme currently running on English television, 'Love Island'.  I suppose the reason for the addiction as I call it, is the 'soap opera' quality.  I want to know what happens next.  Steph and I would watch, and comment, as Richard sat there mumbling, "I can't believe you are taking this seriously!"  We were not.  It was a source of entertainment that made us laugh, and sometimes, admittedly, shout out in amazement at a comment that was made.  Samantha played the episodes I had missed as I was helping her clear up, and messaged Steph to let her know.  They were having rather a good time at my expense!  It was something to take away the monotony of cleaning!  We did not leave her house until quite late, but I arrived home to an empty condo, as Dana had gone into work, on the holiday, and was very busy.  I pottered for a while, and started to clear the garden.  

The debris had been cleared a little, and continued to be collected by the city and various other entities.  I noticed the abundance of deer and squirrels, and on Tuesday morning I spotted a rabbit.  The sound of the dawn chorus (or birdsong as it is plainly put here) was quite beautiful, especially with the 'drums' being provided by the woodpecker, and lilac had already gone past the budding stage and was glorifying the rocks.  A squirrel ran by with something in its mouth.  I could not make it out at first, but it looked like a mouse!  A white mouse!  After my initial shock, I came to my senses, and voiced two facts.  I voiced them to myself as there was no one else around!  Firstly, squirrels are not carnivores, and secondly, white mice are not generally found running in the fields, unless, of course, they are pets! I thought of a child screaming as their pet was no longer in the cage, but then went back to fact number one!  Then my mind started to wander.  What if, by some strange quirk in the  squirrel system, squirrels had become carnivores, or at least the squirrel I spotted with the white whatever in his mouth.  I could be sitting by the pool, minding my own business, and be attacked by a giant squirrel, the size of a raccoon, and be eaten alive.  By the time I rounded the corner and was making my way back to my condo, I had a complete horror movie script written!  It didn't take much.  Perhaps it was the fiction of the reality show that had led my mind astray!  I laughed at my imagination, but then again....!

Grant had taken a look at the hanging lights and convinced me that it was probably a combination of things.  It had been fairly windy, and with the weather changing from freezing to very hot, and back again, the rope that I had used may have got taught, and just snapped, which may have caused a 'clean break', due to the possibly 'sawing' on the slats above the sunroom.  It made enough sense for me to stop worrying about 'hazing', or a dare. Perhaps it was my carnivorous squirrel!

Although I wore a pair of shorts on Monday, by Friday the weather had turned again, and the coat and boots saw the light of day.  It was not freezing, but the temperature dropped enough to make a difference.  I was not particularly concerned about the few plants I still had in the garden.  The weekend loomed and there was a possibility of rain! 

I heard a noise on Saturday morning, as I was in my spare room, and looked out of the window.  There, as bold as brass, was a squirrel, (probably no bigger than average, and no sign of a mouse,) munching through the new rope that had my lights threaded through!  He had a mouthful of twine, and when I knocked on the window, he so sat, munching.  I opened the window, but the noise did little to deter the critter!  "Oi!" I shouted.  He barely flinched.  "Yes you!" I continued. A look of contempt (and they can carry it off) spread across the face of the beast, one that asked me why I was interrupting his breakfast?  After a slew of questions, I decided to wave my arms in the air. This seemed to do the trick but not before I noticed several of the lights dangling from other places.  So it was not a dare, unless the local college for squirrels has a fraternity where 'hazing' is a 'thing'.  

My shopping list had a new item.  Wire!  Perhaps if I use a wire based rope to hang the lights, the squirrels will be put off.  It was unlikely, as quite often we hear a bang, followed by a thud.  It is usually a fried squirrel!  They fear not the electrical wire, so why should they fear the wire on a rooftop!  

Samantha collected me and off we went!  Her family had a baseball match to attend in the afternoon, and it would be Teddy's second game of the week!  At less than three months, the kid is getting an education in the art of what we knew as rounders!  She dropped me off early and I went to work on the lights!  I had a plan.  Zip ties and beads!  Using a combination, I threaded the lights back up through the slats, and was quite pleased with the result.  I had used the Mardi Gras beads to deter things from eating my plants.  Once finished, I started to empty the pots of last year's soil.  As I was in full swing, my daughter called to say there was a spare ticket, and would I like to join them in 'the box' for the game.  I had no vehicle!  Dana was at the office, and I was up to my elbows (so to speak) in dirt!  I would have to decline.  Much as I would have enjoyed the game, my afternoon was very successful, and I am pleased I gave it a miss! After five hours of heavy graft, I had emptied and cleaned all the pots, and vacuumed the grass.  What was once a flourishing garden, then a wilderness, was now a tidy area ready to start again!  After potting a few seeds, I was ready to drop!  

As I looked out of the window this morning, I wondered if the squirrels would attack the beads.  Surely not!  Although if they were carnivorous squirrels they would attack anything!  Although if they were carnivorous squirrels why would beads be an attraction?  There I go again!  

The weather is warm, and after emptying the skimmers by the pool this morning, I noticed the water was somewhat tepid.  Perhaps not quite tepid enough to swim, but perhaps so!  Although at the end of February, it is still February!  Having spent five hours performing manual labour yesterday,, I think today can be spent having a few hours of leisure.  Will I be safe from man-eating squirrels?  That remains to be seen.  If I do not post next week, it will leave you wondering if there will ever be ........... another story!