One Purrrrfect Day

Love those azaleas!

What a pretty day it was Saturday.  The weather guys (who are frequently VERY WRONG) were wrong again because they said it would rain – instead we got a perfect day.   My parents and I spent a whole lot of it outside in fact.  I was supervising (of course) and they were working in the garden but when they weren’t doing THAT, they were sitting in their yard chairs out in the shade sipping iced tea.  Mom spread one of my little kitty quilts my Auntie Carol made for me on the lawn by their chairs and we all just hung out.  I didn’t fall asleep or anything – but I relaxed and listened to my parents gripe about the squirrels!

Why pick on the squirrels you might ask?  Well, you already know that the squirrel-proof bird feeders are a joke around here because they’ve figured every single “squirrel-proofing” trick we’ve tried!  That really doesn’t bother Mom though because she loves squirrels and likes watching all the contortions they go through to get at the feeders – like flinging themselves off a nearby tree at the feeder and hoping for a foothold! 

No it’s not THAT……it’s because they like to EAT the garden watering system hose.  Even if it’s buried under mulch they dig it up and take chunks out of it.  Personally I think black plastic tastes pretty disgusting but for the squirrels it’s a gourmet meal…..APPARENTLY.  Actually, I think they’re smart enough to know there’s water in the hoses and even though we keep a great big saucer of water out there JUST FOR THEM, they want the black plastic-flavored water instead.

Weird.

But because they chew holes in it, we usually have some “unauthorized” water fountains spurting up into the air in addition to the little watering sprinklers that are supposed to water the plants in the garden.  So today, Mom and Dad patched ALLLLL the holes up.  No more fountains – just sprinklers. 

Wanna bet the next time Mom turns on the water for the garden sprinkler system we have more fountains? 

Crazy squirrels. 

Happy Sunday!

Kitty Hugs from Sammy

Squirrel-Proof??? Says Who?!

Howdy Everybody!  It’s THURSDAY already….!

I’ve GOT to tell you about our so-called squirrel-proof bird feeders in the back yard.  Just to the left of the big tree you see a dark green blob – well that’s one of our two squirrel-proof feeders.  It sits atop a metal pole that’s about five feet tall with a hook on top.  I think our squirrels have become smarter the longer we’ve had the feeders because at first, they were content to eat whatever the birds knocked out of the feeders when they visited to eat.  Once ina while a squirrel would try to climb the pole but they couldn’t. 

In the last couple of years though I swear our squirrels have been working out at the squirrel gym or something…..they’re bigger – stronger – more muscles in their arms and legs….maybe they’re into weightlifting at the squirrel gym?   They’ve figured out all kinds of ways to get at the feeders.  They leap over to the top of the feeder from that big tree (sometimes they miss and fly right over which makes me giggle but don’t tell them I said that) – or they briefly touch the top and slide off the slanted roof.  They have learned HOW to climb the pole now – all legs wrapped around and they scooch up just like people do when they’re climbing a rope.   It’s hilarious. 

But the funniest thing is when the metal pole is wet – from rain or heavy dew.   It’s too slippery to climb……but they try – and they get about a foot or two off the ground with their scooching technique then can’t go further so they slide slooooooooooooooooooowly down to the ground and try again ……… and again …………. and again ……….. and again ……… and – well you get the picture!  And I bet you can see why Mom and I sit and watch them out the living room window and laugh (YES cats can laugh!!!!).  

These are BIG squirrels – thanks to my Mom’s sunflower seeds and the squirrel gym they look FIT.  Would I dare try to scare them off from the feeders?  Heck no!   Do I sit and watch and keep my mouth shut from INSIDE the house only and not outside?  You betcha. 

So much for squirrel-proof feeders………but it’s 100 times more interesting and fun to watch than ANYTHING on TV…… trust me!

Sammy the Squirrel Watcher