The Latest Squirrel Forecast

Having dwelt in the suburbs for most of my years on this planet, I considered squirrels to be an exotic species that only made its home in places where one goes on vacation. That unenlightened perspective was radically changed when we moved into our own home which sits smack dab between suburbia and the wilderness. As neophyte homeowners, we were charmed by the first squirrel we met. We playfully named her “Shirley the Squirrelly”. Every day she would come to the back door and wait for one of us to give her a treat out of the bag of peanuts we kept by the door. She even came to trust us enough to take them right out of our hands. It wasn’t long before Shirley was bringing her offspring to what was quickly becoming the wildlife equivalent of a drive thru window.

We have delighted in watching our furry neighbors as they chase each other up and around the trees, swing upside down on the suet feeders we have put out for the birds, and feast on special winter treats of peanut butter and sunflower seeds. With all their comings and goings, we have become quite accustomed to their faces and their twitchy little tails. That is why it gave us pause this past fall when we noticed that our fuzzy friends were changing colors. Their fur was getting lighter and lighter. At first we thought it was just our imagination, but when their ears turned white we knew something was up. Our memories may not be as good as they used to be, but we were pretty darn certain that we had not seen this before. We wondered if the squirrels were trying to tell us something - turns out that they were.

It seems that these ingenious little critters are better than a barometer for predicting future snow – and lots of it. Apparently, a light gray coat is just the perfect shade for one who wishes to blend in with snow-laden trees. And since we have had more snow this year than they’ve had in decades, we can tell you with some confidence that it’s an absolutely perfect match.
Every day now, as we continue to support their peanut addiction, we look carefully for signs of the golden brown fur which heralds the end of the snow and the return of spring. So far, there’s been no change and we just keep getting more snow. I’m starting to get a little desperate. I mean, the primroses are starting to bloom and the trees are starting to“leaf” and it still keeps snowing. “What’s it going to take for these furry little buggers to turn brown again and end this?!?” If something doesn’t happen soon, I may have to take drastic measures. One more snowfall, and I’m going squirrel hunting – with a super soaker filled with Grecian Formula.

I love my award! Thank you, Cheryl.