There are many down-sides to not having a dog. No walking companion, no one to keep the kitchen floor “clean”, no big furry foot warmer on cold nights.
And then there are the squirrels. They have absolutely figured out that there is no dog patrolling the territory any longer. And they certainly don’t see me as a threat. Yesterday I made a trip to get something from the car and the squirrel on the feeder and the squirrel sitting on the swing hardly even looked in my direction, much less fled in terror.
They’re also eating the hot seed cylinder that they’re not supposed to like. I called Mr. Bird, the company in Texas who makes the cylinders to ask about the problem. They said at this time of year, when squirrels are having their young, they are particularly ravenous and will deign to eat things that might not taste too good to them. This phase will probably pass but in the meantime, they also make a hotter cylinder called “Disco Inferno” that I can try. I looked it up and Gertens carries it. Guess I’ll add that to the cart when we are there next week!
Hopefully there will be a dog to guard the sanctity of the yard some time this summer; until then we’ll just have to put up with the squirrels laughing at us!
Any critter activity at your place these days?
Trail Baboon 
There will be many “critters” on the TV this Star Wars Day.https://youtu.be/sPelOnd7Sik?si=rjQW5y1a7iPnnc8y
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Indeed! May theFourth be with you.
BTW, Saturday son was here to visit and I told him and husband about writing to the Baboons about them bonding over Monty Python (and incidentally, Star Trek). Which got big smiles from them both. Son remembered immediately how he and his friends would recite dialogue.
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Excellent!
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There are always squirrels. The chipmunks are out and active. I’m not sure where they secure themselves during the winter. This spring we have had as many as four rabbits in our back yard at once, chasing each other. They can be destructive and we have to take measures but on the other hand they are fun to watch so we are not at war with them.
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Just now, I was out watering my bales a little bit, and there was a bunny sitting under the big birdfeeder, munching away. So — sad to say not only are the squirrels not afraid of me, but neither are the bunnies. I guess this makes me a yard wimp, huh?
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I move slowly and talk reassuringly but still the bunnies run away from me.
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We have no dog, and cats looking through the window have no effect on the squirrels at our feeders. 2 years ago, I merely determined that I am now “feeding animals” out there. What I believe this neighborhood needs, both regarding the squirrels and the rabbits, is a resident coyote or 2.
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I’m on the same page in terms of I’m basically feeding the animals, not just the birds. I do actually think of the big birdfeeder as the squirrel feeder and I put stuff in there that the squirrels would like that but are too big for the birds. But I do like the hot cylinders cause it makes me feel like there’s some sacred place just for the birds.
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