January 3, 2020
Squirrels
By John & Joan Maxwell
The woods surrounding the house and barns at our farm are full of many different types of trees and wildlife. While at the dinner table, it’s not uncommon for us to see a white tail deer emerge from the woods, often followed by a fawn in the spring. Hawks that hunt the hayfields as we mow, rake and bale hay land in oak, maple and walnut trees that have been growing for generations. But the wildlife I most frequently encounter are the squirrels. Always scuttling and chattering, hardly a day goes by I don’t see or hear a squirrel, no matter the season.
As I walk between the barn and the house in the mornings and evenings, I typically have a dog with me. The squirrels seem to wait for our trek just to tease the dog into giving chase. Though it has almost no chance in catching it, each time the dog takes off thinking this might be the day the
squirrel is bested.
One of my favorite encounters involved my beloved dog Fritz. One particular squirrel near the house had been tormenting him for weeks, chattering and taunting endlessly. We’d go out the garage door in the morning and there would be the squirrel, somewhere on the lawn, always close enough to a tree to retreat quickly to the air. Fritz would give chase and up a tree the squirrel would go, then onto the end of a limb where he would scold Fritz for chasing him. Fritz would hang around the base of the tree momentarily, then go on with his day.
One day the routine seemed the same, until the limb with the squirrel came tumbling to the ground. Leaves, twigs, squirrel and dog went every which way. With Fritz hot on his tail, the squirrel was able to scramble back up the tree. This time there was no taunting from the squirrel, and he stayed close to the trunk. From that day on, though the chase continued, the squirrel seemed much less arrogant in his chatter.
Gather your favorite Cinnamon Ridge goodies for your next meal whether it’s beef, cheese, eggs, honey or baked goods. Stop by the Cinnamon Ridge Country Cupboard, North Scott Foods, I-80 Truck Plaza, or The Machine Shed Restaurant today!
