NOVEMBER 22 - Howard vs the Squirrel

What a great idea, to hang a bird feeder. We are surrounded by trees and bushes, so we see a lot of little birds pecking away looking for food. Since we already had a bird feeder, it was relatively easy for Howard to just hang it from a branch. So nice to watch the chickadees and occasional Stellar Jay snacking while I was doing dishes.

However, this free fly-in quickly became a major attraction for a cute little squirrel. At least, she was cute until she started stealing all the best seeds and peanuts. It was so easy for her to just climb the tree, run on the branch, and crawl down the nice yellow rope to the birdhouse roof - from there it was easy to shimmy onto the wire suet cage on the side and enjoy the suet block, then into the house itself for seeds and nuts.

So Howard changed the rope to wire, as squirrels can't shimmy down wire. I found that was true - this one didn't even attempt it. However, this is when she perfected the jump from limb to roof. I guess she was glad she had nice sharp hanging-on nails so she wouldn't just bounce from the roof to the ground.

Until of course, he moved the birdhouse farther out the limb of the tree,  making a jump virtuously impossible - one would think. But no, after climbing a couple of trees, eyeing all the possibilities of closest trunks, nearest branches - what ones would give the best spring-off points - she found a way.

But did Howard give up? No. He then attached a long and narrow piece of metal to the end of the branch -

- and hung the birdhouse from that.

So, you may wonder, did that work? Nope. Steve came down while he was doing this, and took great joy in running out with legs and arms flying whenever the squirrel landed inside, at one point waving a garden rake madly. I really thought I had caught a better video than this ... but I was laughing so madly it's a wonder I got this much.

And then I had to leave for work, unfortunately. However, when I got home, I saw a big metal pole in the yard - with the birdhouse perched on top. Howard said if I went upstairs I could look into it through the bedroom window. I only wondered how I was ever going to get bird food into it - however, by standing on Howard's bucket and hanging onto the pole, I can just barely manage to waitress this particular restaurant.

And if I ever want to start pole dancing - we're all prepared.