(Actually now with PhD, but Doctor of Philosophy just doesn't have the same evil ring, does it?)The weather was very strange and beautiful--just at freezing, and foggy, which produced ice crystal formations over all the trees (see below).
Of course I always have peanuts in my purse, so I dragged him over to the quad where he discovered the joy of hand-feeding squirrels.
First tentative squirrel approach:
I somehow "forgot" to mention to him that rather than holding peanuts out on the palm of one's hand, as for a horse, one must stick the peanut out between finger and thumb. Squirrels have terrible vision, and if your fingers smell like peanuts, they will think the first thing they encounter sticking out is the peanut. This led to a minor nibble. However, TheLimey was very brave and persevered in the feeding attempts.
He may have been paying the squirrels back for the nibble with this bit of squirrel teasing.
(Whereas I will actively go out of my way in order to get the peanuts to the squirrels:)
A serious and scientific examination of the curious crystals:
(Answer: it's H2O!!)
8 comments:
I'm always so glad to see somebody feeding the squirrels (wish we had squirrels here). It always makes me feel like all is right with the world.
Spoken like a true squirrel.
PS: I had no idea you didn't actually have squirrels there! Aren't they everywhere? (What on earth do you do for small tree-dwelling rodents?)
Alack, no, almost no tree-dwelling rodents. I did once see a chipmunk in a tree in the City, and got so excited at the rare site that I squeaked "Hi!" at it too many times and it freaked and never came back...
There are squirrels in Prince Albert National Park, two hours north, and Calgary, AB, is chockablock with squirrels (6 hours West), but we are a squirrel-free zone. Sigh. (Aside from me.)
Motherhood has made me a bad speller. I meant "rare sight"...
Frankly, I'm aghast. A world without squirrels is a sad place indeed. I really like the black squirrels of Toronto and East Lansing. (Perhaps I'm exoticizing them.) Also the fierce little red ones.
Those chipmunks! I doubt your greetings scared him/her off. They're just flighty like that, even the campus ones who come out for snacks.
Perhaps we could colonize Saskatoon with squirrels? You could mail me one! (In a comfortable, airy, pet box, of course.)
That sounds extremely legal. (And also very fun!)
I can see it on my permanent record now: "Convicted of international squirrel-smuggling, 2005."
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