Thursday, September 16, 2010

...Bell Tolls, II

Like I said, I have an explanation. The summer was hot. Other varmints popped up. A chipmunk turned the front garden into his own 18 hole golf course. (Not my fault! I'm barred from going in the garden. How can I defend territory I can't patrol??!??!)
One day, though, the border collie toddles over and says, "You notice anything strange about the ash tree in the backyard?"



Well, I headed back there are circled the tree a couple of times. I gave it a power sniff up and down the fat stem. Nothing. The border collie, I was beginning to realize, was just having one of his crazy old dog episodes. Clean as a whistle, I snorted when I got back in the house. The border collie looked up from his Real Simple magazine, pushed his reader glasses up his nose, and said, "Just stand back there and listen, MacGyver."

I sighed, trudged back out to the yard and cocked an ear. I heard scurrying. More than usual. Muffled conversation. A radio playing Top 40 music very very softly. It was all coming from overhead. What the???!??! I panned my gaze up the fat stem, real slow, like Peckenpaugh. And. There. It. Was.



A nest.

Filled with squirrels.

On my turf.



Which has something to do with how I got this. Which is a story for next time.

8 comments:

  1. wow, man, injured in the line of duty!!! i await the next installment.

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  2. If that's what happened to your nose, I can't wait to see the squirrel.

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  3. Boy Riley T,don't you just hate when you rub the paint off your nose in the line of duty? As if a guy gets credit for trying anyway. BTW, does the border collie use that neat monthly "to do" list in the back of the Real Simple magazine for his vacation plans, doctor appts., punch list for you?

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  4. Owie! Hope the border collie gave it a kiss to make it well.

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  5. I feel much the same way about squirrels Riley. Living right next to a park - there are millions of the little devils dancing through the trees (nice) and digging up my careful planting (baaad). The sight of that nest - I sympathise! What an affront to your dogginess!

    Your poor nose, ouch ouch :-(

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  6. he keeps re-injuring his nose, too. poor guy. it's still bright pink and raw. i wonder if the same squirrel hides in the same place every morning and jumps out with a carrot-scraper and goes at it?

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  7. the dog next door, Allie, she traps them and then her owner puts them on the back of his bike (wizard of oz toto in basket style) and drops them off in another part of town.

    He finally realized they were coming back when he trapped one with a missing tail -- three times.

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