Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Kickin' It With The Cat

I forgot to mention that Tony Peanut also likes to to hang out with our cat.



You can't see her in these photos, but the cat is sitting behind the screen in the balcony window.



I often find him sunning himself there in the late afternoon. The cat knows Tony and sits in the window mewing and purring when she sees him. She really seems to like his company!

Like most things about Tony Peanut, I am both mystified and intrigued by this behavior. He really is a one-of-a-kind squirrel!

Monday, August 25, 2008

Squirrel Meets Puppy

Once the excitement of bringing a new puppy home had subsided, we wondered what effect this would have on Tony Peanut. Since Milo's crate is next to the back door and close to the peanut bowl, it wouldn't take long for Tony to become aware of the newest family member. When two or three days had gone by with no sign of our resident squirrel, we worried that he'd seen us taking the puppy out on walks and had decided the backyard wasn't big enough for both of them.

But on the fourth day after Milo's homecoming Tony was at his usual post. Happily, I welcomed him back with peanut after peanut handed through the door while Milo watched quietly from his crate.

It wasn't clear if Tony knew about Milo yet. So I opened the door wider, stepped back and waited to see what would happen. Would Tony's natural instinct warn him to steer clear of potential danger? Or would the lure of the peanut bowl override his better judgment?

The peanut bowl won. The historical moment is captured below.

As Tony scoots toward the peanut bowl, he spots the puppy for the first time. Milo calmly gazes out at Tony, as if being sized up by a demented black squirrel is the most natural thing in the world!

Tony grabs a peanut, sits back and leisurely cracks it open as he assesses the situation. He seems to know that he's perfectly safe as long as Milo is in his crate!


A week later, business is still brisk at the peanut bowl, and Milo has become canis non grata as far as Tony is concerned. Judging from the look of things, Milo couldn't care less.

Monday, August 18, 2008

Mr. Mellow Yellow

Milo is home at last!

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Reaping His Reward


On Sunday, I decided to tag along on a two-day business trip with Mr. Michigander.

As we drove to the job site two states away, both of us wondered how Tony Peanut would react to our absence. It was the first time in months that both of us would be away from home at the same time for more than a day, so we really didn't know what to expect. Would severe peanut withdrawal set in? Would Tony's dreaded other alter ego Squirrelly Brain be unleashed upon our empty house and allow no window screen to remain unmolested ?


When we returned home last night, the house and window screens were just as we'd left them. Feeling a little guilty, I offered Tony unlimited "all-you-can-eat" access to the peanut bowl today. He happily accepted.

Friday, August 8, 2008

Kamikaze Squirrel



Tony Peanut has left for the day and Kamikaze Tony has taken his place!

While I am busy working at my computer, those peanuts aren't coming out the door fast enough. Kamikaze Tony is not pleased about this. Kamikaze Tony doesn't understand that somebody has to pay for those peanuts. Kamikaze Tony lets me know of his displeasure by taking running leaps at the double windows, which are about five feet above the ground.

All morning long and most of the afternoon, my concentration has been broken by the steady thunk! of squirrel meeting glass (or the plop of squirrel meeting dirt when Kamikaze Tony misses). Note that I have not put the screens back in the windows. No problem. Kamikaze Tony just grabs on to the window frame while he peers in to see what's going on. Gradually, he slides down the slippery frame until he reaches the window ledge. Then Kamikaze Tony leaps to the ground and does it all over again!

Thursday, August 7, 2008

Catching Some Rays

Now that the storm has passed, it's time to preen a bit, fluff up those feathers, enjoy a dust bath and soak up some rays!

Whoops...Mama Turkey has spotted me. Gathering up her poults, she stalks off with them in tow to find a little privacy.

The poults have grown rapidly and now resemble miniature versions of Mama. These youngsters will soon be approaching the end of their brief childhood. In the fall, the male poults will leave their mother to join the male flock, while the female poults will remain with Mama until the following spring. At that time, they'll be ready to breed--and the cycle will continue.

Waterspouts Over South Haven!

As far back as I can remember, I have been utterly fascinated by weather phenomenon.

Around lunchtime, we went from clear blue skies to a torrential downpour within minutes. The rain fell so hard and so fast that the lower-lying areas of the yard were instantly flooded. Glancing out the window toward the west, I noticed that the sky looked "weird"-- an ominous gray with tinges of green. Having lived in Florida for a couple of years, I knew that could mean only one thing: Tornadic weather.

Then this severe weather alert popped up on my screen:
AT 112 PM...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING WATERSPOUTS FROM 7 NM SOUTHWEST
OF THE SAUGATUCK PIERHEADS TO THE SOUTH HAVEN LIGHT...MOVING SOUTH
AT 25 KNOTS.

WATERSPOUTS CAN EASILY OVERTURN BOATS AND CREATE LOCALLY HAZARDOUS
SEAS. SEEK SAFE HARBOR IMMEDIATELY.
Several waterspouts had been spotted along the Lake Michigan shore from Grand Haven to St. Joseph, including a couple that were spotted by South Haven beach goers. One of these waterspouts (pictured above) reportedly came on shore but dissipated after a few minutes. So far, no damage or injuries have been reported.

While these tornadoes over water aren't rare on Lake Michigan, they occur infrequently enough to create a stir of excitement in our community!

Just before the storm struck, Tony Peanut, who had always appeared oblivious to the weather, scrambled for cover beneath the deck and didn't emerge until the storm had passed. Is it possible that squirrels can sense when a tornado is approaching?

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The Opportunist



Tony Peanut has been arriving later than usual these past few mornings. And Brindle the Opportunist has taken note.

Squirrel society has a well-defined social hierarchy. Squirrels are not social creatures and not very tolerant of each other or any other critters that share their turf. The only time squirrels come together voluntarily is to mate or to share winter dens for warmth.

Among the 30 or so squirrels we know at A House In The Woods, it quickly becomes apparent who stands where on the squirrel social totem pole. Tony is the Big Chief Kahuna at the top. Brindle is farther down this totem pole--way at the bottom.

Brindle spends most of his time lurking in the woods just behind the deck, waiting for his chance. The moment Tony runs off to bury a peanut or to catch a siesta in his favorite tree, Brindle creeps up to the deck for a handout.

Brinny is an especially timid squirrel. Even after months of taking peanuts from my hand, he is skittish and needs time to work up his courage. This invariably is his downfall, because just as Brindle is tucking into his peanut, an enraged Tony shows up. With an infuriated rush and a good many nips, he chases Brinny off the deck and back into the woods, squealing all the way.

The moment Tony leaves, Brindle is back again. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.

Sometimes, in a brazen act of unthinking foolishness, Brindle scampers up for a peanut right under Tony's nose, with predictable results. Brinny gets his pants kicked and is once again sent packing, empty-handed He may not be too bright, but he sure is brave!

Brindle isn't the only offender, but he is the most persistent. And it annoys Tony to no end that Brindle just refuses to learn his place!

It's good to be the king--but it's not easy when someone is trying to steal your nuts!

Backyard Visitors

Here are just some of the visitors who passed through our yard yesterday:



Shy Guy



A fawn


A new friend


Turkey poults


And Tony Peanut of course!

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Puppy Countdown

The population of A House In The Woods will increase by one when we bring this little guy home on August 15th. Here Milo is just 6 1/2 weeks old!

The Sacred Peanut Bowl


This sacred object is more than just a humble plastic bowl I picked up at Walmart ($1.79). With its seemingly exhaustless supply of peanuts, it's the holy grail and siren song that lures squirrels and raccoons to our back door. Even the wild turkeys drop by just to snarf up the piles of discarded shells left behind by the squirrels and raccoons. Behold, the center of our universe here at A House In The Woods!

Sunday, August 3, 2008

Life's Good When You're Tony Peanut



It's an impossibly beautiful Sunday with Chicago-blue skies and temps in the upper 70's/lower 80's. I'm going to follow Tony's example and spend an hour or so in the hammock with a good book.

Life is good indeed!