Squirrely

We've encountered an unseasonably warm autumn here in Michigan. Everyone has warned my husband and daughter about how cold it's going to be and how much snow we'll have compared to what they're accustomed to in Tennessee.

So instead of watching the snow fall, we've been watching the squirrels stuff their bellies. They come to forage in the pots I've failed to put up, looking for soft roots and stems to nibble on - and perhaps a stowaway acorn or two.

At some point over the last few weeks I decided to treat the squirrels to a nibble of stale bread. Our neighbor routinely feeds them and so I figure the damage is already done. What I didn't realize is that one squirrel would invite all twenty of her friends to come dine as well.

In two weeks, I've gone from having a lone squirrel forage to having three or four literally knocking on my door for scraps!

Our cats love to watch the little rodents come up to the window, and spend quite a bit of time tail swishing and pawing at the glass. Most of the day the sun is at the perfect angle so the squirrels can't see inside. But on cloudy days they can see right in, and care not for the voyeurs.

There's one sweet girl that has come close to taking a piece out of my hand, but once she smells "person" she runs away. I'm actually glad of that - and I'm sure my neighbors would be happy to not have squirrels walking up to them for treats.

I figure one half slice of bread a day for all those squirrels is plenty. Whichever is lucky enough to get the treat lucks out for the day. We don't want them to get spoiled!

Today was the first day that the snow stuck. We had a minimal amount for western Michigan - an entire 2.5 inches. That much would shut us down in Tennessee thanks to all those hills and curvy roads. The squirrels have decided to take the morning off from begging and instead are snug in their nests. We, on the other hand, are reveling in our first taste of winter.