Baby Squirrels

DAY 59. Wendy's Arm!
Saturday, 14 September 2002

Today the squirrels learned to jump on and off my arm! They enjoyed having me move them a foot or two to a new location. If I travel further than that, they became agitated. "Eek! We are moving into the vast unknown!"

Rock leaves a trail of urine everywhere he goes. He's definitely the top squirrel, and he's marking his territory Whenever Paper tries to leave the nest box, he jumps in front of her, or bats at her! But he and Scissors have a truce. They play all the time, and Scissors lets Rock have his way when it comes to getting the first bite of food.

The squirrels are practicing jumping now. When danger is near, such as a loud voice, a cat, or the sound of a distant truck, they all freeze!. If the event is really alarming, such as a person moving quickly near the cage, or an airplane passing overhead, they dive into their nest in one single second!

This trepidation is not a passing fad. They need to be alert and cautious to survive the many dangers in the wilderness of our yards. Cats and hawks and dogs can carry them away. They are not taking any chances!

By the way, the American Flag in the background of the pictures was included free in a Circuit City bag. I hung it on the squirrel cage to protect them from the sun.