Baby Squirrels

DAY 65. Rock Goes Adventuring
Friday, 20 September 2002

Rock didn't come home at all last night! I hope he found a garden and a snug sleeping spot. Maybe he became lost on his second exploration away from the cage. Or Rock may have met with an accident. Or he might have been found by his mother!

Rock was weaned -- he had stopped drinking much formula four days ago. But he is only nine weeks old, and should have stayed home for another three weeks. His jaw isn't strong enough to break open walnuts yet, so he needs to have a source of "baby" food. However, it's harvest time, so he can find many things to eat in backyard gardens, and on fruit and nut trees.

Jacob had a theory that Paper might be too passive to make it in the wild, because she was so thoroughly intimidated by Rock. Now Jacob has modified his theory to include the other end of the bell curve: Rock might be too adventurous to survive for long!

Both remaining squirrels really like their new home under the bushes. Scissors jumps all over the cage, inside and out. He especially likes running up and down beneath the flag cover. He seems to miss wrestling with Rock. Paper, on the other hand, seems happier without Rock. She is out of the nest box as much as Scissors.

Paper loves to jump on my arm and go for rides around the yard! She curled up and went to sleep on my lap during her nighttime feeding, and I took her into the house and read on the couch for about an hour. But then Jacob came into the living room to tell me about his code, and Paper decided there was too much excitement for her to sleep. So I put her to bed in her own box.