I have about ten minutes before I have to fly out the door to go to work...trying to make it last.

I am sitting in my cumfy chair in Flying Squirrel World watching a big gray squirrel harvest the peanuts I put out last night. Been working on training the FSs to come when I come outside, thinking that if they know I am bringing peanuts, they will look forward to my visits. Last night I could not coax anyone over. The night before I had two on the maple tree and one was brave enough to take a peanut, fly off, and come back at least once. I felt like she was the older one. The younger one flew off the the oak by the dirt pile and did not return. It was interesting he went off that direction where they never go...guess he was afraid.

The FSs are very patient. They can sit still on the other side of a branch for what seems like hours while I freeze - trying to stand still under the tree, not make a noise, and listen for their claws on the bark. The brave one will sit and look at me, from way above my head and stare down...I wonder what is going on in that tiny little head.

Oh dear. Zsa Zsa the cat is now leaping back and forth between the window ledge and the work table in order to see where the big gray is going with the peanuts that I put near the window. She just lept from the work table to the top of the toasterover in order tog get over to the sink window and see if she could track him. She is certainly sure footed and hardly disturbs anything on my cluttered work table.

OOooh a red squirrel is visiting! They have not been too common this year! She is so little next to the big grays.
The gray squirrels all look kind of rough...bits of tail feathers missing, scars over an eye, lumps on a thigh, patches of fur missing...like they have all been in a fight. Litte Red is so elegant in comparison.

Did I mention it is finally snowing?
It has been below freezing for a couple weeks and the other morning I drove by the harbor and the river and they are both frozen. The ice fishermen are out drilling holes and looking like marshmallow men in their winter coveralls.

OK...off to work.
Perhaps tonight the FSs will come out when I bring the peanuts. I will report later.