The family moved to our neighborhood in the late 1970s, when the houses were about three years old, the trees were tiny, and no one had fences. The area had previously ben a farm. We were overrun with rabbits. We had a lawn, but we couldn't grow anything without it being eaten to the ground by the bunnies.
Over time, the trees grew taller, there was much more shade, and the rabbits gave over to the squirrels.
I grew up partly in Connecticut. Our house was at the end of the street, on what appeared to be a small hill, but was actually a boulder. Southwestern Connecticut is full of rocks, as is much of New England. Dipping down on the back and one side of the back lawn was a woods with very tall trees that surrounded the yard. It was a great place for kids to play and also for the squirrels.
We had a cat and dog, a dachshund, at the time. Our dog was kept on a long chain when she was out, but we let our cat roam the neighborhood. (He was fixed - no kittens!) There were a number of cats who had homes, but who patrolled the area without restraint. And no, I wouldn't let a cat do that today.
The squirrels, up in their tall trees, loved to harass and tease both the dog and cat by throwing hickory nut shells down on them. Our cat would pretend indifference, looking around with that cat insouciance. Our dog, on the other hand, would race around barking in indignation.
Fast forward -- when my husband and I bought our house, it was in a fairly new suburb of Chicago that had previously been farm land. The neighborhood was filled with rabbits. It was very difficult to grow anything because the rabbits ate everything was soon as it came up.
Over the years, the trees got larger, the rabbits went somewhere else, and the squirrels moved in. There was one year that squirrels tried to chew their way into our attic, but we were able to take care of that. We still have squirrels but they stay in the trees. I find them fun to watch. One year I happened to see three babies emerge from their nest for the first time and scamper down the tree after their mom. It was adorable.
I still like to watch the squirrels. There are two, sometimes three, who hang out here. I'm retired; I can drink my coffee, read the paper, and observe the squirrels.
Such lovely recollections of the past segueing into the current. I am a recent retiree. My new morning routine is also of coffee, emails, and news, but I have a schoolyard nearby, so I watch little ones at play instead of squirrels.
ReplyDeleteThis made me think of one of the comic strips I read where two squirrels sit in a tree and throw acorns at the cog, cat, and people. I think it is Mutts. We live across the street from the park, so squirrels often visit our bird feeders. arjeha
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