Join us on Squirrel Patrol!

Today, I thought you might like to go out with us on squirrel patrol. When it is getting into the late afternoon, Mom FINALLY gets up from the computer and then, we know it is time to go outside for "Squirrel Patrol!" SHE calls it time to feed the horses, but WE know that it is our job to make sure those old squirrels know that we are keeping an eye on things around here!

First, we let the horses know that we are coming by yelling at Mom to hurry, and at the horses to tell them to hurry on down from the very back of the back pasture. Tuffy usually comes charging up just about the time we get into the back yard.

We do a real quick check of the "Bike Room," so called because a couple of Mom's sons used it to fix up their bikes when they were younger and lived here.

Now it is a storeroom, but the latch is broken and sometimes a squirrel will get in there, so we always check it out first because the door opens into the back yard.

While we do that, Mom & Sadie go out. Lately, Mom has made us stay in the yard at first because Mama OC almost got stepped on by Tuffy last week. She did get rolled in the dirt and was even more stiff than usual for several days. Mom was so scared that she had really been hurt, but mostly it just seemed to make Mama OC mad! She was ready to go after that big old horse and she did yell at him to, "WATCH OUT YOU BIG OAF!" Mom had to put her back in the yard that day, and she was still a bit miffed the next day, but settled down when Mom threatened to make her stay in the yard.


Anyway, we have to wait now, at the back gate until Mom feeds Tuffy so that he isn't wandering around not watching where we are going. FINALLY, after begging for our freedom for forever, it seems, the gate is opened and we are "OUT OF THERE!"

We all run out and do a super quick check of all likely fuzzy (squirrel or rabbit) hiding places. We mark the places we've been so that those fuzzies will know that we have been there, and are watching for them!

Mom feeds Tuffy by the tack/feed room, while Cory goes over to his corral to wait for his food. He knows that way, Mom can shut the door to his corral and Tuffy can't come and chase him off. By that time, Mom is getting the food out to Cory's corral. When he is done eating, HE knows how to open his own corral, so he can have free run of the pastures.

Cory knows a few tricks. That video showed him do his "small smile" trick. That's how HE begs for food.

After both horses are fed, we all head out to the back of the side pasture to check the spare auto parts pile. Very often we will find a fuzzy somewhere around there, and there will be a wild chase across the pasture!

After that, we check the old Dart of another one of Mom's sons (She has five, by the way), and often we will surprise one under there!

When we are done there, we head out to the ditch in that pasture, checking bushes and squirrel holes from the back, working toward the front pasture.

Goodness... this is taking longer to tell than it takes to do! I think I will have to finish this the next time, so I'll leave you up on the hill for now!