I have but one batch of photos left, and I’ll save them. But if you have some, be sure to send them in. In lieur of wildlife photos, I’ll substitute two items of local interest.
First, two pictures of consorting with my squirrels at Botany Pond. Since I’m oten there feeding or tending ducks, the resident squirrels (there are three) have sussed me out as a source of food. And, sure enough, I have bought good stuff to give them: walnuts in the shell, shelled almonds, and roasted but unsalted peanuts (I have to worry about their blood pressure).
Over a few months I have tamed them, starting with introducing them to walnuts (there’s nothing like seeing a squirrel’s first encounter with a walnut!), and then gradually allowing them to get closer. Finally, I’ve trained them to crawl up my body to get a nut or eat from my hand when I’m sititng down, as in the photos below. Having been severely bitten by a baby squirrel years ago, I proceeded very gradually, rebuking them when they gently nibbled my fingers. These photos are the result of several months of labor.
Now we are friends, and for the first time this week one of them allowed me to pet her. (She’s a lactating female.) When I was feeding her, a kind lady sitting on the facing bench took photos, and asked me if I wanted them. Of course I said yes, and here are two. In the first, the squirrel (unnamed) crawls onto my shoulder, and in the second I am petting a squirrel while she gets a nut.
Yes, I know it’s weird; you don’t have to tell me.
Madame Squirrel gets a peanut:
They have very soft fur:
Last night I was woken up at 1:40 in the morning, but didn’t know why, as I was sleeping well. Then I saw lights flashing on and off in my crib, like lights on a fire engine or police car. They were very regular, and so I prowled around to find the source. It took me a while to realize that they weren’t in my place, but coming from the outside. I went out on the balcony (just the landing of a fire escape) and saw repeated and semi-regular flashing behind the clouds. It must have been lightning, but there was no thunder.
I groggily found my iPhone and filmed some of the atmospheric fracas, which went on for a long time. Here is a bit over a minute of it, which I posted on YouTube (it briefly goes out of focus). The sound is on, but you won’t hear thunder.
It was cloudy, so you can’t see the lights of downtown.
Looking for “lightning, June 6” on the Internet, I found one video taken near downtown Chicago. Here you can see the lightning. The poster describes it as an “epic lightening storm”: There’s also a video similar to mine on reddit.
From Facebook:
It was quite a storm, but the rain has abated, so graduation this morning will be cloudy but dry.
A delightful post to find in the morning. Re the storm video — maybe no thunder but I could hear a Northern Cardinal at ~32 seconds. Living in Oregon now, I miss the song.
Feeding squirrels is not weird at all! My maternal grandfather (1889-1976), a medical doctor whose office was downstairs of the house ($5.00 per visit—I remember the sign), used to go outside after every meal to feed crumbs from the table to the birds. They knew him and gathered in the driveway at mealtime. I can still hear him say “I’m going down to feed the birds.” Feeding the birds was as much a part of eating at my grandparents’ place as was spreading “oleo” onto the bread.
Unshelled walnuts! Your squirrels are really living the high life. Well, at least you weren’t awoken by the voice of God.
Your squirrel friend is adorable.
The best lightening storm I ever saw was on the coast of Southern California. The lightning was PURPLE.
Lots of violent lightning storms where I live in the land of Oz. I’ve been temporarily blinded twice by close lightning strikes that happened right in front of me. I used to love lightning displays but ever since being struck on a mountaintop in China I am afraid of lightning when it gets close.
Lightning storms are quite rare in Southern California (where I lived long ago) so Lady Mondegreen was quite lucky to have seen one there!
What super powers does one get when one becomes a were squirrel? Apropos of nothing….