And The Winner Is..............................

It was quite a chore sitting on my limb all night because the weather decided to brings lots of that there white stuff you humans call snow.I'm really excited to hear the name I will be called .So what is it?

Let me say first that I liked all the names submitted on our blog.One name stuck out with me through all the time coming up to this moment. And the winner is Jeannie with her submitted name. Wally is it. Congratulations Jeannie you are the winner! Look for your package to arrive soon. Love one and all.

Facts On Squirrels

Say Cheese!

Tomorrow is decision day! I can't wait to finally get a name.Which one will be chosen? Tune in tomorrow 1:00pm.I will be waiting right here on this tree limb in anticipation.Don't hesitate to scroll down to get information on me as a squirrel.Do I get to get information on the human?

Our name "squirrel" comes from the Greek "skiouros" which means "We who sit in the shadow of our tail."We are common rodents that have hairy tails and strong hind legs.There are three types: tree squirrels (with bushy tails), ground squirrels ( with a non-bushy tail), and flying squirrels ( who cannot really fly, but can glide up to 150 feet using a flap of skin).

We range in size from 5 to 36 inches long (including a long tail). Tree squirrels range from the size of a mouse to the size of a house cat and vary greatly in color.The biggest squirrel is the Indian Giant Squirrel. Our babies are born in nests; they are blind and hairless at birth.

Squirrels are omnivores (we eat plants and meat).We eat seeds, nuts, leaves, bulbs, roots, mushrooms, insects, worms, eggs, small birds, and other small animals. Did you know that a nut isn't a nut? Its a bean.Please don't feed me peanuts they will make me sick.

A typical squirrel has the brain the size of a walnut, which seems small until you consider the size of my head( big brains for figuring out how to get to that feeder!).

A tree squirrel actually has sweat glands on the bottoms of our feet and when we are excited, we have been known to leave sweaty palm prints behind.Our sweat contains a scent that we use to mark our territory or to help us find our secret stash of nuts in the winter. Before burying a nut, we crack it with our teeth and then clean it off with our hands or rub it on our face to mark the nut with our own "perfume of squirrel."Have you ever wondered what perfume of squirrel smells like?

We use our tails for communication, balance, warmth, shade, and to keep the rain off of our heads.The tail is used as a rudder when we leap and as a parachute when it drops.

Squirrels can also swim.We know how to dogpaddle,and we use our tails as a rudder.

The mating ritual of the squirrel is a noisy, high paced affair. A female will mate only once with an individual male, thereby eliminating inbreeding. Once the act is over, the male takes off, leaving the female to do all the work.She will build a nest of sticks and leaves, lined with fur or some other soft material, high up in a tree. The nest is called a "drey ".

A squirrel has 22 teeth. Incisors feature a hard layer of enamel that keeps teeth sharp. All food is bitten or shredded with incisors, and molars are used to grind the food.Our handlike forepaws are used for holding food.

Squirrels eyes are positioned to allow us to see to the front, sides and from above without moving our heads.

Squirrels have an acute sense of sound although it is not our primary source of information gathering.

In addition to the tree squirrels, our family includes the ground squirrel, chipmunk, marmot, woodchudk, prairie dog, and flying squirrel.

Light, swift, and agile, tree squirrels leap from branch to branch and scurry up and down trees using our sharp claws to dig into the trunk;we always descend head first.

Tree squirrels do not hibernate. Squirrels are the most active in late winter, when the mating season begins. Babies are usually born in the early spring.The average litter consists of four.A baby squirrel weighs approximately one ounce at birth, and is about one inch long.In the summer squirrels are most active two to three hours after sunrise, then we'll rest up resuming activity again two hours before sunset. During winter storms, or severe cold, the squirrel may not leave the nest for days An adult squirrel normally lives alone. But will, in severe cold, share its nest with others for heat. Once the temperature rises, the guests will be on their way.

Squirrels communicate through a series of chirps.I fully believe the other day dad's squirrel friend was talking to me with his tail.He sat there on his limb moving his tail back and forth while staring me down.If only I knew squirrel talk!

Human Sightings

Squirrel News

Dad's squirrel friend needs a name.I would love to have several suggestions from all of you.The name I choose,the giver will receive a prize in the mail.Get your thinking caps on and send some ideas.It has become a daily happening with our friend coming and sitting in the front or side tree trying to get our attention.This peticular day he had a friend with him for the whole time.Its said that in late winter squirrels do their mating with each other so my guess is this was a pair.Its also asked,how do you tell a male from a female?The only way is to take the squirrel and turn him upside down and check.These pictures I took this day show Dad's friend quite clearly to be the male.I do believe Dad's friend could become a papa this spring for either the first time or who knows maybe the 10th time.

After I had given the two squirrels several crackers believing them to be quite full,I found one of them peering out at me from inside the trash can.I guess I had better be careful when I go out to the trash to throw some trash in.I might have a surprise waiting for me.

Said the spider to the fly......Thank goodness there was a window screen between Misty and the two squirrels.

Crackers are being enjoyed for the moment.

Dad's squirrel friend won't go hungry this winter and Larry will enjoy receiving the quite heavy walnut cuttings from the chosen tree.

In december when Dad came to our home in Grand Rapids,the two of us had some fun going over to our walnut grove.We trudged through the prickly brush,stepped on and over alot of fallen walnut branches and gathered lots of walnuts laying all over the ground cover.The ground was quite damp and mushy squishing up mud pockets on our shoes but we continued until we felt we had all we needed for our squirrel friend.We made three trips back and forth the last two trips we took the chain saw with us for our walnut tree cuttings.

Artic Blizzard Of 2007

Old man winter has made up for lost time in Grand Rapids.Dad's friend apparently lost track of his buried nuts under all this snow.He gladly accepted a cookie from my hand and devoured it within minutes.I haven't seen him come to the door since this but I believe he is the one who I have seen doing the high wire act out in front of the house.

RuthAnn and I took a few minutes to enjoy the bench swing,ending up with two wet butts.Oh how beautiful the snow is.It was so artic cold outdoors that it only took minutes before the cold had us scampering back into the house.

Snow blowers were pulled out of the garages several times during the weekend. Attempting the drive up to the corner store we met with snow covered roads and white out.The artic cold was no help to the snow plows that were releasing sand and salt to the roads to make them driveable.The news people were suggesting that people stay off the roads if at all possible.They were telling people if they had no choice in the matter to at least have a survival kit and blankets in case of emergency and not to leave their vehicle.There won't be any sun bathing on these recliners for quite a while.Three mornings in a row we would wake up to a fresh new mound of snow leaving it look as if we had never gotten our snowblower out.The snow was building up on the roof of our house so much that I at one point got our roof snow remover out.

Anyone for a ride?Everytime we went back into the house we would be all snow covered.

Chuck finally showed me how to use his snowblower and I enjoyed it for about 5 minutes before handing it back to him.As I began snowblowing I had decided I would show Chuck that I could do it without ending up all snow.I found out to my dismay that it wasn't in how he was turning the nozzle to send out the snow.There is no escape from becoming a snow bunny.I would turn the nozzle in the direction the wind was blowing and low and behold the snowblower would end up throwing snow back into your face.Now I know why he wears his face masks.I wore one and still walked back into the house with a red,frozen snow filled face.

What a beautiful winter wonderland!Now its time for all of it to melt and disappear so I can get my firepit out once more.Anyone want any of our snow?I will mail it Fed Ex.From our house to yours,goodnight.

Happy Birthday Girls

We have two birthday girls!RuthAnn is 5 and Hannah is 11.Wow their growing up before our eyes. The next pictures will be of their weddings.Emma has decided to take the slide a different way. What fun we had at Chuckie Cheese with our birthday girls and a few friends of Hannah's. Whether you just went for pizza and cake or a great big hug from Chuckie Cheese fun was had. Annette and I are getting alittle more smooth with helping the night go along with organization. They had gotten there earlier then us so with a few early tokens the girls enjoyed the games and rides. As we arrived,Annette and I strolled over to the ordering counter and ordered the pizza and drinks that would soon fill stomachs. Lots of nice presents were unwrapped and then as they all went to do more games and rides Annette and I cleaned up. Cake was cut,put on plates and placed where people had been sitting to await everyone returning for dessert. Later everyone walked out to their cars feeling happy to return to their homes for the night. When we got home Bryan was sitting here on the computer so I gave him the last of the pizza and cake from the party. Emma is the next birthday girl in April.As our kids get older so must we. Oh the pain of getting older!Its all in the Lord's order of life. Your as young as you feel,thank goodness for vitamins that help give us that pep and energy,vim and vigor. What pills do you take? Bryan looked at my pill box at all the different ones and blu a gaskit. What on earth mom! Oh their just my vitamins that keep me well and alive. Calcium, Multi Vitamin, LLysin, Estrovan and St.John's Wart. Am I forgetting any? Oh yeh!!!!!!!!!! No!!!!!!!!!!!!!. The only other things are the bottle of aspirin for my headaches and Extra Strength Tums for the tum tum.