This morning, just like every other morning, there was a squirrel in our backyard burying a winter treat for itself.
We have lots of squirrels in our backyard because a family lives in our tree. But they usually can’t gallivant in our yard too long because our yard is Judy territory and she herds all the critters (birds, bees, cats, or children) out and away.
Same routine as every other early morning, I open the door to let her out and she quietly tip toes out onto the back steps and surveys the yard. Look right look left look straight ahead. If she sees something she focuses and quietly takes her stance, head slightly down and eyes locked. She does NOT break her focus.
This morning it was on that fat squirrel burying a winter treat about thirty feet straight ahead.
She silently watches and waits. Waits for what, I do not know — the squirrel to make a move, come closer, get a friend? I don’t know.
But then she darts off the steps and goes for it. I usually don’t worry too much when she does this (stalking and chasing another helpless animal)…because, let’s be honest, I feel guilty that she doesn’t get to herd sheep for a living. We took that away from her when we brought her home to our house. I am so sorry Judy!
So I am not worried for the birds she chases away because well, they can fly. And the bees, well, they can fly too. And the cats, well, they are so confident and proud I think they walk by our yard slower on purpose — just to piss Judy off! GO CATS! Now, the squirrels are a bit of a wild-card. They can be very quick but most of the time they take the longest route out of the yard — around the table, in the garden, around the chair, and finally up and over the fence.
This morning was not unlike any other morning, there was one squirrel calmly burying a treat in our yard. But as Judy quietly tip toed out onto the steps I noticed the squirrel was VERY fat and it did not hear us open the back door. And then before I could stop her, she was off, off to the races, as she rounded the squirrel and opened her mouth – I let out a scream! NO Judy! NOOOOOO! This fat squirrel was running for its life and Judy was darting and pivoting like I had never seen her before. They were neck and neck (actually, tail and mouth) and I kept screaming – NOOOOOOO! The squirrel was making bad choices and because it was so fat definitely not moving as fast AND it couldn’t fit through the chain link fence holes. I feared that this squirrel might be the one that didn’t make it. I never thought this would happen. Judy was going to catch this squirrel, and she was going to bite it, eat it, kill it??? I didn’t know and I was freaking out — it was seven in the morning and I was screaming in my backyard.
Luckily, there is a happy ending to this story and it belongs to that fat squirrel! It escaped by the narrowest of margins under the back gate (of course, taking the longest way out of the yard) and Judy probably got the thrill of her life.
Well, at least until tomorrow morning!
