Squirrels

Springtime brings a lot of exciting things: the flowers bloom, new foals are born, and the bird begin flying back from the south. Spring also means rain, something I love listening to when it falls and would rather have around than snow. Though, for me, springtime means that the squirrels will finally start running around the stables again. Of course, you see them every now and then here during the winter months, however their visits are far and few, rather staying and sleeping for most of the winter than going outside. Once springtime hits, however, they are out in full force, looking for food to feed their young. They scurry in and out of the barn from spring to autumn, giving me much needed entertainment when the usual barn gossip runs dry.

I find squirrels to be adorable, which is definitely contrary to popular belief here. The staff hate them, the small rodents stealing most of the seeds from the bird feeders before the birds themselves can get to it, not to mention they chew the sides of the barn and get into the attic, leaving droppings on the hay stored within it's recesses. They have also been known to try and pick at our own feed, but luckily Eridani and Levi are there to scare them off before they even decide to lay their little hands on it. I myself secretly like knock feed out of my own bucket and fling it to them when know one is looking, watching happily as they pick it up and nibble at it. It's the cutest thing ever, and I can't help but squeal sometimes when they stuff lots of it into their cheeks and run off with it.

The worst part about loving squirrels is the fact that my large size is quite intimidating to them- every time I try to get close to one it bolts off into the bushes on the other side of the fence, scrambling up the tall oak trees and jostling acorns from their branches. The pain of acorns hitting my head is nothing compared to the how my heart feels after I frighten one, and sometimes it cuts so deeply that I mope around the barn for days on end. Throwing a pity party for myself never helps in the end, so I continue to try and befriend them, resorting to throwing my grain closer to my stall door so that they have no choice but to draw nearer.

Now that Spring has finally arrived, I am sure that there will be plenty of hungry mouths to feed, and I will try my best to make sure that every squirrel I see gets something to take home with them. Even though I get yelled at a lot for doing so, I will stop at nothing to make sure that they see me as a trusted ally, a friend. Hey, maybe one day they will even decide to climb on my back for a ride, wouldn't that be nice! Until then, however, I will continue doing what I do best - being their number one fan.