Watch Out, Sparky

I was about to pound on the window for umpteenth time, when I stopped myself.

public domain image

Instead, I watched the squirrel's antics as he contorted his body to try and get at the bird seed in my feeder. 

I had to laugh. 

On the one hand, he was a jerk for eating my birdseed. On the other, he was just so stinking entertaining, I had to give him his props.

The birdhouse suspends from a wire on a metal hook, so it was swinging back and forth as Sparky (as we'll call him) was hanging on for dear life while poking at the tiny holes in the feeder to access the seed. (I had intentionally chosen a birdhouse with small feeder holes, so the birds could get the seed but it would be tough for a squirrel to do so.)

I'm not sure if he ever did get a snack out of the deal, or if he decided the effort was too much and gave up. I've seen a series of squirrels try, with mixed success.

At one point, it occurred to me that maybe I should be more like a squirrel. They really leave it all on the table. They play hard, work hard and just go balls out every day.

On the other hand, they're not so good in traffic. Their erratic, indecisive nature makes them an unfortunate target for large vehicles. 

Which brings to mind Mr. Ginley's admonition to squirrels as they dart in front of our car when we're driving along city streets.

He proclaims in a lighthearted tone of voice, "Watch out, Sparky, we wouldn't want to have to kill you!"

Sparky, you've been put on notice.