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[archaeomom8]

I think that what we need to do is learn to eat squirrel and rabbit. Logically, when we get a couple of barn cats, some of our rodent and related species problems should go down. Someone told me that the smartest, fastest, hunting-est dogs can be outwitted by ground squirrels. He has boundless admiration for these creatures.  They are admirable,

Comments

[normaltrouble]

You have to see Julie and Julia! I bet Julia Child could advise you on rabbits. She might not include squirrels though;)

I think up here in the ausland of Sonoma County, we're also meeting with the change of climate.
And the smart folk are prepping their vineyard now (goddess, that sounds biblical, doesn't it?) because we didn't have rain for shite this last year.

However, for this harvest, they say it's been good to great. This one.

[archaeomom8]

I will check that out.

I'm sure Julia Child could help me out! :-) The ground squirrels are pretty small, not much to eat. (Maybe that's for the best) What we call ground squirrels out here are reminiscent in size and shape to chipmunks in other parts of the country.

Yep, sounds pretty bib'ical. All that vineyard business. ;-)

I think most of the climate change fallout is hard to predict.

Things have gotten...well...unpredictable.

[senoritafish]

I know our old copy of the Joy of Cooking (60's era, probably) had diagrams on how to skin squirrels or rabbits. My father grew up during the Depression and often tells me he and his brother would go rabbit hunting after school - so much that they got sick of eating it, I'm sure he could tell you (maybe that's a story of his I should record...).

Seems like every garden community I've been reading lately, people are complaining of smaller crops, things not developing. We tried growing some carrots in a pot (a kit we got from the city "green" fair) and they've been an inch tall since May - that's probably my own ineptness though. We are having a mild El Niño right now that's expected to get stronger this coming winter, but still things are strange - ie. fishermen are catching squid here in So. Cal in summer, when normally the season is over in March and it's not around at all during an El Niño.

[archaeomom8]

I'm late to reply - hope all is well with you and yours.

Your insights from the coastal water are interesting. Things are off kilter in the Mojave too.

As for the gardens, I've followed the advice of a friend in Iowa who wraps everything with chicken wire and other metal thingies. I have some trees to go and some shrubs and bushes. It helps some. It is more help with the rabbits than the ground squirrels - one of my sons saw one of those climb up my compost bin and hurtle itself from there across the squirrel-sized abyss into my daughter's experimental garden bed which is very wired up and underground too. Everyone is hungry...

[mongorules]

Here, the ever-thrifty Pennsylvania Dutch still serve squirrel pot pie, which I have had and liked. I have never made it myself, but I think a little thyme would be good

[archaeomom8]

Hi!

Better late than never, eh? :-)

We got a kick out of this. I did some more research specifically on the antelope ground squirrel (ours) and found out that they are all-but-inedible. Very nasty they say. After living in Ohio for many years, I suspect that the Pennsylvania Dutch are eating the familiar and much larger squirrels of my childhood. Maybe as a starvation food, the antelopes would be helpful...I've copied off the recipe and we're saving it. Heh.