Talking to the Animals

[martianmoons]

I leave for work in the morning before Sally and before Lizzy goes to school, and the past few days I have noticed 3 gray squirrels foraging on my (small) front lawn. They seem like friends (or family) because they hang out together

Comments

[whtmtnwmn]

Spiders and bunnies and squirrels, oh my!
=D

[martianmoons]

I feel very fortunate! :)

[whtmtnwmn]

It's when they start talking back that you have to worry.
;D

[martianmoons]

That must be the "Dr. Dolittle Syndrome"! ;D

[soren_grey]

Haha, I talk to squirrels, too! They just seem so interested when you stop and speak to them. They get this look of "Whaaat?" on their faces.

[martianmoons]

Ha ha, they do get that look! Although I sometimes wonder if inside their little brains they are thinking "What is that crazy human doing!?!?" ;)

[senoritafish]

I always like your stories about your "neighbors."

Fox squirrels have been appearing in our neighborhood - we never had tree squirrels before. Not native, unfortunately.

[martianmoons]

Yeah, I just read up on the fox squirrels. I am not too clear how one differentiates a gray squirrel from a fox squirrel, other that perhaps the redder coloration of the fox squirrel.

Squirrels make for interesting neighbors! Perhaps too I admire them because our very distant human ancestors were arboreal as well! ;)

Edit: Found out the difference! "Gray Squirrels are smaller and have white bellies, while Fox Squirrels have reddish-orange bellies."

[morgian_le_faye]

I talk to the squirrels on the quad, but usually it's something like, "Please don't attack me!" We have killer attack squirrels on campus. I did save a squirrel the other day though... it didn't seem to understand that the middle of the road is not the best place to eat a nut. I chased it out of the street.

[martianmoons]

I know that squirrels can get too tame, and view humans as a direct food source to be approached (not to directly eat, of course, but as a ready source of food, perhaps like a mobile tree! ;)

Seeing large rodents running up to one I can appreciate can be disconcerting! And it is so nice of you to save that squirrel from impending doom in the middle of the road! :)

[martianmoons]

I sure do remember, and am glad I was able to help you out in some way! :) I was just thinking today when I saw a very tiny and cute jumping spider at the bathroom at work, how much I really like spiders! They come in so many sizes and colors, it is really amazing! And they are so very scared of humans, all they want is to be left alone!

I have other arthropod pets since we last spoke, but these even give shudders worse than spiders for most people! So I will not tell you unless you are feeling very brave! ;)

At any rate, it is nice to hear from you! I have pretty much left LJ, for no particular reason, but who knows, might be back some day!

Wishing you all the very best in overcoming your phobias!