There are such things as flying squirrels and I have a family of them living in my garden.
They were probably born in my chimney this Spring while I was in England. Signs of a hasty escape in my siding, when the babies were grown, add credence to my suspicions.
My outlook from the office is of a large Oak tree with it’s new, cleverly camouflaged, tree face whistling at me from the trunk.
Behind it is a field of similar trees and during the leafy summer I spot the squirrels flinging themselves, racing and chasing, through the foliage making a swishing sound like a waterfall.
As I sit in this metal clad room overlooking the pool I’ll hear a thud as a squirrel lands from another tree at the side of the house onto the roof. Its little paws thump as it races down the length of the tin before silence erupts.
I stand and catch sight of the little white underbody of the flying squirrel as it sails overhead with limbs outstretched and tail quivering and performs a precarious balancing act on supple branches.
Usually the mad dash across the roof has been spurred on by a fellow squirrel or two in hot pursuit because no sooner is there a lull in the clamour than another thump and pitter-patter of tiny feet sound across my roof gathering momentum as it nears the point of no return then hurls itself, all 2 lbs of fur and flesh, upwards into thin air and onto the branches of my whistling tree making them bend and sing under its weight.
I am delighted by another and another and the receiving branches sag deeply under their lightweightedness. The squirrel pauses for a moment to steady itself before racing off along the branch to the trunk making upward or downward circles, it doesn’t seem to matter.
Soon they have caught up with each other and run, single file, along the fence setting speed records only they keep up with before clambering into the adjacent tree where the excitement begins again.
There are such things as flying squirrels, thank goodness they sleep at night!
Well hello there! My name is Vivienne McNeny.
I am an empty nester exploring life as a Boomer…you could say I'm happily Boomering along!
As a homeschooling Mum I have finally quit the job of role model and mentor to my four children. I do what I want to do, eat when I feel like it, enjoy life with my blue eyed cowboy and clean my house once a month or so whether it needs it or not!
In true English form I write about the emergence of my true identity now that I can no longer hide behind my children as their Mum.
No comments so far!
Leave a Comment