Squirrel anticsMy mother once had a bird feeder that hung from a pole - supposedly a squirrel-proof construction - that was continually burgled by our little rodent friends. Finally, in a fit of pique, my normally pacific and non-devious mother determined that applying a healthy coat of vegetable shortening to the pole was in order. Later that day, we were sitting on our screen porch eating dinner, and were treated to the following spectacle:
Squirrel approaches pole from excellent vantage point on nearby branch;
Squirrel makes wonderfully graceful leap toward yummy goal;
Squirrel then proceeds to spiral down the pole at high speed, creating a barber-pole effect, and go flying off in a random direction with a surprised expression
AND THE JUDGES GIVE HIM - ALL TENS!
Being the paragon of his species, he decided to conduct further experiments in Newtonian physics, with many subsequent hysterics and spewing of food on the part of the cruel spectators. I think my Mom stopped getting invitations to SPCA events after that.
(,
Thu 16 Oct 2003, 17:06,
archived)
Squirrel approaches pole from excellent vantage point on nearby branch;
Squirrel makes wonderfully graceful leap toward yummy goal;
Squirrel then proceeds to spiral down the pole at high speed, creating a barber-pole effect, and go flying off in a random direction with a surprised expression
AND THE JUDGES GIVE HIM - ALL TENS!
Being the paragon of his species, he decided to conduct further experiments in Newtonian physics, with many subsequent hysterics and spewing of food on the part of the cruel spectators. I think my Mom stopped getting invitations to SPCA events after that.