Sparky Chilling Out
Haiku 283
Hey! Remember me?
Just popping by to say Hi!
How you all doing?
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It’s suddenly winter down here in Cape Town.
Although the sun is still warm during the day, it is decidedly chilly overnight.
Here is Sparky the squirrel on top of our fence, chilling out and warming up in the early morning sunshine.
White Squirrel 1
I was sitting out in my garden one morning, when I heard a splash. I looked up and saw a white thing dragging itself out of the pool. I thought at first it was a cat, then realised it was a young squirrel.
He was being chased by the resident fully grown, and much larger, grey squirrel.
White Squirrel 2
This is why the white kid had fallen in the pool on the first place – and why he looks so bedraggled in the photos, with a stringy wet tail!
I have never seen a White Squirrel before, so this was very exciting!
You probably can’t tell from these photos, but he didn’t look like an albino (no red eye), just a grey squirrel with a white coat.
White Squirrel 3
The grey squirrel continued to harry the white teenager, chasing it all over.
The white one tried to escape up the fence, but couldn’t make it and fell back down again.
I had my phone in my hand, so approached them and tried to take a photo, but they were dashing about far too quickly. So I took a few short videos. Some of the photos here are stills taken from video, which explains the poor quality.
White Squirrel 4
As I got nearer to the pair, they both suddenly stopped. (First photo) The youngster wasn’t sure what to make of me and for a moment, I seemed to be a bigger threat than the grey squirrel.
But they quickly resumed their mad chasing.
Eventually the white one managed to escape through the fence and the grey one left it.
White Squirrel 5
The grey squirrel is in the photos above, but harder to spot, which is why they aren’t usually white in the first place!
I haven’t seen the white one since and can only hope he is still alive. He wasn’t a tiny baby, so had at least survived to be a teenager.
It just goes to show, that if you sit somewhere long enough, even your own garden, all sorts of amazing things will come your way!
post script: I can’t find a wiki article on white squirrels: Shocker! But I found this informative site about White Squirrels in the USA.
Sparky 1 Says Hi
Haiku 240
Hello there my friends
Just popping by to say Hi
It has been a while
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So you might have been wondering where I’ve been?
My old laptop suddenly had serious issues and it’s taken me many, many hours to back everything up and sort things out. I had to revert to an even older laptop. Then I pestered my husband to upload the stuff I use, and generally get the computer up and running how I like.
Yesterday I finally got my act together and was ready to blog.
On top of my laptop problem, we suddenly had power cuts again; up to 3 in 24 hours, meaning no electricity for up to 7 and 1/2 hours in one day. I have no idea how my milk survived without turning sour, but was very thankful that it did.
Then our refuse was not collected; for days. There is only one collection a week, now that we all have big wheelie bins. Not ideal in a hot country! Apparently, there were truck repair problems. They do work extra hours and weekends to make up the backlog, and they are always cheerful, but it still meant the rubbish was piling up. Though we ourselves have very little actual refuse, I’d filled our bin up with garden clippings, and was wondering if I’d have to remove some of this to make space for actual rubbish; but then they came. I was surprised how happy this made me!
Sparky 2 Wassup?
South Africa also continues with Lockdown; now at day 306! During that time, we have moved from the severest restrictions, when not even allowed to walk your dog, to less severe and now back to somewhere in the middle. Alcohol sales are once again banned; the final nail in the coffin for the wine, beer and restaurant industries. There is a curfew from 9pm to 5am and we are not allowed access to parks – or the beaches. You can imagine how hard that has been during our very hottest summer months. SA also seems to have a second more serious Corona variant, though I am sure many countries will have more than one variety.
With the constant underlying Corona stress and all the rest, it is no wonder I find myself walking round with a clenched jaw!
Dealing with the following:
Corona virus, special edition
No power
Rubbish piling up
No alcohol
No laptop
.
Sparky 3 Hanging in there!
But like Sparky clinging on to the grape vine with two little paws, I’m still hanging in here!
And I hope you are too!
Sparky and the Monkey Nut 1
Haiku 239
The nutty squirrel
Executes a smash and grab
Desperate measures
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Several different squirrels come by my garden to eat the seeds I put out. Most of them know to hop right up onto the upturned green container.
Clearly this youngster hadn’t got the memo!
I watched in amazement from my seat nearby under the shade of the tree.
Sparky 2
Obviously little Sparky could smell the food, but he wasn’t sure how to get to it. Even the pigeon in the bottom left hand corner of the photo wondered what was wrong with Sparky!
The plan Sparky came up with?
Climb into the mini hedge next to the food. Scramble up inside the tangled branches. Pop out at the top end. Stretch!
Success! Grab the monkey nut. Stuff it in your mouth. Exit the scene. This proved a little harder than entering as Sparky had to push himself back up into the hedge, against gravity!
This is the action shot I got above!
Once he’d procured the monkey nut, Sparky rushed away to bury it.
When he came back for more food, he had a brainwave – and hopped up onto the container like all his mates. No problem!
Sparky 3
However, after the year we’ve just had, and the pandemic still in full swing, maybe this is what we all need. A new way of looking at things!
Either that, or embracing the crazy!
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post script: I had a mini panic attack this morning when I tried to Log in to my WP account as usual, but kept getting sent back to the Log in screen. I had already deleted my cache and cookies; something I do regularly; so Googled other options. I tried the regular window instead of using private mode; I typed in a different search address, going back to basics. Still no luck at all.
Finally, I thought to try using Firefox instead of Google Chrome.
Success!
I’m feeling pretty chuffed that I managed to sort it out myself, but I am sure this is merely a presage of things to come.
WhatsApp, that I use regularly to keep in touch with family overseas, is forcing you to accept all of Facebook’s conditions, including their having access to – and the right to use – all of your chats and photos, contacts, phone numbers etc I am not on fb and never have been. Now I have till 8th February to decide whether I am willing to give fb the rights to my whole life.
The craziness just continues!
Squirrel and Loquat 1
One morning as I was sitting under the apple tree having my cuppa, Sparky the squirrel came scampering by.
Having eaten all the seed I’d put out for her, she came looking for more food.
Squirrel 2
Hopping across the lawn she ventured ever closer to me, sitting up on her hind legs to double check I really was the Food Lady.
Yes, of course I speak back to her!
“You’ve eaten it all. That was it for today. Don’t be greedy!”
Squirrel 3
Realising nothing more was forthcoming, she scooted behind me and climbed up the ancient loquat tree. Here she looks rather rat-like, as she pauses in the lower branches, planning her route to the top.
Squirrel and Loquat 4
Our loquat tree may be over 50 years old. It’s certainly been in better health; many of the branches died so I had to cut them off. It seems to be a fungus that rings the bark, so the bark falls off and the branch dies. There were hardly any loquats this year.
Squirrel and Loquat 5
Still, right at the very top of one surviving limb, a small bunch of loquats bask in the sunshine.
Here, Sparky can eat the delicious ripe fruit to her heart’s content, thinking, “Mine, all mine!”
Sparky the Squirrel – Bottoms Up 1
Haiku 221
What has Sparky found?
Some things are worth digging for
Bottoms up my friend!
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I was watching Sparky the squirrel rooting around my garden, while I sat under the tree with my afternoon cuppa. Apparently he had eaten all the food I had put out for him and was looking for more.
Sparky the Squirrel – Bottoms Up 2
Suddenly he became very intent on digging something up. So much so that he turned his back on me with a “Bottoms up!”
Whatever he was after was buried deep down. Look at that little bum!
Sparky the Squirrel – Bottoms Up 3
Success! Eventually he found something good to eat and returned to his usual Sparky position. Looking at the hole he’d dug, I now understand the state of my garden!
post script: “Bottoms up” is an expression used to encourage someone to drink up. In raising their glass and drinking, the bottom of the glass can be seen.
Looks like another Daft Friday! Have a good one!
Sparky the Squirrel Pole Dancing
Haiku 211
Sparky begs for food
Any which way he chooses
Pole dancing expert!
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Sparky the squirrel checks to see if I have any food, hanging effortlessly upside down on the grape vines.
Cheeky little rodent!
Sparky the Squirrel
Haiku 176
Sparky the squirrel
Demanding little fellow
Oi! You! Where’s me nuts?
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This cheeky chops squirrel came right up to me while I was sitting in my garden under the trees. He got up on his hind legs the better to stare at me. He wanted his nuts!
Loquat 1
Haiku 143
Small furry green balls
Sprouting like an alien
Weird and wonderful
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Loquat 2
The funny looking loquat, Eriobotrya japonica, starts to blossom in April, just before our winter sets in.
Loquat 3
My poor old tree is very old and has lost quite a few branches, yet still soldiers on.
Loquat 4
Always the first to start growing, long before spring, the white flowers soon turn to tiny brown lumps and then to furry green balls.
Loquat 5
Sparky the squirrel loves this fruit, when it is ripe and peach-coloured. He has a few weeks to wait yet.
Loquat 6
I will see him most mornings running his little route across the tops of fences and along branches.
Loquat 7
Selecting his chosen loquat, he then returns carrying it in his mouth and sits in a suitable spot to eat it.
Yum!
Sparky on my Stoep 1
Haiku 140
Hopping round my stoep
My very own little pet
Dancing for peanuts
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Several times a day Sparky the squirrel hops around our stoep, peeping through the glass door and waiting expectantly for a few nuts.
Sparky on my Stoep 2
I thought he was a greedy little thing, popping by so often, till I realised that there was more than one Sparky, when I happened to see two at the same time! One definitely looks fatter; and one has a straggly tail.
Sparky on my Stoep 3
The fat one sometimes sits on top of the stone rabbit, waiting for his food. He takes the nut and eats it on the stoep. The thinner one always runs far away to eat his.
All of them eat a few and bury a few for the lean times.
Still, I think that each does come by more than once a day. I should put little coloured collars on them so I can tell them apart!
Then I ought to get tiny little identity discs with their name and my telephone number, and then . . . .
Mad Cap Dog 