Unintentional Squirrels

So, I sit down to write my morning rant before it gets light here and I sense I am being watched. Eerie feeling, I keep turning around and checking but not a mouse in the house watching me. Finally it starts to get a bit lighter outside and I see my stalker, a big fat squirrel sitting in the sea-grape tree that brushes against my window. I guess he is waiting for me to start cracking acorns for him, which we seem to have in abundance this season. And if we get a lot of acorns that means A LOT of squirrels.

Yesterday I let Molly off leash to try and catch one, she doesn't have a prayer but she just knows in her heart that it's only the leash that is keeping her from such a prize. Anyway, off she went and missed him by a mile- the damn thing sat upright in the middle of the road until she got within a few feet, then he took off into a bush where he sat yelling at us and peering out between the leaves taunting her.

Last night after dinner I sat outside in the wet lounge chair (ick) knitting and one came up to the top of the wall and sat there scolding me until I couldn't take it anymore and came back inside. I've never seen them so bold.

Anyway, I decided to complain about the damn squirrel population today so went to google images to find an appropriate illustration. SOMEHOW I ended up on squirrel taxidermy which, as you can tell, I found endlessly fascinating. I am not a squirrel fan (check my Facebook Page, I have not 'friended' a single one). but holy crap- they are a bit more dignified than what people DO to them.

Flying Squirrel

Joseph Cornell would spin in his grave over these prize-fighters.

Buy the Matched Set...

Uneasy Rider (no helmet law here in the sunshine state!)

Always wear protection~

And finally, a decanter!

Imagine your port being poured in the drawing room from this:

The bridge quilt is coming along very well. i actually wrestled it under the needle yesterday and got some of the trusses sewn down. Today I have to work on the smaller elements but I am not a'scared like I was to start on it! Only broke one needle doing it, but it's almost 50" square and stiff as a board so managing it through the machine was an exercise in small motor skills.

I was so confident after having a bit of success at that, so I started ruffling through my vast files i=of images looking for things to put in my Sketchbook Project book. Well, wouldn't you know, the stars are aligned for me because I was able to find just about a whole book full of images and stuff to include. I haven't started with the glue part yet because I want o get it all assembled in a box first so I can fiddle and switch things around. But it doesn't look like the daunting project I was anticipating.

And the dog: Lacey McCurtain presented a few issues. I need to go to a heavier gel medium to stick the plastic stuff on her. She has a good face now, worked on her ears a bit, but it took a very long time. I need to figure out the sequence of things to glue on before I go too much further. Also, I need to paint them up before, not after. One the gel goes on, the lace details are lost. So, today I'll tackle that. Her eyes are worrying me too- I need to do some research with the labs down the street: look deeeeep into their eyes...

And a Lab story before I leave. Some friends of our here have two golden labs, lovely dogs but they are escape artists. Our crack security team found the two of them wandering around one evening and took them back to their house and stuck them inside- their parents were apparently out to dinner. Imagine their faces when they got home to find FOUR golden Labs in their house all happy to see them. Seems that the two wandering dogs had escaped from another couple's house and when they were found were assumed to be that which they were not. Of course there is a happy ending for all concerned- the dogs had a wonderful unintentional play-date evening, both couples returned home and the dogs were returned to where they belonged. Nothing was missing but a few dishes of kibble.

OK, so off I go to work. Heigh ho Heigh ho.