page 21 its the week before Christmas.

Page 21

It’s the week before Christmas

We’re prepared in the house

Mother is happy

And that blasted squirrel is back on the bird feeder

 I am doing mothers house hold chores today. It’s the normal procedure, I strip the bed mother takes the linen out to the washing machine, using her trolley, sets that off washing and I remake the bed. Not a bad routine really, she keeps some independence and feels useful. After the exertion of doing that I make her a cup of tea, she rests and I carry on with the other chores.

There I was happily cleaning the windows and shout came from mother…

“They have defeated you”

“What on earth are you on about” I call back.

“The squirrels, they are on the feeder, well one is, he looks really chuffed” mother is laughing her socks off, she has been waiting for this to happen. Grrrrrrr.

“Did you see how it managed to get up there?”

“No, but I did say you would not stop them” mother is finding this hysterical.

That was it I went back to my chores and left strict instructions that I wanted to know how they were getting up there.

Later I stopped for a break and said to mother,

“Have you seen how the squirrels are getting up the bird feeder?”

“I am pretty certain that they are going up the pole reaching out and just holding on to the flower pot rim, then swinging themselves up” (ok this will take some thinking about)

I popped outside and checked the flower pot for any edges that the little blighters could cling on to. Yes there was a very slight ridge, what I need is something to stop them………flash pf inspiration or what.

“Mother I am just going out for something be back in a bit” out I went followed by calls of, what are you fetching, I didn’t stop, I was on a mission. To the hardware I went.

When I returned to the house mother called out…..”Well what did you get, let me see”

“You will in a bit after I have put it in place” outside I dashed.

“it’s in place now mother all we have to do is sit back and watch, no I am not telling you what I’ve done, wait and see”

We didn’t have to wait long and the squirrels were back at the bottom of the bird feeder. One ran up the pole and………………

“He fell off, what you have done” mother was intrigued.

 I laughed as another had ago and met the same fate. Then one took a jump at the pole, he fell off as well. We were laughing, it was the funniest thing ever.

“Go on tell, what you have done” asks mother in between giggles.

“Easy I’ve put some really thick grease on the pole and flower pot, they won’t get past that”

Those squirrels jumped at the pole, ran up it, sat and stared at it but no matter how hard they tried they could not get past the grease and flower pot. They became angrier and angrier, all we could do was laugh.

“You really are cruel” giggled mother.

“Yes” I agreed “with all that grease on their paws can you imagine them jumping in the trees, reaching for a branch and their paws slipping, or trying to hold a nut and it slipping out of their grasp”

 Mother laughed. “You have a wicked sense of humour”

“Yes” I grinned “and it looks like I have given those squirrels something to think about”

“Stop” said mother “you’re enjoying this too much “mind she was laughing.

 And as I said I can’t resist a challenge.

Till next time