November’s here, and, as promised, I’m getting back to nature again.
The rain is driving me nuts!
This post recounts my last trek to Council Point Park this past Tuesday. Unfortunately that would be the last time I walked as well. No, I’m not resting on my laurels, as I still have 90 more miles to go to reach my year-end goal.
The rain has definitely worn out its welcome in my humble opinion. The weatherman says we’ve had double the average amount of rain for this time of year – in October we had 4.8 inches of rain, plus we’ve added another 2 inches in the first two days of November. I am sure everyone else is tired of the incessant rain, including my furry pals at the Park.
A tough nut to crack.
But, there are more furry critters at the Park these days. You may recall my “Predators in the Park” post last week? Since then, there are two more coyotes. One is a pup. Please don’t say “aw, how cute … a wee one” as you know what is like for parents defending their young, human or otherwise. Furthermore, the coyote situation is not great because the City has tried to take matters into their own hands, and shot one coyote. They got him in the leg, and he went limping off with a wounded right front leg. He (or she) has been sighted around the City, and our City Facebook Crime Site forum lit up with pictures of a coyote meandering around the City streets Halloween afternoon. I’ve been following this crime site hoping to gain more insight, but there have been no further updates as to any of the coyotes’ whereabouts – perhaps they are good at dodging the authorities, so this case will be a tough nut to crack.
Needless to say, I am worried. I thought the original coyote in the Park was just taking a quick tour then on to other venues; two coyotes and a pup and sightings around our City means they’ve settled into the neighborhood.
In the meantime, I have cute squirrel photos and an accompanying story that’s been bubbling around in my brain the past few days. So, before my brain gets moldy from all this moisture, let me unleash those thoughts.
Walnuts – well, why not?
I knew we were going to have an ugly weather week, so I wanted to ensure I took extra treats to the squirrels on Tuesday as I knew no one would be beating a path to walk at the Park in the pouring rain.
So, on Monday I took a brand-new bag of peanuts to make up for running out of peanuts on Sunday morning and leaving poor Parker (or his doppelganger) starving on the curb in the parking lot.
I went through that entire bag of peanuts, doling out double portions to each squirrel, and a triple portion to Parker, who evidently forgave me for my Sunday sin, as he came racing over to greet me when I arrived Monday morning.
Tuesday, I went flying out the door, since I had stayed up way too late the night before working on my post about slinging hash at the diner, then replying to comments that morning. I keep forgetting I really wasn’t a night owl when I was younger, so why would I be one now? Thank goodness we set our clocks back this weekend and I’ll be able to leave a little earlier in the morning, so perhaps I’ll get back on track again.
I decided to take the walnuts I had bought for Thanksgiving and Christmas as a special treat. The squirrels are foraging like crazy right now and three days of rain would put them behind schedule. So, Linda came to their rescue.
They don’t sell whole walnuts at Meijer so I got these instead.
Parker was the first one up as he met me in the parking lot. I guided him over to the grass and put a little pile at his feet.
Of course they got the sniff test first.
The walnuts passed muster and I could tell they were a hit right away, so here you have a squirrel enjoying walnuts … a nuttin’ honey.
I took a few photos then went on my way, doling out walnut pieces to each of the squirrels along the way. They didn’t look for peanuts so I knew they were a good treat for them. Parker nabbed me as I got off the trail, so he got double walnuts.
I am weighing my options for excursions for this weekend. Amazingly, the rain will hold off until late Sunday. The possibilities are not endless as many of the trails will be soggy or muddy as it is still raining as I write this post.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
We have a walnut tree next to our backyard. Our yard is adjacent to a little woods, and beyond the woods is a meadow with a small spring-fed stream and a cinder bike path. There are a lot of walnut trees next to the stream, too. The squirrels love the walnut trees, which is why (I think) we don’t see too many in our yard.
Your Parker looks like he is bulking up for winter. I wonder if you will see him all winter, or if he will lay low once the cold and snowy weather hits.
I enjoy reading about you and your buddies!
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Oh, I bet the squirrels love that walnut tree Laurie … I don’t know why our local stores don’t sell the whole walnuts and I may have to try a bulk food store to see if they have them, so the squirrels can at least hide them for Winter. Boy, they glommed onto those walnuts and each one sat by their little pile afraid to move. I decided not to wait until Winter to feed them the walnuts in case there is snow or ice on the path and they’d get lost. Parker and his pals are really getting chubby and I’ve taken several pictures of them where they look huge and I’m going to do a separate post about chubby squirrels. We had a really cold week in late August and I think they thought that was Fall, because it seems they have been hiding nuts since then. I will see them in the Winter and they will come down from their trees to forage for food or probably to dig up their peanuts they stashed away in the ground. The problem is the Park does not sweep or shovel the path, so it is dicey walking there in Winter. On the weekends I can go if it gets above freezing once the sun comes out. I did buy some lug-soled hiking boots and use them to walk at the Park, but I walk in the snow parallel to the path. That’s only if the neighborhoods are clear as the Park is one mile each way for me and not everyone clears their sidewalks. I’m glad you like the squirrel antics – I find them so cute and full of personality. I have a small photo gallery on my blog which I’m going to supplement over the Winter, but in it are these two pics from last Winter of Parker in the snow:
https://lindaschaubblog.net/#jp-carousel-8898
https://lindaschaubblog.net/#jp-carousel-8891
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Thank you, Linda. I will check them out. I have devices called Yak Tracks that I put on over my shoes to grip the ice and snow so I can run all winter. I think your winters are probably more severe than the winters around here. Last year we got ONE big snowstorm – In mid-March, when everyone was ready for spring!
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I have some Yak Tracks too Laurie. My mom had ordered them from a catalog when I still was working on site and took the bus. I never got to use them … now I work from home. But my mail carrier got them and she fell twice when we had severe ice so be wary if you run in them. That Winter, we had freezing rain and it never got about freezing for weeks and I couldn’t pull my car out of the garage for fear of sliding into the door frame (it is extremely narrow), plus the snow plow had come by after I came inside, plowed the end of the driveway and freezing rain on top of that. I didn’t drive my car for months. I have heard of something called Ice Bugs for running. A woman in Alaska is an avid runner and did a post writing how she runs in ice and snow with them. One snowstorm – that would be nice, even in mid-March. We had non-stop snow from the second week in December through the first week in April. It was a wicked Winter for us – 62 inches total snowfall and very cold.
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I will have to check out the Ice Bugs. I hate to run inside on the treadmill. I only do it if it is not safe to run outside.
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I don’t blame you Laurie. I worked with a young woman at the law firm and she ran every morning, all year around. She slid on a piece of ice in mid-March (in fact it was the Ides of March and the prior year on that occasion, someone stole her vehicle at gunpoint with her in it in the parking garage – we told her not to leave the house the following year) … anyway, she hit a patch of ice and fell down hard and shattered countless little bones in her ankle and foot and was in a traditional cast, then a walking cast, for many months. Here is the blog post where I read about the Ice Bugs and it shows a picture of them.. I bought lug-soled boots but wish I had bought these instead. https://mysteristas.wordpress.com/2018/01/25/walking-on-ice/
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Oh no! That’s terrible! Your poor co-worker. Thank you for the link.
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Yes, she was very tiny and she had extensive surgery to put her ankle back together again. I don’t know if she ran anymore as my boss and I left the Firm and then the Firm dissolved a year later. Until she got the walking cast, she had to people fetch things for her and everyone was helpful – she had to prop her leg up as much as possible while at work.
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We’ve had lots of rain here too, but not really any squirrels. They usually come when it gets cold. Happy trails this weekend!
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Thanks Sabine – I am going to pick a place that is on pavement I think.
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Oh Linda,
I am sorry it is raining there and you haven’t walked since Tuesday. I hope the furries are ok. I feel sorry for the wounded coyote and hope he can make it to some wild before long with his family. This is the original Parker, right ?
So the other two you saw that day ( the one on the path and the one in the parking lot) were not Parkers ?
You need to get your Parker a little red belt so you know him. Do squirrels hibernate ?
Susie
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Hi Susie – I’m still confused about last Sunday and who was the real Parker – the other squirrel saw Parker dancing around my feet and getting extra peanuts and decided to try it out for himself. Or herself. I am worried about the coyotes as well as the wounded one – I have to go back and check the crime site to see if anyone has seen them today. I don’t know how bad it was hurt – people said it had something wrong with its front right leg. That is a little scary and also if there is a pup – parents will defend their young – I see this with the geese who get very defensive about the goslings. I do need to identify Parker better. They all look alike sometimes – except for Stubby due to his short tail. No, the squirrels don’t hibernate but they have their nests high up in trees. They will come down during the Winter and go into their stash of food, or go foraging on the ground. Below, I will put two pictures of Parker from last Winter in the snow. The weather here is not nice at all and it is very unusual having rain every single day … this is not normal. Fall is my favorite season, not this Fall though.
https://wordpress.com/read/blogs/114793426/posts/27705
https://lindaschaubblog.net/#jp-carousel-8891
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Dear Miss “Nuttin’ Honey”……………………………………I’m feeling badly about the coyote that got shot in the leg and is still running around Lincoln Park……………………………..cute pics of Mr. Parker eating Meijer brand walnuts …………………..the same ones that I buy to put into brownies
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Ann Marie – I am feeling badly for the wounded coyote as well as anyone who might tangle with it if it is badly wounded. I wish it had been a tranquilizer gun instead so they could have removed it safely from the Park … but there are still other coyotes … that scares me for anyone who accesses the Park, including myself, and the squirrels of course – I still worry about them due to the hawks. I don’t recall Meijer ever selling whole walnuts which are better for the squirrels as they can take them and hide them for later and it is a good workout to keep their teeth sharp (according to a website about what squirrels can and cannot eat). I got a deal on those walnuts as Meijer is ramping up sales for the holidays and baking – did I say the word “holidays “already?
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Linda:
You’ve got some of the fattest squirrels on the planet!
Fred
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Fred – I’m going to collect a few more pictures and make a post about chubby squirrels – they are starting to waddle!
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Cute pictures of the cute squirrels as usual, Linda!😊
I and Åke have started a new site. We could not transfer the content of our old blog, fotobloggarna.se to the new hosting provider.
Hope you want to follow our new blog. http://www.thephotobloggers.com
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Yes, of course I would like to follow John – I always enjoyed seeing your photos. I have wondered where your posts were for months. I will go visit it now.
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Hi John – I followed you … at least I think I did. I first of all thought I could only follow via e-mail. So I did that, and then I read one of the posts and “liked” it and saw an opportunity follow on WordPress. So I did that. I did not see a place to comment and figure I’ll be able to do that once there is a new post generated. In the meantime, I have to comment on what happened to you on October 7th – that’s terrible! In the Summer you mentioned one time that you were worried about your neighborhood and even though it was very hot you did did not leave the doors or windows open at night. I’m sorry this happened to you. I will await more posts from you – the ones I viewed were very nice an Ake’ B&W photos as well. It’s too bad you couldn’t transfer all your content seamlessly – what a hassle this has been for you.
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It’s a issue with the follow link I had on the other site as well. I think it’s possible to follow the site in the comments, if there are no follow button.
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I have not gone to Reader yet today as I got here late and did a long post. In the meantime I have followed you by e-mail just in case, but I can always change it afterward to strictly Reader. Glad you have resurfaced!
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We don’t have any walnut trees in our neighborhood yet we will see walnut shells in our yard. Black walnut trees are abundant in the area so I believe the squirrels are importing them in.
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You make me smile – why not enjoy those walnuts in your yard because you have proven to the squirrels that you like them. They know these things. 🙂
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How scary! Coyotes can be so bad for people as well as animals. I hope they get them soon! Last week our news showed where a coyote bit a child at a school….after hours. But the thoughts of that poor child possibly getting painful rabies shots😔
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Oh that’s rough. I went there this morning, but in the car, before I went to another Park. I did not see any but the fact that one is wounded worries me. And I worry what they were eating – I hope they move on soon – permanently.
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That’s sweet of you to give them some variety in their treats. Parker and his friends are so lucky. Hope you get a chance to get out in a mud free place this weekend.
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I do enjoy treating them Zena and I know they are appreciative, especially this time of the year. I did get out this morning and it was a little soggy at this Park in some places where you had to step off the paved path. But it was worth it, as I got a lot of photos of Fall foliage. I took so many pictures I had to defer them to tomorrow as I had so many to go through.
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My exact thoughts too – Parker is getting fat! Maybe that’s a sign we are in store for a bad winter…….but then it’s been a bad year weatherwise all around, late spring, soggy summer, rainy fall etc. I didn’t know they had nests in the trees….I thought they hibernated somewhere? I don’t think my backyard squirrels are around in the winter….
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He sure is – I’ve collected a few pictures of these chubby guys and will put them into one post … imagine them in another month’s time, they will be waddling. The squirrels do nest in the trees at the Park and in the neighborhood and I think I’m going to take some pictures of them once the trees are bare and you can see them better. In this post from our “Snowmageddon” if you look at the third picture down to the far right, you can see one of the nest. They are large and are all exposed once the tree is bare:
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Precarious situation for the squirrels with coyotes in the neighborhood. I sure hope they stay alert! I watched a YouTube video about how crows are so smart that they throw nuts on the pavement for cars to crack and then pick them up only when the traffic light is red (to stay safe). Crows are unusually intelligent, comparable to chimps. 🙂
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That’s amazing Tom – I didn’t know crows were that smart! I just finished today’s post and I was on the lookout for coyotes and saw nothing. Our Crime Site forum for the City reports a large coyote was spotted in our city and two have been spotted in a neighboring city. I am worried for the squirrels … first the Cooper’s Hawk, now this.
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I see you and your friends are out and about again. 🙂
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They are my “followers” – sometimes at the Park I am just like the Pied Piper of Hamlin. It gives the other walkers their morning giggle. 🙂
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Rain, Coyotes, and Walnuts- OH MY! Sorry the rain is giving you such grief. Those little squirrels sure do love you though! Always love reading your posts, Linda 🙂 Hope your week is off to a nice start.
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Yes, the weather is frightful and a chance of snow (minimal for our part of town) Thursday into Friday – yikes! Hopefully it does not impact walking and scoots on out of here. Those squirrels are so adorable Mackenzie – I wasn’t there for two days as I walked in the neighborhood Monday as it looked like it would pour any second and the Park is one mile from my house and I always walk there (my car is on a trickle charger and by the time I undo it and get going, I might as well walk). Didn’t walk yesterday – I had a welcoming committee today!
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Recently DJ and I went to a campus to visit for a potential grad school- and there were SO many squirrels- I tried to get a picture of them, but they kept scurrying up the tree before I could get a good one. DJ was like, “What are you doing?!” I said, “I’m trying to get a picture of a squirrel for my friend, Linda!” lol!
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That made my day Mackenzie – my poor squirrels have no visit for today or tomorrow likely either – we are having some bad weather here … not a lot of snow but a wintry precip. The northern burbs had more snow this a.m. and accidents galore! Hopefully it goes away to make my goal and feed those hungry peanut pals at the Park!
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oh no!!! I hope the heavy snow stays at bay- I know in Cleveland it snowed (that’s where a lot of my family lives). Hope it lightens up soon!! xo
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It was unexpected, that’s for sure – it is a cold and blustery weekend and slick this morning. No walk for me as too slick … I still think I’ll make my goal – hopefully anyway.
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