Fall continues to hum along. I have to look at the calendar every morning to remind myself what month it is, let alone what season we are currently in.
We awoke to snow on Friday morning. It was an ugly taste of what’s in store for us, after a wintry precip descended on the Tri-County area, followed by a blast of frigid air, the likes of what you’d find in January or February. Yesterday’s “real feel” when I awoke was a mere 7 degrees F (-13C).
It was not so bad this morning as the “real feel” was 23 degrees when I left the house. The sky was gray and I planned on a walk at Council Point Park and then coming home to do yard work – ugh. The only thing worse than yard work on a cold November day, is yard work when the winds are gusting over 15 mph. It really was pointless to rake leaves as they were fluttering down from every tree in the neighborhood. Here, there and everywhere were carpets of red and yellow leaves and the wind had them destined in the direction of my house. Let’s just say there will be many more leaves to rake before the City ceases yard waste pick-up the week after Thanksgiving.
Did you know it’s National Peanut Butter Lovers Month?
November does have its merits though … not only is there a long weekend for most folks, and that delicious turkey dinner you are already salivating over, but it is also National Peanut Butter Lovers Month! Are you in this club? I sure am, and I could just stick a spoon into the jar and enjoy it like that. The more sensible way to enjoy peanut butter might be ants on a log (peanut butter spread on celery with raisins on top) or a SMALL dollop with jelly on a sandwich, but why waste time and effort when a tablespoon is just as handy to fetch that delicious Jif crunchy peanut butter?
Of course, I know the squirrels love peanut butter, probably just as much as me. I’ve taken them Nutter Butter mini sandwich cookies several times, and even made them little peanut butter sandwiches when my bread was getting stale. Of course, they lick the peanut butter off and toss the bread aside … their manners aren’t always the best!
So, I decided to take some peanutty treats to the Park today since it was a weekend and I had time to dispense treats and get some photo ops along the way as well.
Here’s what I packed:
The two trays of peanut suet ostensibly were for the Park birds, though I know squirrels enjoy suet just as much as their feathered friends. At any rate, there is no doubt in my mind that when I return to Council Point Park on Monday all these treats will be gone.
This squirrel’s got curb appeal!
I drove to the Park to give the car a run. I barely had time to park and hop out and there was Parker, scurrying along the curb, headed toward me. I often tell you about how he meets me at the entrance to the Park, before I even hit the trail, so I got some pictures today of Parker’s meet-and-greet routine at the parking curb. Now there’s a squirrel with curb appeal.
I shared some peanuts and Nutter Butters with him.
He honed right in on the peanuts.
A few were gobbled up on the spot and a couple were grabbed “to go” because Parker, being the prudent squirrel that he is, knows Winter is on the horizon. Instead of racing across the parking lot to the soccer field to hide those peanuts, with paws working furiously, and dirt a’flyin’, he quickly buried those peanuts close to the parking curb. This is probably because he was afraid to leave his cache of treats for too long. Had he asked, I probably would have guarded them for him until he returned, but he knows best. 🙂
The hunger games.
It was time to move on and I crossed the parking lot and a couple more hungry squirrels greeted me as I entered the trail. They danced around my feet (obviously having learned that trick from Parker – hmm).
They didn’t have to wait long for peanuts and Nutter Butters to come their way.
Then I went over to the pavilion to deposit the pair of suet cakes, some peanuts and Nutter Butters on the picnic table.
Unfortunately no squirrels were watching me, but my feathered and furry friends will find their treats soon enough. I’ll report on whether they finished them in my next post.
I tried out my new flip-top fingerless gloves and I should have worn the liners I got to go with them.
Honestly, I figured the gray sky when I was ready to leave would preclude taking a lot of pictures, but that 23-degree wind chill I heard about on the morning news should have been a clue that my fingers would freeze.
Take a look at my frozen and red exposed fingers!
I fed squirrels along the way and small piles of peanuts and Nutter Butters with happy squirrels noshing on them dotted the perimeter path. One squirrel spotted me from a tree …
… came down for treats, then scurried back up again.
The sun came out shortly after I arrived. It didn’t help the frosty temps, but it made for a great walk, even if it was blustery. Those beautiful leaves were fluttering down and landing beneath the trees, trees which were still bright and colorful just a handful of days ago.
I rounded the bend and saw the heron sitting on the cement landing and studying the surface of the water. I must have interrupted his concentration as he bolted away with an angry squawk, but instead of flying down the narrow passageway as he usually does, he just flew across the Creek and landed on a log where he appeared to glare at me. I got several pictures of that harassed heron and some idyllic images of ducks paddling along in the water which glimmered with the reflection from the overhanging yellow tree. I’ll share those photos in a separate post when I tell you how the crowd enjoyed the rest of their peanutty treats.
I enjoyed my walk, all six miles of it, and the sun gave me a shadow that rated an “A” on the shadow meter.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Dear “Miss Nutter-Butter”…………………………………………………….nice cute pictures of Mr. Parker and his buddies eating away with your treats………………………….good job………………….
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Thanks Ann Marie – I know with this ugly weather on the horizon (more snow Monday into Tuesday) and after last Friday, that my trips may not be as frequent, so they deserved a nice treat to fill up the gaps. I know they enjoy the treats – I hope the squirrels didn’t eat up all the suet and saved some for the birds. I saw a lot of birds today in the trees – now that the leaves have fallen, I can see right through the bare trees.
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Harassed heron!! I like the way you play with words.
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Glad you liked that Ann – he was a heron with an attitude!
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Great story and pictures.😊 I love your pictures of the squirrels, they look almost tame.
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I think one or two or three will follow me home one day John. 🙂 Glad you liked the story and pics – I’m curious to see if they enjoyed the rest of their treats that I left behind.
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Now that’s one nutty adventure! So fun for all. I have gloves like those, too – perfect for photography in the winter. I didn’t know it was National Peanut Butter Lover’s month – I’ve been on a kick for it lately since we started making our own – way better than Jiffy! I’m so impressed that you went 6 miles in that weather. Those park friends of yours are darn lucky you’re so devoted to them. Happy Trails!
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Hmm – my response went into cyberspace … I do hope these gloves are going to work and I got another pair of thicker ones with just the index finger and thumb exposed with a little cap on them for later in the Winter (though it feels like Winter now) … the pair of gloves I had last year got fuzz everywhere after they snagged on the Velcro closure of my storm coat. I am impressed you make you own peanut butter – I’d be eating more than I put into the bottle – I know me!!!
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Homemade peanut butter has no sugar or salt (unless you use salted peanuts) added! It’s good for you 🙂
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I did buy the Simply Jif with the low salt, and low sugar but I prefer the crunchy so I switched back to the fattier type of peanut butter again. I eat a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast every morning and a fellow blogger mentioned putting peanut butter in the oatmeal – what a wonderful treat that was! (Maybe a little too wonderful!)
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The are really enjoying the treats. Great post! I enjoy the snow as long as it doesn’t last very long. Have a nice day Linda!
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Thanks, I am glad you enjoyed it – they do love their treats and I’m looking forward to seeing if they ate their other treats as well when I go there this morning. I am no fan of snow, but I can deal with the cold … years of taking the bus has left me prepared to deal with that aspect!
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I could celebrate peanut butter everyday. PB&J, peanut butter cookies, peanut butter and chocolate, peanut butter and banana, a spoon full of peanut butter…♥ Finding gloves that keep our fingers warm has been a huge challenge. I would love to know how yours work with liners.
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I should have had the liners on Ruth – I thought it was not that cold and wouldn’t be taking that many pictures … I was wrong. I just adore peanut butter and could eat it by itself and with other things, just like you. I got a pair of heavier gloves as well, because these are polar fleece and they said they are not warm under 20 degrees. I haven’t tried them yet, but they have only a small hole for the index finger and thumb. They were a Christmas present to myself because last year I had convertible mitts and they were wool and got caught on the Velcro snap inside my storm jacket and made a mess of the gloves, literally tore them apart. I will let you know how the liners work.
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I put suet in my suet feeder last week and it’s been getting a lot of attention. In another week or two I’ll start to dole out the corn cobs too. Never thought of nutter butters for squirrels!
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I had to stir up the suet for them this morning as it got frozen and the birds were sitting there looking at it. I broke a small branch off a dead tree, wrapped it in an empty Ziploc bag and tried to make it more pliable … I got some of it crumbly so they could get at it. I had to laugh as the birds and squirrels were watching me. My squirrels love those Nutter Butters … I get the minis as they are easier for them to eat, but I think they could handle the full-sized ones as well. They eat the entire cookie.
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I never worry about frozen suet. They usually just peck at it until it’s gone but I have it hanging vertically in a cage. Maybe that’s easier? I don’t know. Your squirrels are very happy!
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I did think about that today that I should have gotten the suet holder and hung it in a tree so the birds could cling to it – the squirrels will grab it first if they can, unfortunately. They are happy squirrels – I think this is why they are so friendly and you can’t help but smile when you see them as they aren’t not skittish in the least – even the babies are coming round.
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Always look forward to your pictures. Keep ’em coming!!!!!
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Thanks Bryan – I have to do Part 2 of yesterday’s excursion which will be all birds. I’m glad you’re enjoying the photos.
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I never knew there was a peanut butter lovers month 😁. I have a confession to make, I have never actually tried peanut butter on its own. I have had it in a cake as my friend makes the most lush peanut butter vegan brownies but I will try it in its own one day.
I am falling deeper and deeper in love with Parker I am finding myself thinking about your squirrel friends throughout the day and love these updates ❤ Thank you
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You have to try just peanut butter alone Zena – I love the crunchy variety or just putting it on a Triscuit cracker too. A fellow blogger told me to mix some in my oatmeal and the warm oatmeal melts it right in and you just swirl it around – so delicious! I am glad I got a picture of Parker standing at the curb and I had my treats in a bag, and it was cold and trying to grab the camera out of my fanny pack, feed Parker who was dancing around like I was going to walk away and forget him … at least he posed a little for me. Glad you are enjoying the updates about Parker. Poor guy and his pals may not see me a few days – we are getting a few inches of snow overnight and more on Thursday into Friday. Hopefully it melts away.
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Was Parker saving his cookies for dessert? Did he just eat the peanuts? My dog Benji loves peanut butter and so do I. He will do anything for a pretzel stuffed with peanut butter! 🙂
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I wonder if he took some to bury? I saw those pretzels stuffed with peanut butter at the grocery store the other day – I picked them up and thought “maybe this would be a nice treat?” A fellow blogger just said she’d never had peanut butter alone and I encouraged her to try it – she’d only had it in baking. I told her I have put it in my morning oatmeal – the extra crunch and taste is just fantastic. Benji has good taste. They used to have a peanut butter bone at Petco and when I went there to buy bird seed when I had my canary, I always got one for my neighbor’s dog. She said he went crazy for it!
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I don’t eat peanut butter any longer but i do love hulled peanuts that have been soaked. Place a bunch in cold water for an hour or two, drain, and pour a little Agave syrup onto them; eat with a spoon! 🙂
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I should try that – I always have peanuts and I always have honey which would be similar.
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I didn’t try peanut butter until I was 19! Not because I didn’t want to, but because it wasn’t available where I grew up in Germany. Now my favorite way to eat it is in dark chocolate peanut butter cups. 😋 Your squirrels look well nourished for the cold weather ahead! Stay warm and happy Peanut Butter Month Linda!
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I hope you can now catch up with all the peanut butter you missed while growing up in Germany. I didn’t know it was not available in Germany.
My father was German and I visited that country and Austria in 1969 and again in 1979. Very beautiful and they don’t need peanut butter as a treat with all the delicious tortes!! I think the squirrels look pretty healthy looking too Sabine … I have a collection of chubby squirrels pics, enough to make a post soon. They are quite roly-poly. Now I’m going out to check out the snow – ugh!
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Perhaps it was available back then, but not where we lived. Germany is a beautiful country, and I do occasionally miss some of those delicious treats they have. There are however plenty of tasty things to indulge in here too! 😋
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That’s true and when I visited Germany, my mom and I found the wurstplattes just as tasty as the tortes. We’d often split one of the wurstplattes and that way had room for dessert (sometimes split a dessert). I’ve always been a sucker for rustic bread and the assortment of sausages and meat we often got was so satisfying.
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Yes their rustic breads and really most baked goods are worth the calories! In moderation of course and with lots of walking! 😉
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Yup, that is how you allow yourself the “wiggle room” to have those treats! 🙂
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Lol curb appeal and the hunger games…. teheh!! They always are so happy to see ya! And glad you were able to get those 6 miles in! No doubt you will meet your goal 🙂
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I was trying to be clever – you got it Mackenzie and I wondered if just sailed past the others??? We like our puns though. I think the hunger games went past people too as you are the only one that commented on it. The squirrels were happy and they are waddling more than walking these days … they have been loading up on nuts since we had that cold week in late August … I saw them hiding their peanuts way back then. I’ve collected a few chubby squirrels photos so going to share them in a post in the coming week. That’s going to give everyone a smile. 🙂
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We do like our puns for sure 🙂
You definitely have given me an appreciation for the little squirrels! I just love reading their updates . Can’t wait to see the chubby ones 😂💕
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I think I’ll do it this weekend – our Saturday morning is looking dicey with more snow … the weather folks messed up because we got more snow than predicted and it stuck. I am going to go out shortly and just walk in the ‘hood because it is 32 now and looks like the snow has not settled on the cement but I’ll test it before I walk if it is glare ice. I’ll wait til it is 33 or 34 degrees … tomorrow I’ll put on boots and walk two blocks away. I feel badly for my little squirrels if I don’t get there, but I’ve been overfeeding them lately to compensate for my not being there as they had predicted some of this ugly weather, but to just land on grass and non-paved surfaces … oops, that didn’t happen! Those squirrels sure are cute and yesterday that squirrel with the wet tail looked indignant at the snow swirling around. 🙂
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awww you are the sweetest to care for them the way you do!! Hope the snow doesn’t keep ya down too long- hard to wrap my head around the fact that it’s that cold there. I’ll be experiencing it for myself when we go back in December!
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Thank you – I just walked in the neighborhood today as it was snowing hard and I thought the roads and sidewalks might slicken up like yesterday. We are getting more snow tonight and they say a little Monday into Tuesday and now they say the El Nino may not be happening. That’s a bummer. I’ll cross my fingers you get just a little snow for effect and not a whopper storm when you visit in December.
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Aww yes I am hoping too! xx
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Oops I meant to do the 😊 emoji, not the laughing one- but oh well haha. I am sometimes bad at responding to comments on my phone!
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I always notice those types of things as I’m pressing “send” and it is winging its way into cyberspace. “No stop” doesn’t help! 🙂
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tehehe- glad you understand!!
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