I thought I’d dust off “Friday Frivolity” as it has been way too long and we need a smile. It’s been a few weeks of weather weirdness – we had Summer, Fall and Winter-like conditions cycling through and finally Fall seems to have won. During this time I needed to listen closely to the weather forecast before leaving on my walk because one time temps dropped some 33 degrees in one day alone!
It’s easy for us to deal with the weather eccentricities – we will just stick another log on the fire, or add a hat, scarf, gloves and a heavier coat before departing the house. My squirrel buddies at the Park are not so lucky because they can’t simply don or remove a layer. That’s why they’ve been foraging like crazy for months, tucking away treasures like acorns and begging shamelessly for peanuts. What they haven’t promptly buried, they’ve eaten as they’re bulking up for the long Winter months ahead. I may like to think I’m helping them fatten up for those lean days, but Mother Nature has done her part too – she’s given my peanut pals an extra layer of fat to keep them warm and their fur thickens too. Right now they look like roly polies and I’ve got a collection of pudgy peanut pals to share in an upcoming post. We’ll have a little mirth at their girth.
If you’ve followed this blog awhile, you’ve met Parker, the cute and precocious Fox Squirrel who has my heart.
He had my heart twice on this past Valentine’s Day – you can read the post by clicking here or just admire him below:
Meet Puff and Fluff.
The Park is full of gray and black squirrels too. They are much smaller than the Fox squirrels and timid by nature – sometimes even rattling the bag containing the peanuts causes them to split, right up the nearest tree. I try to sweet-talk them down, even tossing a few extra peanuts onto the path, or at the base of the tree as an incentive, to no avail. I sometimes think it’s a ploy on their part – “let’s see how many extra peanuts Linda will give us by staring at her from up here!” They’re not so dumb are they?
But two furry fellows in this crowd of petite squirrels are a little friendlier and have appeared in some of my recent photos taken at the Park. I’ve named them Puff and Fluff. They look cuddly and let me approach them without bolting … so far anyway.
This is Puff, a sweet, jet-black cloud of fur with a floofy tail.
I tried his name out and he turned and looked at me – he liked it!
Puff soon discovered that he got extra peanuts for being so attentive …
… a tasty reward which he promptly put to good use cramming two into his mouth.
This is Fluff, aptly named for his huge tail that he often swishes wildly, or in this case, is using to keep warm.
I think Fluff is pondering what pose would net the most peanuts – what an endearing, but shy boy here.
Well it worked … soft touch that I am, I gave him extra peanuts and even pointed them out as they were hard to find in those colorful leaves.
I walked away as he was happily munching, but the next time I passed by, I got this look … who could not smile and toss out a few more peanuts?
I’m sure you’ll be seeing lots more of Puff and Fluff and their friends in the months ahead.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Such great shots Linda! Have a great weekend. 🙂
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Thanks Ruth – glad you like my furry friends. You do the same!
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They’re all so cute! We had two squirrels, Harry and Marve, visit our porch in Illinois. I’ve seen white squirrels, but never black.
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They sure are Mary. These little ones have gotten quite chunky and with their extra fur they look like bundles of fluff. Their expressions are pretty funny too sometimes. I’ve never seen a white squirrel – that would be interesting to see. We never had black nor gray squirrels here until the last ten years or so, though when I lived in Canada, we had just black squirrels – no other varieties.
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Ours liked to steal the dried corn from my Fall displày.
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Yes, they are mischievous sometimes and then look at you with a defiant look after they ravage your harvest decor.
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♥️
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Yes! Keep the Fluff and Puff shots coming!
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Will do Anne! This may bring out a little jealousy on the part of Parker!
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I’ve never seen a black squirrel before, except in pictures. Puff is so handsome! And Fluff is precious, too, with all the different colors in his coat. Parker is so cute holding that big heart. You’ve got some fantastic shots, Linda. I think the first one of Fluff is my favorite. 💙
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Glad you like the photos Barbara. The black squirrels are very sleek, jet black and some have a pinkish nose. They are small like the gray squirrels and so very timid. The Fox squirrels like Parker are much bigger. They all seem to get along though. Parker is very cute and I took those cookies around Valentine’s Day and got pictures of him hogging all the cookies and not sharing with the others. That picture of Fluff with the tail over his head was my favorite too – it sure sheltered him from the cold air that day.
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The black squirrels are fascinating to me. I’m not sure when I last saw one.
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They are small like the gray squirrels JP and they move very quickly. They are usually pretty skittish and will give me wide berth when I lay down peanuts. They sometimes won’t go get them until I walk away. These two have become more trusting throughout the Fall.
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We don’t have black squirrels here. I also love the extra ear tuffs they grow in the fall to keep warm.
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They are really timid and run away most of the time. These are getting used to me. The black and gray squirrels are the same size and will run up a tree and peek around the corner at me … that’s my signal to leave I guess. I see those built-in “earmuffs” on the Fox squirrels in the Winter – whatever works to keep warm!
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Thanks, Linda, for starting my day with a smile. These guys really are cute and endearing. I found your blog through a comment you left on Laurie’s Meditation in Motion. I’m sure glad I did! I hope you are having a lovely day!
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Glad to give you a smile to start your day Christie. My furry pals give me a smile every morning too as I walk through the Park and they start my day off right. Thank you for stopping by Christie. Laurie and I are the same age and often compare “back-in-the-day” notes with one another. We had another very warm day (for November in Michigan) … we are getting spoiled, but a little snow by the end of the weekend. Have a good evening.
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Nice ! It was interesting to read that Puff responded to your calls.Cute ones!
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They sure are cute Bindya … so cute and cuddly looking that you want to pick them up and take them home with you.
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Yes that’s true🥰
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They are adorable
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They are really roly-poly now – wait til Wednesday. I picked their fattest pics to put in a post. They actually are not as limber as they were before … they are now waddling and slower than usual.
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Oh they are cute as can be. Great names, too. Happy Weekend.
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Yes they are Ally … oh to be that little and cute again, not to mention with names to suit your appearance. 🙂 You have a good weekend as well.
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Oh Linda, those guys are absolutely adorable!! Great photos! All of them! 🙂
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Glad you liked the photos Sabine … they sure are adorable and sometimes I think they know it! 😉
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Animals of all sorts are so much smarter than we humans often give them credit for!
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That Fluff is a cutie! Nice photos! 🙂
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Glad you liked them Rebecca … they are cute and Fluff makes you want to reach down and pick him up like a kitten or a puppy.
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Looks like Fluff could wrap himself up in his oversized tail (a built-in fur coat) if he gets cold. We have the same weather pattern as you this year. An early October snowstorm shooed all of our ground squirrels (and other digging creatures) into their holes for the winter. Fall temps came right back a week later but not so the squirrels. Surely they were well-prepared down under and are now enjoying their winter hibernation.
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Yes, Fluff does have a built-in fur coat with that tail. When you mentioned how big their tails were a few weeks ago, I had this photo in mind. I’ve seen those squirrels use their long, furry tails like an umbrella when the snowflakes start flying fast and furiously. Interesting that all the ground critters scurried to their holes for the Winter. We have a couple of groundhogs at this Park, but I wouldn’t have noticed their absence as I only catch sight of them about three or four times a year. We’ve run the gamut of very high winds twice this week, snow one morning and today I went out to downright balmy weather. Crazy!
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Miss Linda…………………………….I’m happy to meet “Puff” and “Fluff”…………………..actually today I drove to Monroe to visit with my pretend daughter and she was in the middle of feeding her pet fox squirrel in front of her house with peanuts and he was adorable and fun to watch……………it’s easy to fall in love with squirrels…………………………..I just wanted to tell you that!.
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These squirrels sure are cute, as is Parker, but in a different sort of way because they are so petite and angelic looking. That sounds so cute Ann Marie. It is a relaxing way to begin my day.
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All three are beautiful, and that fluffy tail. That is like his very own shelter over his head. So cute. I always love the one holding the cookie. That is a perfect shot.
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I think they are beautiful too Sandra – even more so in real life, like when you see Mittens (although he is quite photogenic too). It is incredible how they hold that furry tail over their head and I have another picture similar to that one in this week’s Wordless Wednesday. It is a Fox squirrel. I’ve seen them in the Wintertime when it starts snowing while I am down at the Park and they do use it like an umbrella. Thank you Sandra – that is my favorite shot of Parker … I was lucky he picked that heart cookie up and faced me. 🙂
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2 more squirrel pals to add to your ever-growing cast of characters! Even though those black squirrels are timid, I think they might be my favorites. They are just so darn cute!
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Yes, more characters to share with you and cutie pies on top of it. Those jet-black squirrels are timid and a few, like this one, are starting to come around. I had to prove to them I was “safe” and not going to scoop them up and take them away from the Park. 🙂
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I like the new kids on the block! They’re full of personality and charm! Looking forward to seeing more of them.
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Glad you liked them Joni and glad you suggested I name these cutie pies too!
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No walk today Linda….we had wet snow ALL day….ugh…..and I was afraid of falling as the roads were slippery. Hope it’s gone tomorrow.
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I didn’t walk either Joni – it was the same for us … not a lot of snow but there were accidents like crazy out there, so decided to stay in … today was much better, but I had an allergist appointment and ran a few errands – now totally done with errands which does feel good; now hopefully the weather holds up well for a while.
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I forgot to ask…..will Parker be jealous? Do they all live in the same park?
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They do all live in the same Park Joni – but hang out at different trees where they have their nets. Parker is in an area of the Park where there are lots of trees, but where these two cuties hang out is near the beginning of the trail. That must be where their nests are as I usually find them there. I wonder if Parker will be jealous if I pay attention to other squirrels, especially where treats are concerned as I’ve been hiding peanuts in certain areas to keep the squirrels safe from the hawks. Sometimes I don’t see Parker for a week – whether he is off foraging or maybe strayed into the neighborhoods I am not sure, but I used to see him every day. He is getting elusive in his old age! 🙂
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Linda, can you direct me to one of your posts of bluejays and cardinals so I can share with another blogger who lives in MIchigan (or Chicago) and is looking for blue jay/cardinal photos? She is new to birdwatching.
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Hi Joni – I have not seen as many Cardinals since the Park was closed the month of May for the pandemic and don’t know why, but I do have some older photos of them. One post shows Blue Jays up close and the other post shows a Cardinal. I had a cardinal following around behind me, hopping along, which was very cute, and then the Park closed and I never saw it again. So …
Here is one showing some up-close Blue Jays. I have taken about 500+ photos over the last month that I’ve not looked at, but will over the holiday. There will be more Blue Jays there and I’m looking forward to seeing how they turned out.
This post has a Cardinal and a Red-Winged Blackbird:
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Thanks Linda….I passed the first link onto her and told her the secret to attracting Jays is in the peanuts!
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You’re welcome Joni – the Jays love those peanuts … black oilers sunflower seeds too. But peanuts they swipe, take up to the tree and hold one foot onto a peanut and stab them with their beak to open them. You can hear them crunching the shell to eat them.
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Great pictures but Parker is still my favorite!
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Thanks Diane – they sure are cutie pies, but Parker is my favorite too. He’s got a lot of personality going on!
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Great names Linda! Fluff is my favorite! That Parker did hog all those cookies! I think he’s a horder!
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Thanks Wayne – they both excel in the “fluffiness department” – that’s for sure, but Fluff seems a little less skittish and quicker to come closer to me, even though he’s the same size as Puff. Maybe gray squirrels are friendlier than black squirrels? That day with Parker and all the cookies and peanuts – he was the only one there and took advantage of it and for me, it was right place – right time, when he faced me with the big cookie, red sugar side out. 🙂
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It’s always great when ones Ducks……..Squirrels line up
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Yes, it brings a smile to my face … yours too. The other day I was at the Park and there’s a new person there who shares bread with the geese and ducks. They were happy … me too as they gathered around and I got some photos of them, then they plopped into the water and took off all at once a minute or so later. It was incredible to see, as they were fairly close to me. Any closer, the camera and I would have been splashed. I’m looking forward to checking out my photos taken over the last few weeks this long weekend.
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I hope you do have some great shots Linda!
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I hope so too Wayne, since I’ve taken so long to look at them … I resisted the urge to peek!
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If you feel it was an important shoot,you should review in the field. At the very least you can go through them and get rid of the obvious failures. Less to download that way!
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Well, the difference between you and me is that you’re a professional photograph and I am a hobby photographer … so if I miss a shot, I might fret about it, (and I do), but it is one less shot for a blog post … your photos are more stunning. I have to re-learn how to review shots and go backward. I sometimes look in the window at the last shot, but it also disappears off the screen pretty fast too. Probably there is an adjustment to make it stay there longer. I have had days that I come home with mostly good shots and some days, I know before I even leave that I have a lot of squirrels missing heads or tails … but in fairness to me, that is not because I am being sloppy, but they move very quickly. The Jays swoop down from the tree so quickly, I often miss shots, even when I have the camera trained on the peanuts where the Jay will swoop down, blink, then miss ’em entirely.
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I’m not a Pro Linda. I do not make a living selling my shots. Too many overnight Pro’s springing up and flooding the market!
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Well, they are better than my photos then, let’s put it that way. I have those “lucky shots” like Parker and his cookie.
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luck is always riding with me when I’m out shooting!
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I’m not always so lucky … if it’s not missing beaks, snouts or tails, it is the dreaded red or gold crazy-looking eyes!
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thats why I filter my shots out there. Instead of downloading 400 shots,I’ll download 200 and then take the cherries. I have a one in four ratio. So out of 400 I’ll throw away 300. Then search in that 100 for the cherries.
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I feel better hearing your ratio when I see my ratio of “keepers” … I went thru a ton of pics from the DSLR … not all that happy with them to be honest. I did my first pass and weeded out a lot of pics. I’ll do better tomorrow hopefully.
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the vast majority of your shots will be “doggies” but the rest are tasty “cherries”
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Yes, very true! And I usually take the camera with me, but on the rare occasion I leave it at home, I always see something photo-worthy. Sometimes it looks like rain or it is misty-looking out, so I don’t bring it. It never fails, the heron is posing nicely, ducks are milling around the cement ledge.
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when you carry a camera with you all the time……your a photographer!
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Well I have my original digital camera which I could take as it’s still in good condition – but it is just 4X zoom. That is a good idea, but I just leave it home if it looks dicey out. I was at the Park this Summer and no rain was expected and the sun was shining and all of a sudden a big black cloud went overhead and it poured down raining. I keep a small plastic garbage bag in my fanny pack for when I don’t wear a coat for added protection for the camera. Camera was fine – I got soaked.
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I will guarantee the shots that will haunt you will be the ones you didn’t take!
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Yes, especially when I have the camera the very next day and see nothing!
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thats what Mother Nature wants you to do…..not bring your camera so she can laugh at you when she shows something incredible!
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Indeed – that’s happened many times. Yesterday I saw Harry as I had the camera, but he was tucked away in the trees and then he saw me and purposely faced the trees. That heron has a colossal attitude!
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Aaawwww, thank you Linda! They are too cute … I’ve worked my way up to a few decent squirrel pictures. Saturday in the park we even meet 2 ladies with peanuts who looked like crazy squirrel ladies. There seem to be lots of us 😉 Good for the fluffy tails!
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Ha ha – wait til you see how fat they are in this coming Wednesday’s posts. They are downright fat. I am not the only crazy squirrel lady at this Park, but I do dole out more peanuts as I get squirrels coming for second helpings. Two older ladies walk there every day and put out shelled peanuts, they bring them in bottles, like you would buy Planter’s Peanuts and shake out peanuts as they go along.
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Happy Thanksgiving, Linda! I am grateful for you! xox
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Thank you Pam – I appreciate you saying that! I have enjoyed meeting everyone here in “Blogland” … three years ago at this time, I had not met any of you. I began my blog in 2013, but only two of my e-mail subscribers regularly commented. Three years later, people feel like family now. Happy Thanksgiving to you as well Pam.
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It’s true, isn’t it, Linda? A whole bloggy family. ❤️
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Very much so Pam! ❤️
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I love the names you have given them 😁
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Glad you liked them Zena – I have a woodpecker now at the park – bright red head and back of the neck – he is showing up to grab peanuts too. I have to find a name for him too, since he has been hanging around for a while now. Puff and Fluff are so soft and cuddly looking, just like a kitten or puppy. 🙂
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