Dead Squirrel

I am such a softy when it comes to animals- particularly squirrels.

Let me tell you why...

One time my dad brought home an infant squirrel that had fallen from its nest in a parking lot. That squirrel became a part of the family for the next year. We nursed "Rocky" to a healthy adolescence. He was so much fun. I remember having a canopy bed that Rocky would sleep in sometimes. It was a sheer canopy, so when I lay beneath him I could look up and see him curled in a ball where the canopy drooped in the center. I would poke him with a toe to wake him and he'd bounce up ready to play any time. One of his favorite games was boxing. We would fake punch the air in front of him and he'd do the same in our direction. Nobody ever made contact but we ducked and swerved as if in a real fight. Rocky would crawl around in our doll houses, too. When he was very small, he could fit perfectly onto a doll's bed. He seemed to always be putting on a show. We took home videos of him boxing, playing house and napping. Eventually, as all young boys do, Rocky began to get rambunctious beyond our control. He would bound around the house and chew on things he shouldn't. Our vet assured us his pep was a result of puberty, and he probably needed more room to roam. So, Dad took him up to the restaurant where he works. There, Rocky had a freedom to explore the hill country. He still thought he was a human, so when he was tired from scaling the trees and dining tables across the deck, he would wait near the door for Dad to bring him inside. When Dad wanted to play with him, all he had to do was shout "Rocky!" and there he came, swirling up Dad's leg, until he landed on Dad's shoulder. Once there, he'd swish his tiny hands around Dad's hair and circle from one shoulder to the next. Eventually Rocky became a part of, the work (restaurant) family, too. He was so at home at the restaurant that even during business hours he would hop around the dining tables, which startled customers. They had no idea the squirrel was a pet and they would complain to a manager every time he greeted someone. Once people saw how friendly Rocky was, and how tame, they would lighten up and couldn't deny his cuteness. However, we had to make the responsible business decision and find Rocky a more suitable home. We ended up finding a couple who takes care of animals like Rocky. On their land, they had a few pet ducks, some deer and dogs. The day Rocky left was a tough one, especially for Dad. They had one last round of boxing before Rocky was picked up. This time, Rocky used a blue ink pen to box with but it ended up exploding all over his face! So now the people who adopted Rocky say that they see him playing with all the other squirrels every day, can call him to their back porch and he has made good friends with a duck on the property. They can always tell him from the other squirrels because of the permanent blue ink stain across his cheeks and chest.

So, if you are ever around the Austin hill country and see a squirrel with blue ink on him trying to cross the street or if he comes running up your leg to perch on your shoulder - please don't be alarmed. He's great.

And on a larger scale: I know it's dangerous to avoid hitting squirrels on the road, but when you can do so safely, please try. I saw three dead squirrels on my way to work this morning, which prompted this post. So sad.