Skinny Squirrel

The drought continues.  It isn't just the drought of the century, it is now just plain the worst drought in Texas history.  It is also the hottest summer in recorded history. This weekend, the forecast shows 108 - 109.   Most recorded days in triple digits, too. I think we are at about 70, with another ten days of triple days forecast.  The all time record was 68, I think.

Skinny Squirrel happily eating peanuts 

My concern for the frogs and toads has expanded to the other creatures around the pond and my giant hand of anti-destiny is acutely feeling the need to act. Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I saw a skinny squirrel creeping cautiously up the porch and its stairs towards the pond, obviously attracted by the sound of the fountain, despite it being right next to the scary house with the scary barking dogs.  It must have been at least 105 degrees.  About a foot from the pond, he laid on his belly on the porch, trembling.   A while later, he crept up and ducked underneath the netting of the pond to get a drink.  Poor baby.  I found some bread and gently opened the front door and threw it outside, hoping he would find it.  Then I cut up a corn cob and a banana and put that out as well. Later, while I noticed that the banana hadn't been eaten, I did notice that it was covered with ants - the good kind, not the stinging kind.  Later that night, I saw a couple of Leopard frogs happily sitting next to the bananas, likely gobbling up stray ants which I hear are quite delicious to frogs.  The next morning, all the bread and bananas were gone.

Skinny Squirrel 

Today at the grocery store, I realized that I needed to figure out what a skinny squirrel could eat.  I got a big bag of peanuts and a big bag of cut-up frozen vegetables.  I sprinkled them around the oak trees where I've seen this squirrel forage and then laid some out on a big flat rock underneath an oak tree near the water bucket I set out in the yard. I hoped that the squirrel would find the treasures before the deer would that evening.  At about 5 pm, I saw him sitting on the big flat rock, nibbling from his front paws while standing on his hind legs.  He looked delighted!  I sure was.  I imagined him eating the recently frozen tender peas and lima beans and cut up carrots, not to mentioned the shelled peanuts.  SCORE!! Later, I checked to see what he ate and he left only one solitary peanut.  Now he knows where to look and I have a time frame of when to leave goodies for him. The following day, he was at the rock and at my steps, nibbling away, looking much happier.

Also saw a beautiful tiny green and yellow bird, just the size of a parakeet, sneaking into the frog pond, underneath the net today.  Last weekend, I bought a 25 pound bag of seed and threw it around, hoping someone would find it.

The giant hand of anti-destiny has done some good.  Bringing in the tadpoles to become froglets indoors to die may not have been a good move, other than to teach me a lot about this process. The other stuff the gian hand has done has been ok. The net protected the fish from the herons.  My snake war seems to have been successful,  having peacefully rid the pond of snakes without spilling a drop of blood.  The water in the pond is much more pure than ground water, with its filter and constant replenishing with reverse osmosis treated water from the sink. 

We just have to get through this drought.  Make it rain!