Meet “Stubby”.

I know I said I had not seen any squirrels lately ... and I truly hadn’t, except for the pair of squirrels that were lethargic and lounging around a low branch during that hot spell we had about ten days ago.

Well, when I peered up at those two squirrels, I couldn’t help but notice right away that one of them was missing a good portion of his fuzzy tail.

But, since he and his pal were up in a tree with lots of leaves, which made it shady, I really couldn’t inspect his tail, (or lack thereof), until today. After I walked past “his” tree this morning, I immediately heard rustling overhead, so I stopped in my tracks and looked up. Although this squirrel paid no attention to me the last time, today he was quick to stare at me, then immediately started scrambling down to ground level.

This stubby-tailed squirrel timidly approached me as I opened the Ziploc bag of peanuts to feed him. He didn’t race over and nuzzle my shoe or dance around my feet like Parker usually does, nor did he do any of the antics the other squirrels that are “regulars” on the perimeter path do. I wiggled the bag and coaxed him to come a little closer, then laid some peanuts at his front paws.

He looked up at me, then I must’ve passed muster because he took a peanut and enjoyed it, then he headed off to bury another peanut, leaving two behind. I told him I’d guard them for him ‘til he returned, because the cardinal and red-winged blackbird would likely be all over those treats.

So, the question is - what happened to the rest of this poor squirrel’s tail? It looks as if it is bobbed right off. No more flicking of the furry tail by this little guy, nor holding it over his head like an umbrella to protect him from the snow and icy pellets on those wintry precip days.

I looked down at him from my vantage point, with that pitiful tail, wondering about his misfortune. Did he take a tumble, or make a daring escape from a predator who was left with the furry remnant of a squirrel’s tail in its mouth?

I decided two things: I would name him “Stubby” and he would get extra peanuts because I felt sorry for him.

I will still be on the lookout for Parker and his pals ... I hope they turn up soon.

Doing a “meet and greet” with Stubby is about all the excitement I could scare up these last two days I’ve walked at Council Point Park. The Park seems rather quiet without the cacophony of sounds from the geese and ducks, although a bullfrog was doing his very best to raise a ruckus in the still morn with his raucous croaking.

Our morning temps yesterday and today could best be classified as “sweater weather” and this morning when I left for my walk it was just 56 degrees. Perfect walking weather! Even the sun put in an appearance. Mother Nature has certainly shortchanged us with sunshine this Spring and there have been so very few beautiful days, that a morning like this one was to be savored. Tomorrow promises to be still another rainy and stormy day, the entire day, followed by a heat wave.

I walked five miles today ... like I said in the last post, you’ve got to get going while the going is good.

You can catch up on my blog posts before I started blogging at Patch in August 2013 by going here: http://lindaschaubblog.net/