Squirrelly escapades

The children and I had been watching the squirrels for a while in fascination this morning from my bedroom window. It's always fun watching them scamper along the fences, pinch berries from the tree just by our window, and scamper up into the trees at the back. We saw three in the end, one of which had something rather large and red in its mouth which we're pretty sure the others also wanted as they were chasing it about whenever they could. This red thing became white after a few minutes - clearly had been shelled. Not long after we saw this same squirrel sitting on a post in our garden, eating away at another one of these white things, and then with another reddish one not long after that it sat on the decking, very easily shelling and munched away at the white insides. I thought when I went outside later that I would take a look at the shell to see what kind of nut it could have been!

The squirrel activity in our garden was massive this morning. We'd never before seen them actually exploring the garden, hopping around the outdoor toys, etc. It was only one that did. The other two kept to the edges as they normally do.

Well, when I did go outside some time later, I had a look at the white remains left under the post, and the "shell" left on the decking, and thought how it looked just like red onion! I smelt it though - no smell of onion. That's when I figured they'd found somebody's stash of yet to be planted bulbs. It only took a second for me to check the big tub we'd just planted a few in in case they'd unburied them. No. Fine.
Then I turned around and saw the beautiful mess this darling creature had left under the garden table where we had stacked the planters all of the other bulbs had gone into. There were some daffodil bulbs lying on the top, and clearly the squirrel had preferred the tulips. I haven't explored just how many yet as I was a bit too annoyed right then to get digging and resorting it, but judging by the number of times we had seen this dear squirrel duck behind the wall where these planters were (not thinking what was there of course!) then I wouldn't expect to see many left. We had had the bulbs for weeks and weeks, and they had cost really more than we could afford, but I knew we could take the planters with us wherever we went and use them again so it also felt like a little investment. It had taken weeks though for us to be able to get out and plant them, having cleaned out the tubs, and had lots of wet and also a few not feeling too well days. The children all joined in, and Rachel had especially enjoyed arranging and planting them with me to make some nice looking displays for the spring - a nice bit of colour for a bit of a lifeless garden. The children were just as frustrated as I was and dutifully warded off the squirrel from further attempts until Michael could move them out of harms way! They had been intended to go away in the shed for the winter, but Michael is yet to hang some things up in there to make a bit more space, so they were stacked I thought safely out of harm's way outside!

Well, I'll get over it soon, and hopefully will find the time soon to rearrange what's there and try to have it not spread too thinly! I know many people when planting veggies plant enough for them and enough for the birds. I hadn't thought the same went for flower bulbs though. I'll know better next time!