The Flying Squirrel!!!

13 years ago

Well, A squirrel finally found the fig tree in the back yard. Took one long enough. It was regular squirrel, a young one, maybe out exploring, or playing.

I walked my boxer, Sandie, out back for her to tend to her business. She was on a leash because the fencing to the front of the house has been down.

When I went with her toward the fig tree to check to see if there were any ripe figs, we found a young squirrel inside the netting! Sandie went berserk and charged at the squirrel and thank goodness she was on a leash, or she would have done a lot of damage to the frame and netting.

The squirrel went nuts (pun intended) and was racing around inside of the netting, bouncing off the netting on all sides as we circled the fig tree and its tail was all fuzzed out like an angry cat's tail.

It climbed into the tree for a few seconds, but we saw it and off it went again, in total panic. It was so funny to see it trying to get away, careening off the netting like that.

Then, it went up high into the tree and seems to have somehow found an opening in the top somewhere because, as we were rounding the one side of the tree, suddenly the squirrel went airborne in an adrenaline-powered leap that was nothing short of totally awesome! I stood there, stunned, not quite believing what I was seeing, but I did indeed see it.

The squirrel must have been 15 FEET in the air and flew in an arc that enabled it to land way down the chain link fence and then race away. Its leap must have carried it 15 FEET away from the tree. I thought, at first, that what I was seeing was a bird, but then realized it was the squirrel! I've never seen anything like that in my life and would give anything if this could have been on video. It looked like the squirrel had been catapulted into the air. I laugh hysterically every time I picture what happened. It was awesome to see.

I wonder if it will try to come back. It sat on the neighbor's back fence for a while, just looking at us, so I made sure I stayed in the side yard for a good while with Sandie and she was drawing a bead on the squirrel. I wanted the squirrel to have a long look at the dog.

The top of the frame for the netting is 8 feet off the ground, so that was a good launching height for the squirrel.

noss

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Comments (4)

dieseler
13 years ago
Hi Noss great reading thanks !
short story about 1 squirell that came around here.
It used to play with my big dog Butch at the time by running on the top of the old wooden fence we had.
Butch would chase it 1 way down fence line and the squirell would turn around and go back the other way all the time while butch barked the squirell would make a funny noise and stare at Butch.
It was fun to watch.Never saw him around though since chain link fence was put up.
Martin
noss
Original Author
13 years ago
Hi Martin,

Ooops! I said it leaped 15 feet into the air and I meant to say 13 feet, but it did land a good 15 feet from the tree. Sorry about that. It was almost as high in the air as the roof of our workshop, which is about 15 feet high. That's why I thought it was a bird at first.

Martin,

Squirrels seem to like to bait dogs. Dogs make total fools of themselves over them and it's so funny to watch. That is a funny barking noise the squirrels make when they are fussing at someone, isn't it.

Watching animals is so much fun.

noss
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genecolin
13 years ago
Vivian, you crack me up. Your tales are so vividly told that it makes me seem to be right there with you. You may have scared him today but he will be back. I'd bet money and I'm not a gambler.
"gene"
noss
Original Author
13 years ago
Gene! I wish you could have been here and had seen it with me! I wish SOMEONE would have seen it with me. It's amazing what adrenaline can do even to a tiny body like that. I'm sure the squirrel flew farther because it is young and lighter, than a grown squirrel could have.

I won't bet with you because I think you're right and it will be back. I don't want to have to trap it. It was so cute.

I'm sorry that it got back out of the net--Still don't know how it did that--I've been out there several times to try and see how it could have gotten out the top of the net. I need the high ladder for that and it's too heavy for me to get it by myself.

Vivian