This is Stumpfurd Squirrel and I met him last autumn.  I was out on one of my photo odysseys when I heard some commotion in the trees above me.  I looked up to see this guy jumping around from tree to tree, he would stop jumping long enough to look back at me and then as soon as I was about to snap a picture the aerial acrobatics would resume.  I started to get a little frustrated and after about the tenth time he did it I had had enough, “Hey! I have had enough of your blatant attempts to aggravate me, which you did rather well I should say, but I am done.  I am sorry I wanted to get a picture of you.  I will never bother you again.”  I lowered my gaze from the trees and began to walk back home.  My picture taking mood had been ruined by the little hyperactive rodent.  The trees began to crackle again but I refused the temptation to look and just kept walking straight ahead.  The rustling in the branches above me alerted me to the fact that my rambunctious friend was still trying to ruffle my feathers so I quickened my pace.  I was relieved when the noise from above stopped I even went so far as to stop and give a small golf clap, “Bravo nut-muncher!” I said wryly.

“I’m sorry.” Said a high pitched voice, “but name calling wasn’t necessary.” It added.

I knew instantly it was the squirrel because as any of my readers may know I have met various wild animals throughout my journeys and have had many conversations with them so I turned around and scanned the treetops looking for him.

It didn’t take me long to find him at all since he was just a few feet above me.

“I am truly sorry for calling you a name but technically you do munch nuts so It wasn’t a derogatory statement it was a descriptive assumption.”  I replied to him in a matter of fact tone.

“Ha! You are funny, human.  You would make a good squirrel we love to have fun and joke around.”

“I know.” Was my bitter reply as my thoughts went back to just five minutes ago when he was trying to make me rip my hair out.

“What are you some sort of photographer or something?” As he finished his question his squeaky high pitched voice reached an irritating crescendo and it reminded me of Alvin Chipmunk sucking helium.  I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You laughing at me funny man?” He squeaked.  It was hard to find anything serious about a furry rodent with a tough guy persona in a squeaky helium toned voice so I bit my lip and shook my head no emphatically.  I took a deep breath and answered him, “Yeah something like that.  I would love to get a picture of you though, if you wouldn’t mind.”

He crawled forward getting closer to me, “Sure thing Mister.  My name is Stumpfurd in case you want to put that in the credits.  How would you like me to pose?”

I thought for a moment and then gave him an answer, “How about you wave to me.  I don’t think there are many pictures of squirrels waving, well real ones anyway.”

His nod of approval told me he was down for it so I put my camera up to my eye and snapped this picture.  I took a few for good measure and as I studied the shots on my view screen I asked if we could take a couple more.  A few seconds passed and I didn’t get an answer to my inquiry so I took my attention off of my camera to check on him, that is when I noticed he was gone.  I felt bad that he didn’t say good bye or apologize well enough for my nut comment.  I hope he didn’t leave because of that, I am just happy he stopped long enough for me to get this shot and for that I thank him.  In case he is sitting in his warm tree munching on nuts and cruising the net on his Ipad maybe he will come across this picture and know that I did in fact put his name in the credits.

This picture is dedicated to my good friend Stumpfurd Squirrel………..PEACE!!!!