Save Me, Lady!

While the visiting nurse was taking over for a few hours, I went to the park to feed my followers...

I sat down on 'my' bench and was preparing to divvy up the food - strange that there were no mouths already waiting to be fed - when I hear this really strange squeaky-giggling noise.  A ball of black fluff runs by - making this noise - scrambles into the bush behind me (about 2-3 feet from my head) and continues to chitter...

It was my only black squirrel, and he was mad-excited about something.

The something came along a minute later - a man had been chasing it...

"I've been trying to get that thing for an hour," he pants.

"You intend to try to catch a squirrel bare-handed?" I said.  "I'm glad I'm here to see that."

"No...  I want a picture."  He shows me his other hand that is holding a small digital camera.  "Black squirrels are rare around here.  I've never even SEEN one."

I told him to stay still for a moment.  I took a peanut out of the bag and offered it to the squirrel who was very hesitant to leave the safety (?) of the bush to come out after this hairball had been chasing him around for an hour.  Finally, greed overcame fear, and he calmed down enough to hop onto the back of the bench and allow me to give him the peanut - and gave the man time to snap his pic.

"I can't believe he lets you feed him like that!"

"He's used to me.  And if you stop acting like a fool and sit quietly - or just go away - the rest of them will come out for food, too.  Squirrels, birds...  I'm their human soup kitchen."

He sat on an opposite bench and they started to creep out, little by little.  He took some pics of them - I hope he got one of the two red squirrels fighting for peanuts because they look like little boxers - and even got some more of the elusive black squirrel.

The weird thing is the noise that little thing made!  I've never heard anything like it - a squeaky giggle is apparently squirrel for "HOLY FUCK, THERE'S A LARGE BIPED ON MY ASS!"  And that he thought safety was to hide behind me in that bush made me all squishy inside - I am a squirrel saint, I am - even though he was probably just feeling more secure in a place he was familiar with (the bush is his hidey-hole while he waits for me).

Sigh...what small things make my life worthwhile these days...