The Squirrel Saga

Here in the High Rockies we are blessed with few bugs and as such we have made it habit to leave our doors open in the summer. Fresh air and cool mountain breezes. We do not have screen doors but that generally isn’t a problem.

Until today.

The tiny one and I were sitting in the dining room coloring and out of the corner of my eye is a small rodent sitting on the window sill. I get up slowly as not to alarm it or the toddler but both sensed something right away. The critter ran under the cedar chest and the tiny one started asking questions.

As I tried to herd it with the dust mop out from under the chest and out the front door the tiny one, never having been quite so close to wildlife, began to wail and cling to me for dear life. I needed to call in reinforcements.

I flagged down Josh, who was mowing the yard. He fashioned something of a net from a couple of 2x2s and a red, white, and blue flannel shirt (both a real Macgyver and patriotic). As you can imagine, it didn’t work. The thing ran the opposite way, between my legs (yes, really), and somewhere into the kitchen.

From there we weren’t entirely sure where it went and made several blockades to keep it from going deeper into the house. After sometime we’d learn those blockades were ineffective. We think he ended up in the hot water heater closet but we couldn’t seem to spook it out. Luckily there is a door to the outside right next to the closet so we made a one way exit from the closet out of the house.

At the time of posting we are unsure if it was effective as we were unable babysit the doorway. However, we have not had any further rodent encounters. I hope he made his way out, for our sake and his. And the tiny one, she’s terrified of the thing.

Exhibit 1 (and only): Rodent disappearing into the kitchen and beyond while Big Dog is oblivious.