King Pete 2

King Pete
By Paul Stanner
In our backyard in Boise we have many critters that like to come visit us. While they seem to enjoy our company I'm certain that what they really want is a meal. We have one particularly annoying visitor named Pete. Pete is a very bold and assertive squirrel. Should you happen to venture into his territory he will boldly take a run at you to shoo you away chirping angrily the whole time. He also likes to taunt our dog. Whenever he is near she smells him and goes nuts. If she manages to get too near he'll just run up the tree or telephone pole and sit there daring her to come after him. He wins every single time.
My better half was on her way to work this morning and as she went out the door she caught an unsuspecting and unprepared Pete foraging in the yard. She called to him and of course he dashed up the tree just out of her reach scolding her in squirrelese for her bad manners the whole time. She tried talking calmly to him in an effort to make friends with him. Pete was having none of it. It was time for the feminine side of this battle to try a different tactic. She came into the house and got some food for him. It's Winter and especially cold today so she thought she might be able to make friends with Pete by giving him an easy meal. Out the door she went with Pete's food in hand. Pete was sitting in his tree just out of her reach keeping a sharp and wary eye on her. She walked over to the tree and reached up to hand it to him. He wasn't having it. Up the tree just out of her reach he scurried. She left the food on the ground at the base of the tree and came back inside. We watched what happened next from our living room picture window. Check out the photo below. Pete's no dummy he grabs a good free meal whenever he can.

In case any of you are wondering what Pete is chowing down on it's Starbuck's coffee cake. My better half is very generous. She also believes in helping all of God's creatures through their tough times. How great would life be if all people were that way?
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