SQUIRREL SURPRISE

When I decided to move to us to Sangata, I knew that life would be different. Let's be serious, any time someone decides to move ANYWHERE, life is going to be different. When we move, we give up the security of what we know. We give up our routines, our friends, and our comfort zones. These are, of course, replaced by new routines, new friends and building a new life that we will, in time (at least I hope so), feel comfortable with. Leaving our comfort zone pushes us in ways we didn't know we could be pushed and shows us that we are, in fact, capable of things we may previously have claimed we weren't. Squirrel wrangling was certainly not something that was on my list of things to prepare myself for before I left Australia.  Now before I tell you about this morning’s experience I must backtrack a bit.

 

I live next door to Stiffy, an Aussie expat who works for the same company as hubby.  His lovely wife Mrs Bucket brightens our lives with her occasional visits to Sangata.  On her last visit Mrs Bucket had me in tears as she told me the story of finding a squirrel in her veranda room.  After plenty of squeals, swearing and chasing the poor creature around the room the squirrel apparently decided to make a run for it.  It burst through a fly screen and made a daring leap into a nearby tree.  As Mrs Bucket retold this tale, I nearly spat my coffee everywhere as I laughed.  

I have been here for 16 months and have had close encounters with many members of the local wildlife but squirrels and I have so far kept a respectful distance from each other.  I see them as they run along the stair rail in front of my house or leap out of the outdoor bin after feasting on some feral treat, but that is as close as our relationship had got.  I was happy with this state of affairs and had no desire to get up close and personal with this animal.

This morning I regretted laughing at Mrs Bucket and her squirrel encounter.  Hubby was at work, Princess Pants sound asleep and I was enjoying my first sip of coffee.  I heard a scuffling in the veranda room and felt pissed that there was another rat in my house.  We have a rat problem here but I will save that for another post.  So I hear the scuffling noise and decide I am going to catch this little bugger.  I arm myself with a towel (to throw over the rat) and the broom.  I’m not 100 percent sure as to what my plan was but I was going to get this damn rat.  I crept into the veranda and closed the door behind me (so he couldn’t escape).  I used the broom to move a box and there looking up at me was a bloody squirrel.  I’m not sure who was more surprised the squirrel or me.  As cute as squirrels are when you are standing a metre away from one armed with only a towel and a broom they can be pretty scary.  Images of being savaged by this creature flashed through my mind, do squirrels carry the rabies virus, and do they attack if cornered? 

There was a standoff as we sized each other up.  Not sure of my next move but certain I didn’t want to hurt the thing, I backed away slowly making my way to the outside door.  I wasn’t prepared to turn my back on it (I am sure it would have taken the opportunity to

pounce) so I kind of did a backwards shuffle.  In a perfect situation the squirrel would have waited patiently for me to open the door and move away, and then it could have exited with no drama.  Clearly this squirrel was not on the same page as I was.  Did it wait patiently – no, as soon as I started my backwards shuffle it decided to launch up onto the desk and run along the window sill.  I swung the door open and before I had a chance to move the rodent made a run for it.  I will admit I nearly wet my pants as it ran across my bare foot and off in to the jungle.  I’m not sure who was more frightened but it was possibly me.  The squirrel was now safely back in the jungle where it belonged; I finished the rest of my coffee and tried to compose myself.  I spent the next half hour searching for how he may have got in.  I still have no idea where he came in; I just hope he doesn’t attempt it again. 

Yet again life in the jungle throws me a challenge in the shape of a wild animal.  I love the wildlife here but would much prefer that they stayed on the outside of my house.  Mrs Bucket I apologise for laughing at you – karma has had its revenge.