My advice is this – if you go down to the woods today – wear a hard hat.
I’m used to trying to squirrel-spot before the Delinquent Dog does, because experience has taught me that if I don’t, I risk having my arm detached from the shoulder as he races towards them on the end of the lead. This has rewarded me with several good laughs, as I’ve watched Mr Nutkin and friends deliberately cross the paths in front of us, taunting the boy with their agility. Sometimes I’ve noticed that a pair will go in one direction and another will whizz round behind him.
Fortunately the poor boy misses most of them as he’s too busy sniffing the doggy Facebook notifications (trees), but we do get the odd attempt to climb trees – I keep telling him not to bother – it only encourages the squirrels to do it more, and let’s face it, even if he wasn’t on a lead, he’s hardly built for climbing, but he takes no notice.
But lately the squirrels have definitely upped the ante, not content with driving him wild and taunting him from the branches, they’ve now started bombarding us with missiles (bits of tree). At first I thought it must just be the wind, but now it’s happening on calm mornings, and with far too great a frequency to be a coincidence. And the force with which some of these cones hit the ground makes me grateful they haven’t yet quite managed a direct hit.
I listened out his morning after another incident and I could almost swear I heard a snigger from up above.
Of course you can’t see the little devils up there in the tree canopy, you’d have more luck trying to find Edward Snowdon in a Russian airport, but I know they’re there, plotting their next evil deed.
So be warned – wear something protective, but on no account wear anything that could resemble a target from above – we don’t want to help improve their aim.
Happy walking in the woods…
Mostly Motley 
Those squirrells sound scary 😉 They can be agressive over here too. I am currently trying to keep them from chewing through the lid of my composter.
Oh yes, they have a reputation for doing terrible damage – don’t let the cute looks fool you.
lol! I remember one day we were driving and traffic was at a standstill. I could just see a squirrel hovering this way in that, the poor thing was petrified and then someone honked and it jumped, got even more frazzled and confused then somehow managed to dash out of the road without dying of a heart attack– which did look like a possibility! The poor thing! But they certainly can be very mischievous creatures when they have a mind to. 😉
I know, I want to believe they’re sweet pretty little creatures, but I suspect they are working on plans to take over the world…
Attention-seeking behaviour is clearly not restricted to kids and dogs then; I wonder what would happen if DD was allowed off the lead?
OMG! Just thinking about it… my money would still be on the squirrels, but there’s that small element of doubt and I’m very squeamish.
Squirrels may indeed take over the world. If not them, mice. Both have cunning and persistence that knows no bounds.
Yes indeed, a shrewd move on their part to employ Beatrix Potter as their PR agent…
I was riding with a friend through the woods, she was in front of me, and a squirrel leapt out of a tree, bounced off her riding hat, fell onto the ground in a heap, and then scampered away. It happened so quickly neither she nor the horses saw it. She was utterly mystified about receiving a blow to the head, and about why I suddenly began shrieking with laughter!
Brilliant! – I’m convinced they deliberately set out to have fun at our expense, and I’m sure they work together – a bit like gangs of pickpockets might. Adds a little excitement to the daily walk.
This was new to me.
Perhaps your squirrels are a more polite variety…
I know them as cunning thieves, but not as thugs, Anny, so this has opened my eyes to their nefarious doings. perhaps the Teddy Bears’ picnic should be held in the middle of a field next time. 🙂
The ones around here should definitely have ASBOs – although I sometimes think they’re really quite funny.
The squirrels around here will take a whippet on if chased … proper whippet collars luckily stop major injuries because the little blighters go for the throat
Goodness me, I’ll warn the delinquent dog!