by Ed
Meet George, The Flying Zambini. George is a squirrel. He is cunning, dexterous and perpetually hungry. I’ve gotten to know George quite well over the last month, while in self quarantine.
When anxiety and cabin fever start to corner me, I like to go in my backyard for a half hour to do a bit of gardening. It helps clear my head. It’s a much-needed respite from the pandemic.
When anxiety and cabin fever start to corner me, I like to go in my backyard for a half hour to do a bit of gardening. It helps clear my head. It’s a much-needed respite from the pandemic. It also allows me to see the fruit of my labor from my window as I work. In fact, I’m looking out back right now as I write this. I’ve planted yellow & purple tulips, a pink azalea & a purple rhododendron. In the center of my rectangular zen garden is a young cherry blossom tree. A wooden, red & black cardinal with twirling wings announces each breeze. A graceful weeping willow hangs protectively over the lot. Next to her is a struggling blue spruce. The ensemble is serene & balanced. The main attraction are the three bird feeders I’ve put up. All the birds around here love me. I’m visited regularly by blue jays, a family of cardinals, a gaggle of mourning doves, robins, chickadees, skylarks, sparrows, and large Poe ravens. I feed them. They flit around and sing.
George, The Flying Zambini, Courtesy of K. Tate 
Bird Feeder in Garden
Enter George, my nemesis. Every good story has a bad guy and George is it. George, The Flying Zambini, is a sinister birdseed stealer. He’s foiled me time & time again. It’s humiliating. Outwitted by a squirrel. No matter what defensive maneuvers I’ve employed, I always find him happily gorging away atop my largest bird feeder each morning. I’ve tried domes, rodent mace, and grease. He just laughs. A friend of mine who adores squirrels said, “ah just let him eat. He needs food too.” This is true, he does. But it’s a matter of scale. George is a glutton. He’s that person you see in aisle 8 hoarding all the paper towels & toilet paper in their cart. Selfish George.
George, The Flying Zambini, is a sinister birdseed stealer. He’s foiled me time & time again. It’s humiliating. Outwitted by a squirrel. No matter what defensive maneuvers I’ve employed, I always find him happily gorging away atop my largest bird feeder each morning. I’ve tried domes, rodent mace, and grease. He just laughs. A friend of mine who adores squirrels said, “ah just let him eat. He needs food too.” This is true, he does. But it’s a matter of scale. George is a glutton. He’s that person you see in aisle 8 hoarding all the paper towels & toilet paper in their cart. Selfish George.
So, anyway, this is one of the ways I’ve passed the time during COVID19: A Battle of Wits with a Squirrel. He’s been winning. I finally have him where I want him though. I took a video of his modus operandi this morning. Pretty brazen. He parachutes from atop my cherry blossom tree in a desperate attempt to snag the bottom of the main birdfeeder. George, The Flying Zambini, is motivated. He wants that darn food. He has chutzpah. I’ll give him that!