Battle Squirrel 2010 A Draw

Each spring the peach tree in our yard becomes a battlefield. As the flowers turn to young green fruits I ready the arsenal -- bird netting, shiny cds, plastic barn owls. And still they come. My fuzzy tailed adversaries jump from our fence into the heart of my prized tree, take one bite from each young peach they find somehow more alluring than another and leave the fruit to spoil on the branches. This year team squirrel was joined by my dog Lucy who loves to run down to the tree, pick a low hanging peach and run back to the comfort of her upstairs dog bed and happily chew. At least she eats the whole peach.

When I could battle no more, rather than declare a full retreat, I picked the not yet fully ripe peaches off the tree and let them ripen in the sun close by the house in slightly less rodent friendly territory. A draw at best.