September 27, 2006 (10:20pm)

Stupid cat! Tigger brought in a ground squirrel. I much preferred it when Gary could go chasing after the things – my tactic was to go into the bedroom and cower behind the closed door until we were once again varmint-free. Since that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon, I got a towel at Gary’s direction and scurried around the room chasing after the thing. I think Tigger had broken its leg – otherwise I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten it before Christmas. I threw the towel over it, but then had a hard – very hard – time making myself pick the critter up in the towel (which is what Gary kept telling me to do). I finally picked up the towel, but it didn’t have the beastie in it – it ran between my legs and I hopped up and down and let out a little (but just a little) shriek. I cornered it again, threw the towel over it, and this time managed to make myself grab the towel right away. I had the beastie between my hands, and I went hurrying out the door all the while letting out an “ohhhhhhh.” I put it down in the woods behind our house and tried to catch Tigger as he came down the path after me. I didn’t get him, but he soon came back into the house sans animal. I told Gary I didn’t know if I’d done that chipmunk any favor, as I feared it now would die a slow death from being crippled, but Gary said I’d done us a favor by getting it out of the house. He said he was proud of me (gee, thanks, I said), and that he could tell I didn’t like picking the thing up even though it was wrapped in a towel – at which point he imitated me trying to keep at arm’s length while grabbing the chipmunk. I was tempted to swat him, but I refrained ;-). Later on in the day I coincidently came across an online article about aggressive squirrels in a park in California that in the last three months have bitten three people. Gary did not take this as evidence that I shouldn’t try to rid the house of chipmunks.