W- hung up a bird-feeder, suspending it underneath a baffle (here a repurposed metal plate supposed to block squirrel access) and dangling it from a far branch. The squirrels have been undeterred, raiding the seed supply for food to get them through another winter. No birds in sight. They’re all hanging out near the warmer parts of this neighbourhood, no doubt. So much for fair-weather friends not easily bribed with a handful of seeds.

We once checked out a book declaring war on squirrels. It contained reviews of different “squirrel-proof” bird-feeders, concluding that there really is no practical way to foil this ingenious and nimble animal. (Well, maybe the chicken-wire cage we built to protect our plants – but then the birds can’t get through the mesh, either…)

That’s okay. Let them eat the seeds. Winter is winter. And isn’t it fascinating how they persist, how they contort, how they dangle and leap like Cirque du Soleil acrobats in order to get what they want?

We scatter peanuts on the snowy deck so that our cats can watch the squirrels grab them. Some squirrels are cheeky enough to tease the cats, safely separated by solid glass. The cats chatter, little hunters gnashing their teeth and twitching their tails. We have fun watching the cats watching the squirrels.

I’m having more fun drawing on index cards now. I can carry more shapes in my head. And I drew all the pieces I needed for a standalone presentation I’ve meant to put together for a while. We’ll see how well it works!