Chewka's Day Out!

Chewka and I have enjoyed going outside for quite some time now; it's a break in the monotony for both of us. We haven't been able to go out on a regular basis lately because of a hawk that has been "haunting" our neighborhood. He discovered that our neighborhood is teeming with birds and squirrels and he has turned it into his personal hunting ground. I have seen him land in our yard several times, so I have been hesitant to chance taking Chewka Marie for her daily romp.

However, things have been rather quiet lately on the hunting front, so I decided that today was the day we were going to risk it. (Also, she has been driving me crazy because the more bored she becomes, the worse she chews!) So out we went. She had the greatest time!

First, she played around on the stash of firewood that we keep on the back porch. There was much crawling around, sniffing, and chewing:



After finishing with the wood pile, she ventured out into the yard, found an acorn, and in her usual squirrel's fashion, proceeded to bury it:



The only thing better than burying an acorn is finding an acorn that was hidden by someone else. Jackpot!



Not only did Chewka Marie's mother keep a sharp eye out for hawks, Toffee was out patrolling the yard, too. And of course, there was no way that a hawk could have gotten past Cookie:



We stayed outside for quite awhile, but the time came that the birds began congregating in the yard next door for their late afternoon feeding. Chewka decided that the great outdoors was getting a little too crowded, and she popped through the doggie door, leaving her guardians outside.

I truly enjoy spending time in the yard with Chewka, and she never ceases to amaze me. She has lived inside the house with us since before her eyes even opened and is more familiar with the sound of the television and the washing machine than she is the sound of birds or rain. Still, she instinctively makes nests in her little house, and once she gets a nut she is not satisfied until she has found just the right hiding spot. She is a champion jumper and climber, and have I ever mentioned that she is a great chewer? I didn't teach her any of these things -- she is brilliant all by herself!