My black walnut tree has brought multiple generations of squirrels,, which has led to walnut wars between the rodents, my deck and I, Gina Clark writes
This translation has been automatically generated and has not been verified for accuracy.First Person is a daily personal piece submitted by readers. Have a story to tell? See our guidelines atThey’re out there, taunting me. Chattering. Nattering. Scolding. Three grey ones and a black one. Maybe more. It’s war, and my enemies?In the past, I tolerated these bushy-tailed rodents as they devoured the fruit and seeds on my serviceberry, eastern redbud and pagoda dogwood trees.
To discourage such dining experiences, I sprinkle cayenne pepper on the railing until I learn it could be harmful to birds. I replace the cayenne with stones collected by my granddaughter. A worthy foe Most mornings before coffee and without a jacket, I stride onto the deck. Ignoring complaints from two hip replacements and an arthritic back, I defy rain, wind, clusters of careening walnuts and a cadre of agitated, tail-twitching rivals. Bending from the waist and flexing my early morning knees, I gather an intact nut in my hand, then lurch sideways to capture two more. Dozens remain, so I seek a more efficient method.
I haven’t observed any of them burying this fall’s harvest, and when I discover nuts deposited in full view on my front porch, I wonder if they’ve missed their basic training. As for me, I’ve squirrelled away almost 1,000 walnuts over the past month, and because my insidious opponents chew through garden bags, I protect my stash in a deck box while awaiting the city’s garden pickup.
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