Recently, I posted a photo of one of my regular fox squirrel visitors enjoying a drink at my birdbath. The comments flooded in—not about its graceful tail or shiny coat, but its size. One friend jokingly remarked, “Grow them healthy over there!”
Well, word must have gotten back to the squirrel because when I saw it again, it looked like it had taken the feedback to heart. This time, it skipped the peanuts and sunflower seeds and went straight for salad—yes, salad.
A Conversation with the Critic
I imagine our conversation went like this:
Me: “Hey buddy, people are talking about how, um, ‘healthy’ you’ve been looking lately.”
Squirrel: “What? I thought fluffiness was in!”
Me: “It is, but they’re saying you’re reaching new levels of puff. Maybe it’s all the peanuts?”
Squirrel: (glares at the pile of sunflower seeds) “Fine. Kale it is.”
Fluff Meets Fitness
And here we are. I caught the squirrel red-pawed, gnawing on a leafy green as if to say, “See? Look at me now!” The dramatic switch from junk food to rabbit food has me wondering. Could it be training for some kind of woodland triathlon?
Maybe next time, I’ll find it doing squats or bench-pressing acorns. Or perhaps it’ll come back with an acorn smoothie, asking if I’ve heard about its new “clean eating” plan.
Speaking of clean eating, the other animals in the yard seem puzzled by the squirrel’s choices. The blue jays keep swooping down to inspect the lettuce scraps, and the cardinals look downright offended. It’s as if they’re saying, “Salad? Really?”
For now, though, this fox squirrel is sticking to its salads and proving that even the fluffiest of critters can take a hint. But don’t worry—I’ll sneak it a peanut or two. After all, it’s bulking season, the time to pack on extra “fluff” for winter, right?