Your Sunday Squirrel

Here's a guy I ran into yesterday at Denny Park.  There were tons of squirrels running around - at least a dozen.  They were everywhere.  I ran out of peanuts early on, so there was nothing I could offer them.  This fellow got the last one.  As luck would have it, I thought this shot calendar-worthy, so he is Mr. December.  I guess what I'm trying to say is: THE 2014 SUNDAY SQUIRREL CALENDAR IS DONE!!  I made it yesterday.  This is the fourth calendar I've made and I always forget how to do it, so it generally takes most of the day.  It just doesn't get any easier.  I thought that perhaps this year, I would switch from Cafe Press to Zazzle (a ridiculous name if there ever was one), but Zazzle prices are far higher.  So there.  Anyhow, like I said, the squirrel calendar is totally ready.  It's only $16.99.  That's pretty good.  Just think about how many trips I took to Denny Park to get all these.  I'll give you a hint: a lot.  Here is a sampling of the participating squirrels:

 You can get it here.  There isn't a bad squirrel for the entire year. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

Well, it's nearly time for the annual Sunday Squirrel calendar.  I'm pretty sure this fellow will be featured.  I would have like to taken his whole picture including tail, but he was very quick and twitchy.  So this is what you get.  I try to include various poses in the calendar, but it seems that this year's edition will feature lots of squirrel eating peanuts.  It's the only time they stand still.  Don't worry, I promise it will be good. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

I ran into this fellow yesterday morning before heading out to my parents' place where I saw exactly zero squirrels.  When I was house-sitting for them, I also saw zero squirrels.  Maybe something's up; maybe it's not.  I didn't think to ask whether they'd had the squirrels "taken care of."  I mean, they have a special guy who comes around and traps moles.  My mom gets annoyed at the squirrels because they get into the bird feeders.  But honestly, the birds aren't starving.  In fact, I think the local finches and sparrows are getting pretty fat.  Squirrels just like to game the system.  Put out food and they'll find a way to get at it.  And despite various claims, there's no such thing as a squirrel-proof feeder.  Anyhow, I'm just assuming that the squirrels at my parents' house are merely preparing for winter and watching lots of football and they haven't been offed by some squirrel assassin.    

Your Sunday Squirrel

OK, all the squirrels at Denny Park really are on vacation.  I went by yesterday and there were none - lots of bums, but no squirrels.  This fellow is from a few weeks ago and, as always, I hope I haven't posted him in the past.  If I have, apologies.  If I haven't, enjoy.

Your Sunday Squirrel

I'm a bit short of time, but here's more of last week's guy.  He spent a long time staring at me and this is the best shot I got because my camera is elderly.  Anyhow, he was really nice, but he didn't hold still much, aside from here.  Enjoy!

Your Sunday Squirrel

Folks, we're right in the lean times of squirrel-spotting.  Many of them are on vacation, so Denny Park isn't nearly as appealing.  Last year at this time, I would go every day and see nothing, except bums sleeping on the grass and in bushes.  After two weeks of seeing not a single squirrel, I kind of gave up for a while.  But sure enough, when fall rolled around, they were out in force.  I'm pretty sure squirrels are like the French: they all get vacations at the same time.  That's also why squirrel-Hawaii and squirrel-Florida are so crowded. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

Here's a fellow from a few weeks back.  He was nice.  I gave him a peanut.  The end. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

I've met this guy before.  He seems to have only half a tail.  I don't know why that is, but it doesn't hinder him at all.  He was really quite friendly.  Unfortunately, my camera wasn't quick enough to catch him hanging upside down on the bench's back rest.  This is the best shot I got, but I took many more.  I will post them in the coming weeks if I don't manage to get any better photos in the meantime.  Enjoy!

Your Sunday Squirrel

Here's a fellow from a short while ago.  I spent all this last week writing music, so I should have had time to venture over to Denny Park on a break, but alas, I did not.  I was so looking forward to finishing a bunch of songs.  And while that did happen (and then some), it turned out to be quite difficult.  There are still certain details in finished tunes that don't sound right, so now I have to take additional time and correct them.  Well, I do have the time, as I'm not going to record till early next year.  I was thinking about recording again in August, but since my album is currently being played at quite a few stations around the country, I want to give it a chance to sink in.  Of course, since I'm always writing music (I'm currently in the middle of about 15 different tunes), putting something out is the top priority.  I love recording and it's a joy to spend time in the studio.  Unfortunately and additionally, I can't afford to do anything this summer.  That's fine.  By next year, I'll once again have the funds.  And the great thing is that I'm constantly reshaping this new album.  It's gonna super-fine.  You have my word on it.  Enough about music.  Enjoy the squirrel.    

Your Sunday Squirrel

 This guy looks really fat, but he isn't.  He merely has bad posture.  Here's another shot of him:

See?  He's totally non-obese.  Immediately after I gave him a peanut, I saw another fellow.  Something appeared wrong with him.  He was very wobbly when he walked.  When I got closer, it turned out that he was just very young.  Maybe it was his first time out of the tree.  He didn't want a peanut in the worst way.  All he wanted to do was stagger away from me.  I let him go.  His eyes were open, but he looked like a little old man with buck teeth.  I'm hoping that he found his way back to his home tree.  

Your Sunday Squirrel

Here's the same guy from last week.  I've been trying to find non-cagey tree rodents but to no avail.  It seems like every squirrel looks at me and takes off.  They must have liked me better with long hair.

Your Sunday Squirrel

I finally found a squirrel who wanted his picture taken!  Hallelujah!  He was in Denny Park this morning.  Although small, he was pretty sociable.  Here he is, rubbing his paws together while he envisions his evil plan.  Knowing squirrels, it would probably involve peanuts or trees or both. 

Here he is again, only it looks like the twig is stuck in his head:

I promise that it wasn't.

Your Sunday Squirrel

Have I already posted this fellow?  Gosh, I hope not.  I have had pretty bad luck at Denny Park of late, but I'm really going to try for good shots this week.  Promise.  In the meantime, enjoy this guy.  He was pretty friendly. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

OK, these are squirrels - plural.  My mom isn't as fond of squirrels as I am, because they raid her bird feeders.  Fair enough, but squirrels are foragers and acrobats, so they're totally adept at this kind of thievery.  She always sends the dogs out after them.  Of course, the dogs make a lot of noise but the squirrels always get back to their trees.  They're extremely fast.  Unlike Denny Park squirrels, these guys are completely unsociable.  You can watch (and photograph) them from the house (as I did), but take one step outside and they're totally gone.  I guess this is because Snohomish is much wilder than Seattle.  Squirrels are twitchier and more paranoid.  So far, it's worked for these guys.  It's difficult to tell them apart, but I think they're been there for years.  Well, good for them.      

Your Sunday Squirrel

I saw this guy yesterday.  He wasn't friendly  He was eating something that had dirt all over it.  But he held still long enough for my crappy camera to take this picture of him.  In the same tree was a peculiar fellow who only had half a tail.  Other than that, he was quite normal.  He could climb a tree as well as any other squirrel.  He just had half a tail.  I will be on the lookout for him in the future.

Your Sunday Squirrel

I ran into four squirrels yesterday and this is the best photo I got of any of them.  I think I need a new camera. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

It's a blurrel!  Sorry that I haven't posted anything but squirrels in the last few weeks.  I had a cold all last week, plus I was putting the finishing touches on the album.  It's done, finished, through.  And it's really good, if I do say so.  Anyhow, I'll be trying to notice more things around Belltown.  Until then, enjoy this blurry fellow. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

The work on the album continues.  Of course, my part of it has been done for more than two weeks.  I just need to have it mastered.  The manufacturing process follows.  I'm going to hire a radio promoter this time around.  For the previous two albums, I've relied on myself and trusted colleagues to get the word out.  That was ineffective because none of us possessed the necessary ruthlessness.  This is not such a bad thing.  I think we'd all rather concentrate on other stuff.  It's just such a frustrating experience.  It's better left to the professionals.  I look forward to that.

Anyhow, this fellow is the same one from two weeks ago.  This is just a different pose.  He was quite twitchy and evasive, but you can't tell from this photo - or the one from two weeks ago. 

Your Sunday Squirrel

Well, I guess it was luck or just plain something-else that I ran into five squirrels yesterday morning in Denny Park.  They weren't overly friendly, but most of them knew that they liked peanuts.  Of course, with that many squirrels, they're quite keen on robbing their fellows, so there was a lot of chasing and a little bit of growling.  Squirrels can growl.  I have learned this.  Anyhow, this guy was one of the five.  He was no better or worse behaved than his friends.  I'm just glad he held still long enough for this picture.  

Your Sunday Squirrel

I finished mixing the album this week.  It was a wonderful experience.  I figure that if you're over the age of 40 (as I am) and you don't know what the hell you're doing, you have no business doing it.  This is a process that I'm very comfortable with.  I'm also very good at it.  Part of that is hiring a capable engineer.  I totally did that.  Anyhow, after I was done, I took a walk to Denny Park and met this fellow.  He wasn't nearly as friendly as this photo would suggest.