When Squirrels Really Want Chips

I juggled outside today and then sat down under a tree to eat lunch and watch the scenery. (Classes started on Monday.) When I sat down I noticed a squirrel up in the tree.

A few minutes later friendly squirrel came down and squirreled around behind the tree and me and started sniffing up to my chips Tupper. I did your basic, "No!" and covered the bin with my hand and off he scampered.

Then he sniffed around my juggling bag, climbed up on it and sniffed at the sandwich I was eating. I told him that he wasn't getting any, so he got down and wandered off behind the tree.

And came back to my chips bin. We repeat the "no", cover, scamper routine, but this time he just ran around my drink and went to sniff the Tuppers that held/hold my sandwiches. I didn't chase him off since he can't get anything from them, (not while I'm watching anyway) but I kept the chips covered since he's about 6 inches from them.

Then he went right behind my back and up my left side looking for a way to get at the sandwich. Since the space between me and the juggling bag is barely squirrel wide I chased him out.

It's a good thing that I still had my hand on my chips because I immediately felt his tail run up my forearm. It was time to repeat the "No" routine, except that he just ran around my tea and went for the chips from that angle.

So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.
So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.
So I said, "No" and hit him on the nose.

So I picked up my chips and really swung at him. He was finally discouraged enough to go off looking for someone else to feed him.

Being unsuccessful, he came back. I didn't have to hit him this time to get him to go away. But he came back again when I was eating my cookies. Since I had sealed up all my Tuppers (and they only had scraps) I let him play with them for a few minutes. He gave me this look like, "I could really go for some of that cookie," but I told him what I thought of that idea.

He went around my back again and started looking at my cookies closely, so I told him, "No" again. He ran around my back and in a six foot circle until he was in front of me. Then he started doing the squirrel stealth walk. I looked him in the eye and said, "You aren't going to be able to sneak up on me that way." He walked away again and I finished my cookie and got out of there.