Accosted by a Squirrel

Who knew that Spring, Texas is full of natural wildlife? I sure didn’t! I was surprised to see so many big, green, leafy trees lining the roads and even more shocked by  all of the animal life I get to enjoy (well, I mostly enjoy it) on my daily run. I run each morning around a nearby park, which has several large, thick patches of trees and a big beautiful pond hidden away among the trees in the back of the park. I see several animals daily, including deer, rabbits, cardinals, blue jays, turtles (cute little turtles are always just chillin’ on a log towards the edge of the pond, but if they catch me spying on them from the path above, they quickly plop into the water and out of sight), white egrets, those tall pinkish birds with the long bills that flatten out into a triangle at the end commonly seen at zoos, and lots and lots of squirrels.

The squirrels at this park are used to seeing lots of people around, so they aren’t really afraid of us. They generally stay out of the way, but they are less skittish than most squirrels. However, the other day, I came face to face with a little squirrel that was so much more than “not-skittish” – this squirrel was BOLD.

On this particular day, as I started around the pond, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a tiny figure darting toward me in the dry leaves on the side of the path. The little rascal was sneaking up on me! It scurried from tree to tree until suddenly it was creeping out from behind the trunk of a tree right next to me. This cute little squirrel with big brown eyes crept out onto the paved path behind me, its gaze permanently locked on my face. In the early moments of this encounter, I found the little guy completely adorable and irresistible. I asked it in a tone of delighted surprise, “Are you seriously following me?” The squirrel just continued to stare into my eyes as it inched forward. My furry little friend was starting to get a little close for comfort so I took a step back. The squirrel continued to come towards me and I was starting to get a little nervous as I wondered what was going through the tiny critter’s mind. I imagined it suddenly lunging for my leg and scurrying up my body to scratch my eyes out. Immediately following this consideration, I decided I’d better make sure this overly invasive little fellow was aware of who was the biggest and strongest in this match up. I took an authoritative step toward the squirrel, but to my surprise and terror, the squirrel’s response was to take another step forward. It was NOT afraid of me and I was beginning to really be afraid of it. I’m pretty sure it could smell my fear because when I let out a little shout and stomped at the little maniac, it wasn’t even fazed. It took yet another step towards me without ever taking its penetrating eyes off of mine. By now the squirrel was only about 5 inches from my toes. In a panic, I threw my arms in the air, yelled and stomped at it before taking off running in the opposite direction, watching behind me the entire time to be sure the little beast wasn’t chasing me. It wasn’t. I had startled it and it had retreated a few inches into the dirt on the side of the path. There it sat watching me, as I ran away wondering what exactly had just transpired and jumping at every movement in the trees along the path for fear that it was a squirrel getting ready to leap out of the trees onto my head.

Ten minutes later, I was on my last lap around the park and nearing the portion of the trail where the confrontation had occurred. I started to get a little nervous, wondering if my fuzzy little foe would be there waiting to pounce. I turned off my iPod music so that I could listen for the pitter-patter of its conniving little feet. I didn’t hear or see anything for several seconds as I jogged around the pond, but just as I was reaching for my iPod to restart my music, I spotted it – a tiny brown form with a big bushy tail waiting several yards ahead in the middle of the trail. For a split second, I actually considered turning back, but I kept running hoping it was a different squirrel and it would dash off into the trees as soon as it saw me coming. If only I were that lucky. This little terror was waiting for me. When it saw me coming, it turned to face me, taking a stance that said, “I’m holding my ground,” and stared me down as I approached. It was too late to back down now so I did the only thing I could think of. I broke into a sprint, brought my arms up, my fingers curled like claws, and let out a ferocious yell as I passed the little beast. It quickly scrambled to get out of my way, but only went as far as the edge of the path. It sat there looking startled and exasperated as it watched me sprint out of sight.

 

I can only hope that this audacious little creature came away from this experience convinced that I am a woman who is not to be trifled with. Otherwise, I may have to find another park.

Bonus story:

Speaking of animal attacks, the other day a giant spider lie in wait for me on the running path masquerading as a little pile of twigs, but as soon as I put my foot down next to it, it lunged at me! Yes, it was terrifying and yes, I ran really fast for several yards just to be sure it wasn’t chasing me.