Welcome to the 880th Metamorphosis Monday! Yesterday was a crazy day around here. I wish I had taken some photos, but it never even crossed my mind. I had two squirrels running around inside my home—a Mom and her baby. Earlier that morning, I had come across small pellet-like droppings downstairs and had cleaned them up, wondering if I had a mouse in the house. Within a few minutes of cleaning them up, the pellets were back again in the same area of the kitchen. That’s when I saw something out of the corner of my eye go running by—2 squirrels!!! They dashed up the back staircase into the upstairs living room, the baby right on the heels of its Mom.
I lost sight of the baby, but Mom ran down the hallway into my bedroom. Not a stranger to having a squirrel running loose in my house—more on that in a moment—I followed her, shutting the door behind me. I proceeded to open all the windows in the bedroom and dressing area. I couldn’t get Mom to notice the open windows, so I decided to leave her alone, hoping she would stop running circles around the bedroom and eventually notice one of the three open windows. I wasn’t sure where the baby was, but I had closed all the bedroom doors, hoping the baby would eventually reappear from hiding. When I say baby, it wasn’t a tiny baby; he/she was about half the size of Mom. I checked back after about 10 minutes, and Mom was gone, presumably out the left window in the bedroom where a tall Savannah Holly tree is growing just a couple of feet away.
I went back to my office where I had been watching Home Alone 2 for the first time. After about 15 minutes, I heard little feet scampering through the upstairs hallway.
I had closed all the doors leading into the rooms upstairs, while all the exterior doors downstairs were standing wide open, including the front door, but I couldn’t get the baby to go down the stairs toward the wide-open front door. After pulling out a piece of furniture in the upstairs hallway behind which the baby squirrel was hiding…
…it ran down to the other end of the long upstairs hall, and pushed its little face and front paws into the corner, trying its best to hide. It was the most pitiful sight and made me so sad. I wanted to just pick it up and cuddle it, but I was worried it would bite in fear.
I went downstairs, pulled some thick, elbow-length gardening gloves from the green basket tucked under the potting bench in the garage. I found a large bath towel in the laundry room and folded it in half. Putting on the gloves, I headed back upstairs.
The baby was still “hiding” in full sight in the corner, its little head and front paws up against the wall. I gently placed the towel over the baby, and as it started to move, I scooped it up with both hands. I quickly carried it downstairs and out the open front door, where I placed it on the soft grass, then lifted the towel. Off the baby scampered, hopefully to reunite with its mom. I let it go in the front yard in the approximate area where Mom would have fled the bedroom window.
Later, I discovered that the glass fireplace doors were open about squirrel-width. I’m guessing they somehow came down the chimney and managed to get the glass doors open since there were no windows open anywhere inside the house. Maybe the baby fell in, and mom pursued—not sure. Today, I’ll be busy trying to find someone to help me figure out how they got in through the chimney. I’m not sure if they chewed through the screening or how they got through; I’m just glad it didn’t happen while I was in Ohio.
Have you ever had a squirrel in your house? This is the second time it has happened during my 35 years of living in this house. The first time occurred many years ago when my son was in high school. We later discovered this window in the bonus room was open, probably left open from when the wreaths were removed from the windows after Christmas, just a few weeks prior.
That time, my son and I were able to herd the squirrel into the guest bedroom, where we quickly opened a window. After a bit of frantic dashing about, it found the open window and leapt out.
I won’t be decorating the GA house for Christmas this year since I’ll be heading back to the Dollhouse, aka the Ohio house, very soon to spend Christmas with family.
This is the first time in over 40 years that I will not be putting wreaths on the exterior windows.
It makes me sad to write that, but I remember last year that the wreaths stayed up well into January because the weather was so bad in Ohio, I couldn’t get back down to Georgia to remove them. They were up so long, I even had neighbors texting me, asking if everything was okay. They were worried something had happened since they knew I always take the wreaths down shortly after the start of the new year.
I am planning on coming back here for winter, though. Why? Check out these two weather forecasts. The first one is for Ohio, and the second one is for Georgia. Have I mentioned a time or ten how much I dislike cold weather? Snow makes it 10 times worse!
I had planned to add ornaments to the Dollhouse Christmas tree this year, but I changed my mind since these two little rascals are still way too interested in the giant tree that suddenly appeared in the living room.
I should be able to decorate the tree next year, though, and hopefully with ornaments that aren’t furry! Ha!
I’ll leave you with this Christmas scene from several years back. I had soooo much fun creating this nostalgic scene. (See more of this Christmas post here: ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas, A Visit from St. Nicholas.)
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It was Christmas Eve 2024. I awoke to a loud thud and what felt like something moving on the bed (restless husband?). Another thud, more movement and then something ran across my pillow. My husband continued to sleep in ignorant bliss and I headed down the hall to the keeping room. Something scurried in front of the fireplace and behind a chair, peaking around to stare me in the face. It wasn’t a reindeer or an elf, rather a small squirrel. I slowly moved to the door that opens onto the screened porch and the squirrel kindly ran out the door. Checking the bedroom once daylight came, there were two candles in the middle of the floor that had fallen from the mantel of the bedroom fireplace. How it managed not to knock anything else off the mantel (such as Imari porcelain), I don’t know. My husband was surprised to hear the story! Fortunately we have not had another uninvited guest.
Amazing that he ran right across your bed!!! Yikes! Glad you were able to get him out and that nothing was damaged except for the candles falling.
Oh Susan, I don’t know that I could be as calm and as helpful as you were to two squirrels loose in my house!! They picked the right house! I’m glad you were able to get them back outside safe and sound. I just love the picture of the cat in the tree!! That’s priceless! Have a wonderful holiday season!!
“LIFE IS AN ADVENTCHAH!!!”…(sounds like to me…those Southern accents!!)
It’s snowing like crazzzz here in VA…go figure…
ENJOY!! franki
Wow – glad you were home to help them get out. I have a friend whose home has cedar siding and squirrels chewed through her siding, insulation and wallboard. We had tough squirrels in our attic till we got HardiPlank siding – When their access was blocked, they chewed through our metal gutters to try to get in. Thankfully, they have since given up LOL. One thought is you might want to be sure your damper is closed on your fireplace. When we had fireplace repairs done on our 50 year old house a few years ago they installed a damper at the top of the chimney. Hope you’ll update us on your solution!
We used to get wild birds in the house which came down the chimney. A chimney repairman went up on the roof and said that the screen had come off the top of the chimney and that’s how they were getting in. Wild animals certainly are messy when they’re scared inside a house! Good thing the kitties weren’t with you – they would want to play with them! LOL
Love the squirrel story. I am glad you got them both out safely! I have never had a squirrel in the house. Just a few tree frogs and lizards.
Lizards are fast! Frogs I could handle, I think. lol Thanks, Lisa!
I had to laugh about the squirrel but seriously I have a friend who tried to rescue a baby squirrel from a dog and the baby bit her and she had to have rabies shots, so be careful. My daughter came in our front door the other night and a bird flew into the house, she is screaming, afraid it is going to get in her hair which is below shoulder length. After cracking up at her, my husband and I trapped it in the laundry room and I put a cloth over it and took it outside. Alls well that ends well as they say! Merry Christmas! P.S. I agree with you about cold weather and I live in central Virginia
Oh my – glad you found the the little critters before they did damage. Yes, happy you were home. Had friends who had a squirrel come down the fireplace while they were away on vacation. It did tremendous damage – they had to replace the stove in the kitchen and some furniture. Little critters – big damage! Good luck!
Oh no…that would be so awful! I wonder if insurance helps with any of that. I’m so glad I was here!
Good choice picking to winter in GA. OH temps look awful. Although I am from MA, I hate the cold and I hate my oil bill which’s doubles and a half during the winter months.
I’ll be back for Christmas, but that’s my plan…to winter here. They’ve already had snow three times and two of those were pretty deep. I’m not a fan of snow!
The most adorable: your Kitty in the Christmas tree! So much personality!
lol It’s hard to get mad at them when they look so cute. I think they are starting to figure out that they are not allowed in the tree, at least I hope so.
Will you be bringing your kitties to GA for the winter?
Yes, when I come back after Christmas, I def will.
Glad you were there to get squirrels out. We had squirrels years ago coming in thru end vents on house into attic. Didn’t know until went in attic to get stuff out and they had chewed my stored summer pillows and made themselves home. I don’t like cold weather either. We are getting snow as I type. But NC don’t get snow often thank goodness. Kitty is cute ornament in tree…
Susan, I still shudder remembering coming home on a Friday afternoon and seeing a scruffy squirrel atop my spice stand. Tossed my precious spices. My son and I fought the squirrel war that day and 2 other times. No longer live in that house. Brighter thoughts, I remember your table setting using a fabulous Christmas village. I plan to finally find a version of the red truck by that dollhouse in the image above. Merry Blessed Christmas to all.
Susan,
I can not even imagine a squirrel in my house..You were braver than I would be…
Thanks so much for hosting this charming party!!! I truly do appreciate it as I do know the time involved with it….I hope you and your family are well and enjoying your week!
Hugs,
Deb
Debbie-Dabble Blog
“Squirrel width,” opening, lol. Aww, the story about the baby ‘hiding’ was so cute, but heartbreaking. I am glad you were able to get him or her out without too much fuss. I can’t imagine what they might have done had you been in Ohio. Oh goodness!
If I EVER had any creature large or small in my house I would lose my ever-lovin mind. How you were brave enough to do that amazes me. You are a real hero!
WOW You’re story brought back memories of when a RACOON got into the house I grew up in. It had fallen down the chimney and somehow managed to get under the closed damper and in the downstairs rooms. Tiny sooty paw prints all over! My older brother had found it, could not coax it out so he fashioned a noose with a cord and eyelets screwed into a pole. We were out so he left a note, “Don’t beat the dog, a racoon got into the house. I got him out but didn’t have time to clean up the footprints.” LOL!!!
How scary! Two squirrels! You are so brave.
Happy you’re wintering in GA. I adore that house.
Cold weather can be dangerous! Driving, falls, black ice and our bones!
No squirrels for me but a opossum once! My dogs found a young one, brought it into the house and deposited next to me in the recliner. It was a bit of a shock to look down and see a ball of fur with a face and a mouth with lots of sharp pointy teeth! Thinking it was dead, I cooped up the dogs, went to get a bag and a broom to dispose of the body only to return to find it gone. After freaking out for about 5 min., I went on the hunt and found the critter had crawled under the chair into the reclining mechanism. Ended up carefully pushing the chair outside and tipping it on its side to coax it to leave.
What a squirrel story. I imagine they were pretty scared when found and the poor baby trying to be invisible. You have a good heart to take all those measures to get them to leave safely. The Georgia house will be so sad without the wreathes this year (you might even get texts asking if you’ve sold your house!). I had to give up my wreathes as I can no longer get on a ladder and it does make me sad, but I went with red bows in various places. Those two kitties sitting side by side deciding what to do next. Can you even light up the tree? Will they chew on the cords? I’ve never had a cat that did. I did have a cat that would get the same ornament (cloth) off of the tree every night and place it on my bed. Wishing you a safe drive back to Ohio. Brrr with those temps!
I stand in salute, Susan! The scariest word in your post for me was “presumably,” as in, unless I personally witnessed the adult squirrel exiting my house, I would have been on the phone to an exterminator immediately, and I would have offered a very large sum of money to the one who could have come immediately. Yikes! So glad you are calmer than I…
Good post. We have seen a squirrel in the garage, not the house. They can get frantic trying to get out. I hope the mom and baby were reunited. Merry Christmas whereever you go!