Sunday, August 23, 2009

Flying Rats Invade Grayquill Mountain

A past writing, when my son’s dog Goldie was reaching her end.

I sit, back in the room, in the shadows typing on my computer waiting. My pellet gun is beside me loaded and ready. The sliders are fully open and I know they will be coming soon. I hear them off in the distance screeching there mournful hacking. Last week scored three but three of thousands will not stay off the infestation. Why? One might ask would I even make the effort, it is a hopeless task. Well, maybe because they are uninvited and uninvited guests always irk me especially when they are just plain irritating.
Have you ever had a guest steal from you? Would you not say that is irritating? These mockers come only to steal and propagate there young now somewhere hidden in lonely high nests. The scouts must have warned them as it has been 15 minutes and nothing has broached the property lines. The old dog paces by again on her lonely walk, stopping, listening but not hearing, looking but hardly seeing. Her appetite wanes and is inconsistent, so the thieving scavengers have honed in on her bowl of food.
A squirrel ventures down and takes a nibble. He is welcome, it is his right. You see he lives on the property and does his part in adding entertainment to the land owner. You smirk in arrogance that the owner is a tyrant who only cares about his pleasure, his interests, and that is exactly correct. He makes no apology. To quote Barbara Boxer, "I worked hard for this title"- Land Owner. The squirrel also falls into the category of handsome and are not the handsome and the beautiful in society the privileged? Yes, I know the squirrel did nothing to deserve such status, it just is. It was born into it but if along comes a hawk or an owl such status is no longer useful.
Two have now flown in and quickly flown away. The cat with 14 years of life left sneaks in and takes his portion. The dog now passes on her lonely walk and attacks the cat for eating her food which she has little interest in except for hording. Maybe she feels as I, uninvited guest are just irritating. I was tempted to take the cat out. Would a pellet at 20 yards change 14 years to zero? Probably not.
The little neighbor dog just stopped by for his portion. A stomp of the foot and a ‘git’ was sufficient to send him packing. Killing neighborhood dogs would not fare well for Grayquill.
The irritating guests seem to know that it is only a matter of time before the land owner must go onto other tasks as they seem to be winning the waiting game. The surrounding roads are littered here and there with road kill of dead possums, raccoons, and a cat now and then. They probably know that road kill is safer than my dog’s dog food on a Saturday morning. Oh…I hear one close…wait here, I’ll be right back, maybe the day will not be a loss. They are there watching, evaluating the risk, being their normal psychotic paranoid selves.
I’m back - nothing once again. All living creatures are safe on the mountain today.

12 comments:

Debra said...

I use to find squirrels sweet and entertaining too...till they started setting up housekeeping in my fireplace and decided to have their children there. No, not happy 'bout the squirrels at all these days!!!

Have yourself a great day,Grayquill! Blessings!!!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm...Thank you for a peek into a hunter's mind...Will have to pray for the cat I see...

Michele Mallory-Davidson said...

I love watching my dogs "stalk" the squirrels, probably because they never actually catch them! All of the thought and careful deliberate movement, and then suddenly, the pounce! It always cracks me up! I wonder if you are providing your wife with some entertainment? I feel like I know what is going on in my dogs heads now (and that's a compliment, I LOVE my dogs), Thanks!
~Michele

As the Mind Meanders said...

This post was excellently written... As I read it... I wanted to join you with a gun...

That apart... please don't ever shoot the cat... you will have Choco to answer to...

Grayquill said...

Debra: @#*> those stinking squirrels - I hate them now too. Thanks for your comments - Blessings back at you.

Choco: Your prayer has been answered. Cat is safe.

Michele: Are you comparing me to your dog? Our animals sure do bring us a load of pleasure. Don't tell Choco I said that - I need to keep my cat hating image up.

Grayquill said...

Mr Mind Meander: For sure, no killing the cat! I might be thousands of miles away from Choco but I am pretty she would track me down an kick the snot out of me. I think she is pretty tough.
Thank you for the compliment but tell me how to write better - you're the master.

Michele Mallory-Davidson said...

I was comparing you to my doggies, but in a good way! I love them to death, find them quite intelligent and very entertaining!!
~Michele

Anita Jeyan said...

The view from the hunter's eye was a good read! By the way, I love squirrels.. :-) They are cute!

Anonymous said...

"Our animals sure do bring us a load of pleasure."
Oh! I knew it! Behind all that cynicism and hunter talk Grayquill has a kind soul :P

Grayquill said...

Michele: Hmmm...Thanks I think.

Anita: God did good when he made squirrels - I am sure is thrilled I approve.

Choco: "Our animals sure do bring us a load of pleasure" I didn't write that - just so you know. It was Homer.

Tall Guy said...

And one more day they lived!! :)

Grayquill said...

The Survivor: Is that good?