A Squirrel Infestation

152 thoughts on “A Squirrel Infestation”

1. When you finish your de-squirreling please come here and help me. I have many in every room, and while I mean to banish them I never quite do.

   1. It seems that as soon as I get some to leave, more show up. If I find the solution, I’ll let you know.

2. I see dead squirrels on your desk. 🙂 Hilarious, Janis.

   1. Haha! Not dead ones… just less active. (Of course they are probably conspiring with each other to make a comeback.)

      1. I thin I’ve found the past sin that is the source of your problem. 🙂 https://scontent.fadl5-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/274164937_1147705916034692_1776530395766208655_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-5&_nc_sid=5cd70e&_nc_ohc=Kwx0FOzcrCEAX-TsiaO&_nc_oc=AQnMNPkPRZ6OB2XJLpe5FIx3_jqXz5yZNu4QDW_dUdBmvoF8E6RDxIQMMMujX0s0BPL3shw00cvZbgZ9FDiGQ1hw&tn=dodZrymNm7KVq2Y0&_nc_ht=scontent.fadl5-1.fna&oh=00_AT9plnakEigMpIqOszfb_0fFUWVYb1Uf2lqfZRy3ppdoDA&oe=62171538

         1. I sure hope they aren’t rabid!

            1. Be alert but not alarmed (unless you see foam coming from their mouths).. 🙂

         2. Hilarious!

3. You express frustration for us all. You finished the post, though! Hooray!

   1. Yes! It only took me almost all day, several visits to the squirrels’ nest, and a few trips to the fridge.

      1. LOL! That is amusing.

4. Haha, I have too many squirrels too!

   1. I’m sorry… but also relieved that I’m not alone in my infestation.

5. Congratulations in triumphing over the squirrels on your desk and finishing this blog post. I find that I am much better at ignoring squirrels when I know I will be alone in the house for the day, with nothing else on my calendar. Yesterday was such a day. I Marie Kondoed the heck out of my closet without (too much) squirrel interruption. I did not stop for lunch, snack or break. Why? Dreadful fear of squirrels! Said closet is now successfully organized. 😀

   1. I agree with you about getting more done when alone. I’m so jealous of your Marie Kondo day… I really need to do that. I still have way too many clothes for my retirement lifestyle.

6. I have had nothing but squirrels to deal with this week. Or a better name would be alligators. I was hoping to deal with squirrels. I enjoyed your post so much!

   1. Yikes – alligators! I think I’ll stick with my squirrels. I hope you send them back to the swamp where they belong. 🙂

7. You have my sympathy, but I don’t have squirrels because I write about things I think about every day, so I use hardly and brain power 😂

   1. You are lucky! They are everywhere here.

      1. * any not and 🙂

8. You are lucky! They are everywhere here.

9. So so funny… because it’s so true (for me too)!!!

   1. It is so easy to get distracted now that I am no longer (usually) working under a deadline.

10. Thank you, Janis! I am so glad it is not just me. I’ve never heard the many (infinite!) ways that I can distract myself referred to as squirrels, but it makes sense! I watch the squirrels in our backyard every day (while I’m trying to write a blog post or get other work done) and they are completely insane. So, yes! I’m blaming everything on the squirrels, LOL!! Now please excuse me while I go peruse the refrigerator…

    1. I think the term first came from the animated movie, Up. Dug the dog kept getting distracted by squirrels. It’s very good if you haven’t seen it and Dug is adorable. I think squirrels are the perfect thing to blame everything on, including unscheduled trips to the fridge. 🙂

       1. Yesss that’s it! I was trying to figure out the origin of the term usage…loved that movie, too such fun.

       2. Oh, how could I forget?! I absolutely loved that movie, and of course that’s where your reference comes from! I need to watch ‘Up’ again. I remember it being so uplifting. 🙂

11. Very amusing – and so true!

    1. It’s good to know that I’m not alone 🙂

12. I can relate totally. The thing is I used to call it multi-tasking before retirement. Now there seems no reason to focus because I have all the time in the world, or so I tell myself!

    1. Of course, “multi-tasking” would imply that I actually get things done 🙂 I tell myself that same thing about time… what’s the hurry?

13. So far I have kept the Wordle squirrel from setting up residence in my house (and mind). I have too many other squirrels living with me already. Oh boy, I can relate. Thanks, Janis – for giving me a cute fluffy tree rat visual instead of the demonic ones I was blaming on my distractedness 😁.

    Deb

    1. Wow, I’m amazed that you’ve been able to avoid Wordle. Once I tried it, I was hooked. The “fluffy tree rats” may look cute, but don’t let them fool you.

14. Congrats on your success against the squirrels! I had never heard of this expression, but it’s so fitting. (And, yes, that squirrel in the pic is super cute.) Best line: The refrigerator squirrels are particularly good at vying for my attention. 🙂 Good luck getting everything done!

    1. It is a daily challenge… one I don’t always succeed in. If you haven’t seen the Pixar movie, Up, I think you’d enjoy it. It came out in 2009, so it’s probably available to stream.

       1. I did see Up. Is that where you got the idea from? Ohhhh…. that dog that said, “Squirrel!” a lot. Yes, yes, I’m with you now. 🙂 🙂

          1. Yep… Dug the dog. So cute.

             1. Ah, Dug. Been a while. 🙂

15. Oh, I laughed all the way out. Attending to squirrels?! That’s a pretty good joke, my dear Janis 😂. I almost thought you meant rats 🐀. Seems these darlings can be this pesky too then! 🤗😂

    1. Fortunately, no rats… just the deceptively cute squirrels.

       1. Oh I see. That’s better.

16. Oh thank goodness. I’ve thought for several years that my memory and attention span were deserting me. But it’s only squirrels. Whew!

    1. Thank goodness, huh? It still means we don’t get anything done, but at least we have an excuse.

17. I started to comment on this immensely relatable post 3 times already, and each time a squirrel of my own got me 😀

    1. Haha! That happens to me too!

18. Oh all those squirrels Janis!! Hope they start behaving themselves and you get them under control.

    1. Unfortunately, I don’t think I stand a chance. The Wordle squirrel was especially distracting this morning.

19. So funny, so true. The problem with squirrels is that they, in this case, multiply faster than rabbits.

    1. You are right! Just when I think I have them under control, more appear. Of course, not all are mine… my husband adds to my menagerie now and then too.

20. Problem is, once you know squirrels are the source of the ‘problem’ they soon become more an excuse to not focus on what needs to be focused upon rather than a mystery as to why nothing of consequence seems to come from such work! (Spoken by one who is at the end of a squirrel run and not really wanting to get on with the task(s) at hand!!!!!)
    Thanks for the laughs and I’m with ya, lady!

    1. What? I use them as an excuse? No way… the struggle is real.

21. What a delightful post Janis! It think if might be mating season for those damn squirrels….they are everywhere!

    1. I think spring is definitely squirrel season (we aren’t there yet but, at least here, we are having very spring-like weather). Just wait until the Daylight Savings time change brings even more distractions… I mean, squirrels.

22. My first thought when reading this is how squirrels have been the bane of my existence ever since our lab, Copper, came into our lives. Nothing else excites him more than those speedy, bushy-tailed rodents. 🙂 This is hilarious and so true!

    1. Copper must be like Dug the dog in the movie, Up! It’s hard to focus with all those distractions scurrying around.

       1. 🥰

23. Wow! Squirrels in the house, even imaginary ones, would shock my wife to death. As long as they are outside, she would consider them cute and worthy to be photographed and posted on Flickr. Haha!

    1. They are cute outside (except when they eat my oranges) but are very distracting inside. Fortunately, the inside variety don’t make a mess, except of my schedule. 🙂

24. Success over those pesky squirrels and getting the post finished is what counts, good job! Thank you for the smiles and giggles. I loove this post.

    1. I was able to wrangle them this time. Who knows about the future?

25. So that is what these are, Janis, squirrels! I thought we escaped the squirrels when we moved away from Sacramento! Alas, like you, they are still everywhere to distract me! Great to see your post and have a great weekend!

    1. Oh my, I would think with your new home and town, squirrels would be everywhere! They aren’t all bad, though. Sometimes it’s important to pull yourself away from scheduled tasks and just play (squirrels are good at encouraging play). 🙂

       1. No trees yet in the yard, except the 8 we planted last fall. On of these days the squirrels will find us and hopefully the birds, too!

26. Janis, Yup. And yesterday one squirrel took me down a rabbit hole… is that mixing metaphors too badly? Do share when you have a squirrel eradication solution.

    1. You’ve got to be careful when you mix squirrels and rabbits like that. Chores go undone, and schedules are missed.

27. I think we can all identify with your squirrel problem! Learning to ignore them is so hard….

    1. I do think the squirrel problem got a lot worse when I retired too. Without solid deadlines, who knows when I’ll get things done?

28. Ha ha. You’re describing my first nine months of retirement! I think I just tune out the squirrels these days. There are still lots of unfinished and even unstarted projects, but their existence no longer bothers me.

    1. Yes, retirement definitely added to the squirrel population around here. I’m glad you’ve learned to tune them out… that is my goal.

29. Too funny! We leave peanuts in a squirrel feeder in the backyard. They must be sneaking inside to distract me without my knowing it. Thanks to you, I have an explanation for my distractions!

    1. Yes! It is definitely their fault! They look cute, but their looks are deceptive.

30. I’m very familiar with those squirrels as well and I’m not a fan! For me, it helps to live in a smaller space like a camper – less squirrels to take care of. But, there are always uncountable squirrels in my head. I wish you success straightening out your squirrels. Or better, getting your squirrels in a row. 🙂

    1. Oh my, yes! There are so many squirrels in my head too. I doubt that I’ll be able to control my squirrels as much as I’d like… I’ve tried for years.

31. Thank you for this post. It speaks to me on so many levels.

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed it. My squirrels have been very busy lately, so why not at least turn them into a blog post? 🙂

32. So it’s squirrels! I thought it was a time thief stealing my days.

    1. Time thieves can be a problem too. So many distractions, so little time 🙂

33. I love your analogy Janis. I too, am surrounded by squirrels. Today, at least, they are letting me READ other people’s blogs!

    1. Haha! How’s your move going? I imagine there are a lot of squirrels lurking around.

       1. The “unpacking” squirrels are competing with the “daily routine” squirrels. But, we are loving our new town! Thanks for asking.

34. Thanks for my Monday morning giggle. This blog post is a squirrel in disguise as I’m supposed to be updating a project plan for the day job.

    1. You are so right! Those darn squirrels are very deceitful (but I’m happy they made you read my post 🙂 ).

35. Way to chase the blog writing squirrel to the finish line! I’ve been battling with the squirrels too. I just said to my daughter on the phone last week, “Squirrel, squirrel, squirrel, I have one more thing to tell you that just popped into my head!” Thank you for the fun distraction from my tax prep. I LOVE Wordle too 😉 Happy squirreling to you.

    1. I love what you said to your daughter! I know the feeling when you have so many (squirrely) thoughts in your head that it’s hard to keep them all straight. I’m happy that I was able to distract you (hmmm… does that make me a squirrel?) from your tax prep for a moment.

       1. Thanks – my daughter is one of the few people who can follow my squirrel thoughts without too much pause. Yes, you’re a beautifully creative squirrelly thought person that can easily distract me into the joining the fun of the blogosphere. 💕😁

36. LOL!! I too can relate! The squirrels are winning when it comes to my desk and retreat. I’m glad you beat this time! 😂😀

    1. Sometimes I think that resistance is futile.

37. I never heard the fleeting thoughts as squirrels. My brain starts tons if things everyday and if I’m lucky I get a couple done. I thoroughly enjoyed your chase.

    1. Me too! I consider completing a couple of tasks pretty darn good. For instance, not to brag, but I took out the garbage this morning AND put in a new liner in the trash can.

       1. Good job. I didn’t forget my laundry in the dryer. That’s a win.

          1. Haha! Thanks for your comment. I am now following your delightful blog! (I guess that’s three things I’ve accomplished today 🙂 ).

             1. Yes indeed. Thanks for the follow. I took my inside trash cans outside yesterday to empty them and wash them out. I just went and brought them back in. Thanks for the reminder. Lol

38. I definitely have this problem. In fact, that’s why I’m reading your post right now. It keeps me from writing my own!! I also have this problem with cleaning and organizing. You start in one place and end up in ten other places, never finishing any of them. Glad I’m not the only one.

    1. It seems that we are in great company! I have always admired those who can put their full concentration on a single task until it is done. Me? I’m all over the place. Things get done (mostly), just not necessarily on schedule.

39. I’m right there with you, Janis, including inviting the squirrel Wordle into my morning! LOL! It doesn’t take much for me to let the squirrels in these days!

    1. I seem to be especially susceptible to their charms lately. Thank goodness Wordle is only once a day.

40. 😂

    1. 🙂

41. hahahaha! Thanks for this early morning laugh 😆 Should I mention that I’m reading blog posts instead of attending to all the various squirrels demanding attention? I’ve become very passive-aggressive with them 😉

    1. Blog posts are full of hidden squirrels. Does passive-aggression work?

       1. HAHAHA!!! In my world it does. At least they could do is vacuum, dust, or something while I’m ignoring them 😏

42. I’ve avoided Wordle as I have enough squirrels although I live by lists and I don’t let the squirrels in charge of the pen. Being detail and goal oriented helps a little with the squirrels but for sure retirement allowed them in the door. Bernie

    1. Wow, you are good, Bernie. I make lists also but I still get waylaid. I think I’m a lost cause.

       1. I think it’s that I’m very goal orientated and for 40 years my job reinforced that inside my brain.

43. This is such a great post and I can totally relate! Visiting today from Ally Beans new blogroll. 🙂

    1. Welcome! Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. It appears that there are a lot of us who get distracted by squirrels.

44. Haha I can image how your world seem with those cuties 😁
    Nice post! 😊

    1. They are very deceiving little critters. Thank you for stopping by and commenting!

       1. Yes 😊
          You’re most welcome!

45. What a fun way to think about all those distractions, Janis. They are pesky indeed. And Daily Wordle is my newest squirrel too. Ha ha. I’m glad you got your blog post done. One squirrel at a time…. 😀

    1. The evil (but cute) Wordle squirrel is messing with us for sure. I’m grateful that it comes out to play just once a day.

46. Some days are best left to the squirrels.

    1. I agree. Sometimes resistance is futile. Best just to go out and play. 🙂

47. Perhaps an invasion of squirrels is why many bloggers go to coffee shops to write. Of course, my squirrels would probably follow me there! Thanks for the smile. You beat the squirrels today and that’s all that matters!

    1. That is such a good point! Although, I’m afraid I’m be distracted anyway, if not by squirrels, then by people-watching.

48. I’m perpetually behind in Reader Janis and despair that I have such a problem getting things done anymore. I blame it on not having a better work/life balance and tell myself “well maybe when I retire, it will be better and I’ll be more together.” After reading this post, now I worry that it may never happen. 🙂 I’ve not jumped on the Wordle train yet, but I do play Word Wipe once a day and like it and Klondike Solitaire three a day … for purposes of keeping the brain humming along of course.

    1. The thing about retirement is that we bring our nature with us. I’ve always been the type who gets easily distracted. At least with work, I had solid deadlines (not saying I miss having deadlines, mind you). I don’t know the games you listed and it’s best that I keep it that way. 🙂

       1. It is pretty easy to go down a rabbit hole sometimes and not emerge right away. I allow myself those games, sometimes like a “sorbet” when I most need it at work. That’s why I’ve not wandered into Wordle – best not to. I have a few retired friends who do Dordle too (some other similar version) and the one friend was a math major in college and does a Wordle-type puzzle that is math related.

49. Ally sent me! I’m looking forward to following the adventures of another squirrel infested retiree.😊

    1. Haha! There are a lot of us out there! I’m so happy to have you visit my blog and thank you for commenting.

50. Oh, I know all about those squirrels. In fact, your blog post is one of them, distracting me from my actual work! 🙂

    1. Wow! A blog post about squirrels is a squirrel itself. I think I may need to lie down (although sofas can be nap squirrels too).

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