For years I fought them. I considered them pests. They irritated me. I wanted them gone.
We have squirrels. A couple years ago I might have said we have a squirrel problem. It was my crusade to rid my birdfeeders of them. It was that struggle that eventually brought us closer together.

I keep my birdfeeders well stocked for the winter, especially if the weather is harsh or the snow cover thick. We enjoy seeing the varieties of birds that come and keep track of all the species that arrive. The squirrels were simply a nuisance to me. They kept the birds away.

One of my feeders is an open flight deck. It’s a square foot wooden frame with three layers of fine mesh screen attached to the bottom. You simply load it up with seed and hang it in the tree. The birds love it!

Unfortunately, so do the squirrels. They see an open buffet waiting. They climb right in and help themselves.

One day the younger squirrel and I had a stare down. That’s when I noticed the twinkle in its eye. Was that a bit of a grin I detected on its face? In that moment I realized that though I may win a few battles along the way, the squirrels would reign triumphant in the larger scheme of things.

We no longer do battle. I don’t mind them helping themselves. The birds still come. My cats enjoy watching their antics. It’s a lot more fun to laugh than fume. The squirrels are fed. Everybody wins!

I took this photo a few minutes after the younger one had been at the open buffet. It was so full it couldn’t scamper away. We have a more leisurely and cordial understanding of one another now.

The squirrels are my friends.