I promised you I would tell you about SQUIRRELS!

Oh!

And it’s HOT! Here!

I do mean HOT!

It’s so HOT I absolutely HATE going outside!

But Mom makes me.  (Sigh)

To be fair, I do have to go outside to do my business (you understand), but to go Irrigate, hang out with Mom while she works in the yard.  I HATE IT!

It was while I was trying to find a cool spot in the shade that I remembered Mom feeds the SQUIRRELS and the BIRDS!!!

I dragged myself over to the feeding station.  Started sniffing around, looking to see if there were any treats fit for a dog —  when

SQUIRREL!!

He jumped right out of the woodpile, scampered over to the feeding station, and ran right into ME!

We, both) just stood there stunned.

Squirrel backed up…started to run off when I said “Hi!”

He just stopped and stared at me. “Hi,” he replied.  “Gosh, you are a dog.  I’m talking to a dog.”  He puzzled.

“Yeppers, I’m a dog.  My name is Boo Berry Betty Brown!  And yours?”

“Stanley, Son of Stanley, Son, son, of Stanley, son, son, son of Stanley….”

“Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!  I get it! You are Stanley, Stanley, Stanley, Stanley!  Brown!  You also have the last name of Brown, you know…you live here with Mom and Dad.  Mom feeds you, you are Mom’s squirrel, so that makes you a Brown also.”  I smiled.

“Wow!  I never knew I had a last name— Stanley, Stanley, Stanley Brown!”  Stanley SMILED big at me.

“What are you doing here, by the feeder?” Stanley asked as he stuffed his mouth full.

“Looking for shade. And maybe a treat or two.  I only see sunflower seed shells, so no real treats here.  And you?”

“I was coming down the big willow tree, and thought maybe I would zip over here and get a snack to take with me to my home.  It’s a really nice hole in the ground under Mom’s old storage shed/ancient grain bin.”

“Oh, yes!  THAT IS WHERE I’ve smelled your smell before! I’ve wondered about you and just what you were.”

“Well, now you know!  I’m a SQUIRREL!”

“Friends?” I put up my left front paw (I’m a lefty) and he put up his paw and we touched!

“Heck, why not!  FRIENDS!” We yelled together