So, I've noticed a super creepy phenomenon lately and at first I thought it was just in my yard but then I noticed it up the street a ways too. Squirrels and chipmunks acting weird. Yup. Furry little mental cases. Now, I immediately felt guilty because I do have some rodent traps around my house and I thought ah jeez, am I poisoning them and their little brains are rotting from the inside out? What a thought. (Did I mention I couldn't sleep last night?)
Anyhoo, yesterday there was a witness because a workman was here and he said, look at that - I've never seen anything like it. And I thought AHA! Not my imagination. The chipmunk in question had stuffed his mouth and cheeks with what looked like dirt and bark. I mean, he had so much stuffed in there, it was hanging out of his mouth. And, he wasn't scared of us. Walked toward us, not away.
And, that's not the first time. The other day a cute little squirrel saw me coming out to my studio, stood his ground and looked me in the eye and would not move even when I was practically stepping on him. I naturally turned around and walked at a brisk but dignified pace back to the house. zoiks!
Today, I was coming down my road and a squirrel was in the middle of the road just sitting there. I had to come to a full stop and blow the horn to get him to move out of the way and even then, he just sauntered off the road and into the woods.
The stuff of nightmares.