Squirrely

Enough leaves have fallen in the back yard to make a nice skittering sound when the breeze comes up. It certainly sounds like October. I also picked up about five dozen walnuts today. There were plenty of broken shells on the ground as well, so the squirrels are getting their share. They like to eat some of them in the tree and let the shells fall, and then they will take another in their mouth and run off to hide it somewhere. Inevitably they end up planting a few trees, but it will do them no good in the long run. This variety of walnut tree doesn't survive here unless it has been grafted onto a hardier root stock.

The squirrels have better luck with the acorns they accidentally plant, as the oaks are native trees. Every year I find a few little oaks growing in the yard, usually in entirely inappropriate places. Those I dig up, but I don't even bother digging up the young walnut trees. I know they will soon die. What I wish is that some traveling squirrel would plant me a pecan tree. I'm not sure pecans will grow here, given our dry summers, but I'd dearly love to have one if they can. I'd promise to see that it gets watered in the summer. But the squirrels just keep planting walnuts and inappropriately placed oaks. Squirrels are no better at gardening than I am.