Yes, it's been hot...

Dear Squirrel

 and the rest of your friends,

 I see you're just begging for the mister system

 to be turned on out there on the kitchen porch. 

 Trying to stay cool are ya?

You know I'm still peeved  that you've knocked down 

and broken several old bottles from  the half wall. 

Including the glass milk bottle that was saved

from the time we had milk delivered to our front door.

I was a kid then, and so that bottle was getting quite old ... 

... um, well not that old. 

It wasn't a bottle  I purchased from an "antique" store. 

It was from the old Anderson Dairy,

 who supplied milk in glass half gallon bottles

with paper caps sealing in the best tasting milk 

with the cream layer on top. 

Yep, that bottle meant something and  it was personal to me. 

And another thing...

Please quit digging into my potted plants

searching out a cool and damp place to stretch out.

It's been a bit exasperating trying to figure out some way

to stop you from making one terrible  mess after another. 

 What's a gal gotta do? 

I considered  using some chicken wire  or something.

Even my stash of pinecones from last year

looked kinda like a nice barrier....

oh  yeah.  You are squirrels.

Well then,   how about a "mulch" of river rock. 

Doesn't look too bad, and so far it's worked. 

If I had thought of this sooner,

 I might still have that unusual plant that I spent good money on,

and never got to see bloom... thank you very much... grrr.

So anyway,  we need to find a way to coexist

 since there's no way either of us are moving. 

There will always be water for you in the bird baths

 and peanuts out by the compost pile. 

 Just promise to stay off the deck

 and kitchen porch,  please.

Otherwise, I'm going to have to get a dog.

Take care, love P.