Monday, June 11, 2012

other accomodations

I always wished I had a fireplace. It wasn't so much the crackling fire and warm hearth I longed for. It was the mantel I really wanted. It seemed such a grand place to make a statement; to display treasures and pay homage to the passing seasons.
When we moved to Aldergrove a few years back, a fireplace was included in the deal; a real chimney and wood burning fireplace.
One afternoon as we lounged in the living room, we were startled to hear a scrabbling sound from the chimney. We looked at each other and held our breath. Yes, there it was again.
My husband sprang to the fireplace. He leaned into its dark maw, and turned his head to peer up into the chimney.
As his vision cleared he realized that a pair of eyes were peering back into his own.
A squirrel.
It had always wished for a fireplace too apparently. Not for the crackling fire for sure, but as a haven from
the weather; The perfect spot for a nest.
Our vision of sitting before a crackling fire wavered.
My husband grabbed a broom and after opening the damper, brandished it like a sword up the chimney to "discourage" the squirrel.
It wasn't discouraged at all.
It was outraged and offended.
It growled and bit at the broom.
Undaunted, my husband lit a tiny fire, a smudge.
He and the squirrel then made simultaneous leaps.
The squirrel exited the chimney like a fireman from a burning building and my husband shot up a ladder with a piece of wire screen to nail over the chimney opening.
The squirrels found other accommodations I suppose; One with less square footage, but I'm sure it would have had a better view.

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