Behind the Puddle

One ordinary moment, observed behind the puddle.

Pinecone

The Behind the Puddle neighborhood squirrel.

  • Puddle Stories | There You Are

    Puddle Stories | There You Are

    The rain finally stopped this morning, and when I looked toward the tree, there was Pinecone. Perched on her familiar branch with a morning treat between her paws, she looked completely unconcerned about the fact that I had been wondering where she had been. I hadn’t seen her in a while, long enough that I… Continue reading

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  • Pinecone Brought a Friend

    Pinecone Brought a Friend

    For quite a while, Pinecone seemed perfectly content to experience the yard alone. There were other squirrels around, of course, but Pinecone was the one I noticed, the little squirrel who learned the maple tree, investigated the feeders, stole what wasn’t intended for them, and became another familiar face outside the patio. Somewhere along the… Continue reading

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  • Apparently, Squirrel Food Is for the Birds

    Apparently, Squirrel Food Is for the Birds

    A few days ago, Pinecone and I reached what I thought was a reasonable compromise. Pinecone could stop stealing the woodpeckers’ suet, and in return, I would provide a feeder filled especially for the squirrel; with corn, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and all the things I imagined a squirrel might appreciate. It seemed like a perfectly… Continue reading

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  • Meet Pinecone

    Meet Pinecone

    The Squirrel Behind the Puddle There are neighbors Behind the Puddle who inspire stillness. There are neighbors who make me stop what I am doing simply because their presence feels extraordinary. And then there is Pinecone. Pinecone is our squirrel. Technically, Pinecone is a squirrel, and I am fully aware that wild squirrels do not belong to… Continue reading

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  • Welcoming Everyone Doesn’t Always Mean Feeding Everyone

    Welcoming Everyone Doesn’t Always Mean Feeding Everyone

    For the last few days Pinecone has been bringing a friend. It has been fun watching the two of them become just a little braver each day. They no longer race across the yard and disappear at every sound. Instead, they pause beneath the maple tree, investigate the birdbath, and cautiously explore the base of… Continue reading

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  • The Feeder That Waited

    For weeks, perhaps months, the woodpecker suet log had only one faithful customer. Pinecone. Our little squirrel seemed convinced it had been hung especially for him, and he happily nibbled away while I smiled at the irony of owning a woodpecker feeder without a woodpecker. But I never took it down. Some things are worth… Continue reading

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  • Pinecone Returns

    Some visitors arrive with great fanfare. Others simply appear one morning, as though they had never really been gone. Today Pinecone came back. I still think there is only one squirrel that regularly visits us. I may be wrong, but I like believing it is the same curious little fox squirrel each time. I imagine… Continue reading

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  • Pinecone Has Other Plans

    This morning, Pinecone came to visit. After watching squirrels for weeks, I finally decided it was time to buy squirrel food. It seemed like the thoughtful thing to do. If Pinecone had become part of our daily puddle community, then surely a special treat would be appreciated. Apparently, Pinecone had a different opinion. Without so… Continue reading

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  • Pinecone’s Priorities

    Today, Pinecone paid another visit. I had finally bought squirrel food, thinking it would be a welcome treat. After all, if you’re going to have a regular visitor, it seems only right to offer something chosen especially for them. Pinecone had other ideas. Without so much as a glance at the squirrel food, Pinecone headed… Continue reading

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