Squirrel Girl

This morning I took the dogs out in the yard for a romp. I was down by the barn when Nora tore past me in hot pursuit of something. Before I could fully register what was happening, Nora spun around and locked eyes with me. Her cheeks bulged, and she had a tail protruding from her mouth. At that moment, I had a flashback to August when I had found HALF a red squirrel on my kitchen floor. I yelled, “Drop it,” much to my surprise, she spat out the rodent (another red squirrel). It lay on the ground, screaming and waving its “arms” and legs. I looked at it and then glanced at Nora. Nora looked at it and then at me. Alice joined in, and the three of us stared at it dumbfounded. Just as I was about to diagnose a grave injury, the squirrel shut up, flipped over and crawled toward the barn in slow motion. During this time, I repeated, “Good girl, Nora, good girl,” tossing in the occasional “Good Alice.” It must have taken a minute or more for the squirrel to reach the barn and ascend toward the loft. Other than being drenched, he appeared unharmed.