I just finished writing Year of the Dog ! It had a massive plot hole that I had to fix which turned out to be more work than I expected. Here’s a snippet: “Hey, Auntie Nell.” He wrapped his arms around her, bussing her on the cheek and breathing in pikake flowers and shortbread cookies. And suddenly he was nine years old again, and her solid presence had made his chaotic world stable once more. “What are you doing here?” He usually took her to dinner on Wednesday nights, but today was Tuesday. The edges of her smile faltered a little before brightening right back up again. “What, I can’t visit my nephew?” She angled around him to enter his home. “Is this your new house? Looks lovely.” Which was a blatant lie, because the fixer-upper was barely livable, much less acceptable to a neat-freak like his aunt. She also left four matching pink and purple floral suitcases on the stoop behind her. Only then did Ashwin notice the cab driver standing slightly to the side of the walkway. “Can ...
Captain's Log, Stardate 02.10.2009
I’m starting to think the squirrels really have it in for my poor dog. A few days ago, this one deliberately stopped on the fence close to the screen door and actually waved its tail at my dog for a good three to five minutes.
“Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah! Poor doggie, all locked up. You can only stare in longing at my lovely fuzzy tail!”

“Ha ha, you stupid canine! You couldn’t catch me even if I fell off this fence!”

“Mom! He’s taunting me! Lemme out! Mom!”

“So close yet sooooo far! I will just saunter my way down the rest of this fence and poo all over your doggie yard ...”

If that wouldn’t make things worse, an hour later, the dang squirrel came back!
“Haha, I come to spit on your yard and torture you further!”

After initial jumping, Snickers got rather disheartened.
“I can no longer face my doggy friends. My life is over.”

“Stupid rodent. What’s the use?”

“I have prevailed!”
I’m starting to think the squirrels really have it in for my poor dog. A few days ago, this one deliberately stopped on the fence close to the screen door and actually waved its tail at my dog for a good three to five minutes.

“Ha ha, you stupid canine! You couldn’t catch me even if I fell off this fence!”

“Mom! He’s taunting me! Lemme out! Mom!”

“So close yet sooooo far! I will just saunter my way down the rest of this fence and poo all over your doggie yard ...”

If that wouldn’t make things worse, an hour later, the dang squirrel came back!
“Haha, I come to spit on your yard and torture you further!”

After initial jumping, Snickers got rather disheartened.
“I can no longer face my doggy friends. My life is over.”

“Stupid rodent. What’s the use?”

“I have prevailed!”

Comments
The best squirrel action I've seen was two squirrels racing each other up and down the tree I was sitting next to. They were so into playing that they didn't even notice me for a very long time.
I think squirrels like to play games.
I feel for Snickers. I had a cat that was also totmented by squirrels. It got so bad, I had to do recon before I let my cat into the sitting roomto sun himself - he had figured out how to open the bay windows and I caught him once trying to get to the tree outside to get to a particularly evil squirrel.
I hope he got a treat after this incident to boost his doggy self esteem ;)
Reihaisha, yes, the poor thing got a very nice treat (hot dog) and lots of love. :)
Camy