Grumpy the Gator

In Grumpy the Gator, a group of children playing encounter a grumpy alligator. The story teaches children to always keep a safe distance from animals in the wild, and to find an adult if they see an alligator.

Grumpy the Gator

Its Always A Story With The Hendersons

Does Stanley have a concussion?

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My family enjoys bird watching. Right now, we have a suet feeder hanging on the back porch deck. The morning chirps give the signal of birds arriving and enjoying the food. Bluebirds, cardinals, juncos, doves, brown thrashers, wrens, warblers and many other birds visit the feeder.
There is also a squirrel who has decided the suet feeder is for him, too. He (I am assuming the squirrel is a male) runs across the back field, jumps up a hill, reaches our house and scales the wood deck like a super hero. Stretching his long body from porch railing to the pole holding the feeder, the squirrel picks at the suet. Little birds sit on fence posts and watch. He is in charge for the moment.
Recently, the suet feeder was empty. The birds flew up to the feeder and then, back to the forest, with empty stomachs.
I saw the squirrel approaching the back porch. Alan suggested throwing some old peanuts outside for the hungry fella. So, I opened the door and threw out some treats. As soon as the peanuts hit the porch, that squirrel jumped on them. The excitement!!
Alan decided we needed to give the squirrel a name. His name would be Stanley Squirrel. Good name. Cute name.
The next day Stanley showed up at the back door but all the peanuts were gone.  Alan suggested giving him some old crackers. Sounded like a good idea.
Stanley was there on the porch looking for food. As I opened the door to say, “Stanley, I don’t have any more peanuts. Here is a cracker.”, that squirrel raced for the back door like he was coming inside the house.
Quickly, I slammed the back door hard enough to make the walls shake, afraid that he would come in the house. Stanley stood on the back porch welcome mat looking in the window. He seemed confused. Probably thinking “Crazy lady.”
With my nerves calmed, it was time to throw out a cracker. Noticing Stanley was not close by, I slowly opened the door and peeked out. Stanley came running. I broke apart a cracker and threw it, hoping to land the cracker on the grass in the yard.
The cracker hit Stanley in the head. OH, NO!!! What did I do?  Stanley appeared dazed for a few seconds. I worried and then, all of a sudden, he looked at the cracker, picked it up and headed for the forest behind our house. As I called Alan at work to give him the details of my morning adventure, he asked, “Do you think Stanley has a concussion?”
My goodness!!!! No Stanley does not have a concussion. He is fine and has returned for more treats. 🙂
It’s Always A Story With The Henderson’s.
Do you ever feed the birds and squirrels? God gives us nature to enjoy and also, gives us plenty to laugh about. Have fun today! Share your animal stories.
Blessings,
Mimi

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19 Comments
  • Jill Weatherholt
    Posted at 01:28h, 02 March Reply

    I’m a big bird lover. I spend a lot of money to keep them happy. Unfortunately, I can no longer put out suet because of Randall the Raccoon. Sammy the Squirrel was cute, until he ended up in our attic. I was afraid he would chew wires and start an electrical fire.

  • Quiggle
    Posted at 01:42h, 02 March Reply

    I’m laughing at the slamming the door bit. I would have panicked. No squirrels in the house, please!
    I used to love feeding the birds when my parents owned a house. Now I rent, so I don’t usually do so anymore. When I was little, my Grandma had decorative bird baths all over her yard. We would sit on the porch and watch them come and play in the water. There were a few squirrels that would end up in the bird bath too. One of my favorite memories of me and Grandma.

  • June Foster
    Posted at 02:00h, 02 March Reply

    I love your squirrel story, thought it’s a bit squirrely. Ha, just kidding. We had a hummingbird feeder on our back deck. The kind with 4 plastic flowers serving as feeders. Our resident squirrel jumped up on the railing and chewed up the flowers so the feeder didn’t work any more. My husband threatened to shoot the creature with his rifle. Shh, don’t tell Alan. He’s probably more humane than Joe.

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:06h, 02 March Reply

      Oh my!!! Your squirrel must have thought he was enjoying some sweet flowers. 🙂

  • rcraig418
    Posted at 11:37h, 02 March Reply

    Oh squirrels are cute, but let me tell you, they can do damage to a house. My friend came home from work to a “ransacked” house, and believed she had been broken into. Her blinds were torn down, stuffing ripped from her couch, and things knocked off shelves. She and her fiancé were inspecting the mess and quickly spotted the little guy sitting on top of her bookshelves. Her fiancé had to end the life of her visitor. This happened near the time of her birthday, so her fiancé took the little guy and had him stuffed. Wrapped him up, and he sits on her fire place today! We had a gag gift exchange at Christmas time, and I ordered her a red tshirt that has a picture of a squirrel and the words “squirrel whisperer!” 😁 She loves it!

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 12:07h, 02 March Reply

      You are right. Squirrels can be cute, but, they can be dangerous. I love the gag gift idea. 🙂

  • Gail Johnson
    Posted at 13:03h, 02 March Reply

    Loved Stanley Squirrel. I like nature watching, too. Anything from birds, squirrels, and reptiles, it doesn’t matter. But like you and Jill, I like them outdoors! 🙂

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 13:15h, 02 March Reply

      Animals are fun to watch. Yes, certain ones can stay outside. 🙂

  • RobbyeFaye
    Posted at 21:52h, 02 March Reply

    Oh, my! We’ve had a few get in from time to time, and a merry chase is had by all!
    The story had me laughing,
    Have a great weekend.
    Blessings~
    (Glad Stanley had a harder noggin than the cracker!)

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 22:38h, 02 March Reply

      Yes, I am glad Stanley had a harder noggin, too. 🙂

  • pinnish!
    Posted at 19:15h, 03 March Reply

    I see squirrels running along the branches across my window sometimes. The agility. And I’ve had times I’ve run behind them to take a picture, until one day I saw one on a siesta on a tree

  • marshdoctors
    Posted at 16:58h, 17 March Reply

    I love this story, Mimi! I agree – God wants us to enjoy nature and appreciate his creation. Wonderful story – I’m glad Stanley is ok! 🙂

  • msw blog
    Posted at 14:43h, 01 April Reply

    Oh the squirrel and their antics. 😊You and your readers may enjoy this post
    https://reallifeofanmsw.com/2015/11/11/how-can-i-save-my-bulbs-from-squirrels

    • mimionlife
      Posted at 15:50h, 01 April Reply

      Thank you for sharing. Stanley the Squirrel was back for a visit this morning. 🙂

  • Savoring Sixty and Beyond
    Posted at 23:31h, 03 April Reply

    We love to watch the birds in our yard! The squirrels probably eat more bird seed than they do!

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