A Hunter I Am Not

This posting has nothing to do with fitness.  It's a day in the life of Rex.

I had a big day yesterday.  I first had a phone interview for a pharmaceutical job with Allergan.  It didn't go well and I didn't get a second interview.  

Squirreling around

THEN, while I was out in the back yard I spotted a squirrel on one of my bird feeders.  Now I think everyone can agree that squirrels are just rodents with bushy tails.  They get into everything and they chirp all morning long.  

I thought I would scare it off so I picked up a small rock and tossed at the bird feeder.  I wasn't even aiming.  Well I hit it right on the head and it fell 10 feet to the ground.  Do you know that if I TIRED to  hit that feeder there is no way in a million years I would hit it.  Why couldn't this have been one of the game shows where if you hit a bird feeder and  you win a million dollars?

Anyway I walked over and it was still alive but obviously convulsing and suffering.  I felt horrible.  I took video of it but it's not watchable.  It's very upsetting to watch.  I could not sit there and watch it die.  Someone told me to kill it with a shovel but I can't do that.  I would NOT make a good hunter.  If I shot something I would feel so bad that i would eventually take it the pet cemetery, you know the Stephen King one, and some Native American chant would bring it back to life only it would then try to kill me in my sleep.....but I digress.

Being the complete bleeding heart that I am I scooped it up and drove it to the vet.

After the vet visit I found out more awful news that made me feel even more guilty.

Ms. Pearl Squirrel

I was a mess after that.  I felt so guilty.  I've run over these things in my car and didn't think twice but this was different.  The vet suggested I drive her, Ms. Pearl, to the Wildlife Shelter on Bainbridge Island to try to save her life.  The reason being so she could come home and take care of her babies.  (I'm pretty sure she is a single mother, because male squirrels are assholes, so she likes to be called MS. Pearl Squirrel.) I had a spin class to teach in a couple hours so I couldn't go until after the class.  She told me she would call me after my class to let me know if Pearl was still alive.

This is how much I love my vet.  She met me at the door of the YMCA, with Pearl, and I drove Pearl straight to Bainbridge Island which is about 40 minutes away.  On an Island.  An Island.  Island.

So I'm waiting to hear today how Pearl is.  If she recovers I get to bring her back and release her into the back yard.  I just hope the brain damage doesn't make her psychotic.  I don't want to wake up one morning and find her staring at me through window giving me the finger with her little claw.

The moral of the story is that I'm on a "no hurting squirrels" kick now.  I'm actually going to buy a squirrel feeder.  I am officially the old man with bird feeders and pet squirrels.