Parisian Squirrels

There are many favourite things in this photo, a bright day walking in Paris, blue sky, old lettering, discovering an old chocolate shop, little chandeliers, reflections, etc.

This is a famous chocolaterie called A La Mere de Famille on Rue du Faubourg Montmartre.

Inside it has lovely old decor and fixtures which make the produce even more attractive than it already is. There was another reason why I didn't come out empty handed though......

I'm actually not seduced by all squirrenalia (!) but Les Folies de L'Ecureuil is such a great line and the box had a nice motif, not too Disneyish. I gave a box to friends who also appreciate the wily ways of the squirrel.

People are asking if my window sill squirrels are back yet this autumn - I don't think it's cold enough yet for the winter dray building and of course they may not come back but I DO hope so!

However they are about and up to their 'folies', yep they've dug up my bulbs faster than I planted them.

I'm not furious with them though like some gardeners, you have to share and live with them - they don't know they're being 'pests' do they, and anyway what greater pest to this planet is there than the human being. We shall be sharing my bulbs, narcissi and daffodils - a whole sack from Lidl for £1.99 - bargain!

Summer in the City

Although there is no summer to speak of here and oceans of rain are still falling, it has been warm enough for the squirrel season on my window sill to end. It didn't pass without a conversation with the BBC Springwatch team though, so we'll see if they become an Autumnwatch story if they come back and rebuild at the end of the year.

There were alot of different squirrels using the dray, this is Cyril, I could tell him by the particularly white fluffy bits behind his ears, his bald patch on his tail, partly his face, and his little hands had no rusty brown bits which some of the others did.

Seven changed their forecourt for summer, it's in a covered arcade so their garden furniture on the lawn and picket fence worked well. The neighbouring cat who you may have seen in this post had made this corner his spot on the winter bench, well he just adapted to summer and stayed in exactly the same spot - even though his seat had gone.

Yeh, it's all about stripes this season

Scratchy Siesta

They're still here, even so late in June which just goes to show what the squirrels think of our summer.

A Letter from the Bank

The squirrels appear to have a letter from the bank. I could make out a blue letter B so I think it's from Barclays - don't they use squirrels in their ads? Anyway I love what they've done with it - use it for a doorway - a sound investment in draught control.

Shabby Chic!

I don't see so much of the windowsill squirrels when temperatures rise, but the guy below sheltered from a hail storm recently. The dray has a nice splash of bright blue.

A few people have asked me don't I want to clear up the scruffy dray? No - it's a thing of beauty and it's still a home! I love their use of urban debris - visible in the dray are: plastic bags, paper bags, newspaper, notepaper, ball of wool, jay cloth, woolly upholstery stuffing, wipes and T shirt fabric. It starts as just ivy, then they bring in dry leaves, as it gets colder and wetter in come the more insulatery and waterproof materials. Smart guys.
If you are a squirrel lover, check out this story!

Home Improvements

I know you've been wondering how they are......and look how much the dray has evolved since all the paper and plastic etc came in and they shredded it. It's so tempting to do a pastiche on art critic waffle on this.....in keeping with the 'fibre arts' movement this installation blends a subtle mix of colours and textures and creates a true reflection of the way we live today - yes Art Squirrel has forged something both luscious and impoverished that reflects the contemporary urban struggle, yet recalls jazz improvisation and employs chance to make decisions commenting on survival itself, this is life on the edge.........Stop, no what I really wanted to say is look how much it's changed from it's early days.

People actually get paid to write stuff like that you know......

Getting the Weekend Newspaper

As I was getting my Saturday newspaper, so was Cyril, in several mouthfuls, preparing for the incoming Siberian weather. I have so much admiration for this little guy because he's so industrious - out of all the squirrels he's the best builder, constantly recycling, so if you think the squirrels have taken over the blog, file this under eco home, interiors, recycling humble objects, ingenuity, making-do etc., plus they are extremely CUTE.

But if you do think I've gone squirrel mad - here's confirmation, I have acquired a few squirrel things, I got this perspex ring from nonesuchthings at the last Lovely Merchants sale, couldn't resist. Their next sale is on Sunday 12th Feb in Camden with food downstairs this time, see their blog and Christina Wilson's Sweet Nothings blog to keep up to date on their info and events.

Love him!

Soft Furnishings

I'm sure you'll be wanting a squirrel update! I saw as many as 5 at once the other day, one in the dray in my window box and 4 dotted around the courtyard below. They've had some territorial spats but don't really fight. The squirrel who built the dray is the only one I can really tell from the others, he is much snowier behind the ears and has a bald patch mid-tail, I call him Cyril and he shares the dray with a pal sometimes and chases off others. After the main build with leaves they moved in plastic bags, tissues, cardboard etc. even this ball of wool....

...it even matches their coats, I wish they could knit (a waistcoat!) but it's since been chewed up and is spilling out the side of the home now as the dray constantly changes. One of the reasons it's such a thrill to have them so close is because it's so urban here: I watched one bury a whole piece of toast in a plant pot yesterday. I may do some spring watch type posts later on as there are so many creatures actually inside our building, wrens and blue tits nest and foxes scavenge too. I found a dead fox out the back on a hot summers day so I had to bury him on the railway bank, by climbing up there I found enough blackberries for a crumble, I love these wild oases in the city, it's a totally different kind of wildlife out the front of the building!!

Constantly Evolving Art Form

 Better than art........no contest!

Day 5 of the Rebuild

Squirrel has been busy and it seems darker in here as the home gets higher. He builds from the inside out and here he's about to use the entrance that he extended by chewing a dip in the wooden box. It looks ready now - compare it to the post before last to check the progress. A few red berries on top would look nice as we go in to December.

Thinking Inside the Box

Seeing a squirrel rebuilding the winter refuge in my window box really cheered up this grey day.

This industrious little guy trimmed the ivy as he got new material for the home. Squirrels spent three winters here then last year moved to my neighbour upstairs. I never cleared out the box and replaced plants because I always hoped they'd come back - so I was really happy to see this activity today. They re-use the paper and plastic, they're great upcyclers and reccyclers. I just love watching how clever they are, and they stop and stare and make eye contact which is very cute.  Otis was having one of his many siestas whilst the construction took place, so no pouncing at the window.

When he did get active he had an in the box thing going on aswell, I know cats do generally like exploring boxes, but Otis doesn't usually bother, I'm sure he did this because he sensed I'd paid other creatures quite enough attention (he does seem to know everything) and so spotted this was where he could have maximum impact on what I was working with.



Past winter squirrel posts here and here, the latter a little movie.

Nuts about Squirrels

 

It's cold enough for my squirrels to return to the kitchen window sill home, but they haven't yet so maybe they wont this winter. The council have cut down one of their trees nearby. Anyway, here's some ingenious refurbishing with a plastic bag on a snowy day that I thought you might enjoy. I spent hours watching these guys, they're so clever.

Cold Weather

The best thing and only good thing about the return of cold weather is the return of the squirrels!

For 3 winters they've built their home in my window box, then they leave in spring. I had wire mesh around a plant to protect it from them, but they destroyed the plant and decided the mesh would make a good basis for a home filling it with leaves, paper, plastic bags etc.
I love having them there and they're fun to watch, scratching, washing, playing, drinking rainwater from the ivy leaves. Of course I fell in love with them and got to be able to tell them all apart.

And this is possibly my all time favourite squirrel photo, aren't they gorgeous?!