Things that annoy me but shouldn’t..

[Anag Ram]

1 hour ago, Mucker1884 said:

Red or Grey?

Grey. Tree rats. 

[Mucker1884]

2 minutes ago, Anag Ram said:

Grey. Tree rats. 

Vair enough!

 

 

 

 

*Kinda spoilt my pun, there!  I really needed your answer to be red!  Damn you!   

[DarkFruitsRam7]

3 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Squirrels

As long as you’re not referring to Squirrels Bar, my favourite 1st-year haunt.

It might not look like much, but any place willing to serve £1.75 pints of Strongbow Cloudy Apple to 18-year-old me has a special place in my heart.

[Anag Ram]

Do they serve nuts?

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

2 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Grey. Tree rats. 

 

[Eddie]

On 14/12/2021 at 16:56, BucksRam said:

Sage words told to me by a builder mate several years ago after I'd had to apply 3 coats of a very well known retail paint. I switched to trade paint (better coverage, higher opacity, better durability, usually cheaper) and have never looked back. 

As opposed to @sage words such as "It's your round, Eddie"

[Miggins]

Squirrels are just squirrels. They can't help whether they are red or grey. They are both entitled to live on God's green, clean earth the same as the rest of us. 

[Miggins]

4 hours ago, Anag Ram said:

Grey. Tree rats. 

Not tree rats. Squirrels!

[Miggins]

Squirrels are squirrels, not tree rats!

[Turk Thrust]

7 minutes ago, Miggins said:

Squirrels are squirrels, not tree rats!

Tree rats with a big fluffy tail 

[Miggins]

5 minutes ago, Turk Thrust said:

Tree rats with a big fluffy tail 

Noooooooooo!!!!

[sheeponacid]

11 hours ago, Miggins said:

Squirrels are just squirrels. They can't help whether they are red or grey. They are both entitled to live on gods green, & clean earth the same as the rest of us. 

Or black… people tend to forget that we have some small populations of black squirrels……estimates now put them at over 20,000. They have  enjoyed a steady but continual rise in their numbers since first being  discovery in the UK in 1912.

Originally thought to be greys with a DNA defect, research now suggests that they are American black squirrels, who possibly escaped from a private collection. Their few colonies tend to be in East Anglia & Hertfordshire 

To put their population into some sort of context we have around 140-150,000 Reds & 2.5-3m Greys.

The Reds population continues to be under pressure, which is why their remaining strongholds need to be so vehemently protected from the more dominant Greys. Strangely enough a slight rise in Pine Martin numbers (still estimated to be at less than 4000) appears to be helping the Reds in some areas were both they & the Greys populations overlap each other.

[Comrade 86]

Sat in my garden in a previous dwelling where the back garden ended in a serried wall of trees with wetlands beyond. Had all manner of wild animals come visit. Deer, foxes, hedgehogs, enormous dragonflies, rats and lots and lots of squirrels. Sat one afternoon in the sunshine chomping though a huge bag of pistachios whilst catching a few rays and reading a James Ellroy novel, when after a while, I became aware that I was being watched rather inquisitively by a very large and very clearly pregnant squirrel. She was pretty unusual as they're busy little creatures and typically quite timid, but she was sat really quite close, on her haunches with her paws entwined and for quite some time. She looked like she was praying.

So I chuck her a pistachio... It lands close to her feet and she doesn't flinch, not one iota, rather she scoops it up and shells it in one swift movement and chomps it straight down. Then she re-adopts her praying pose. I chuck her another, then another, then another. Pretty soon there's discarded shells flying all around her since as fast as I could land them near her, she could extract the tasty bits and wolf them down. Soon she begins stuffing them shell and all into her cheeks, then she starts running around and around a small apple tree, making a huge fuss of burying a few, only to dig them up and eat them mere minutes later. I'd had no idea that squirrels buried food and it was joyous watching her obvious delight at finding this funny looking massive hairless squirrel who was quite generous with his scoff. By late afternoon, she'd helped me polish off the entire bag and was literally sat no more than a few feet from me seemingly enjoying the late afternoon sunshine as much as I was.

This became a regular gig, so much so that I dubbed her Dyson as whenever I'd venture out with treats, she'd be there in a shot and would swiftly hoover up whatever I put down. Soon, she'd even sit on the window ledge while I was washing up or sitting in the kitchen too, even without the lure of nuts. My GF of the time of course hated it. 'You can't feed a squirrel pistachios' she'd moan. Why not I'd ask? 'Pistachios are expensive' she'd reply. Well I bloody feed you don't I, I'd think without saying. I didn't really like her very much. 

I'm not sure how many litters Dyson produced, but as is nature's way, a couple of years after our first encounter, she was eventually killed by one of her offspring (I assumed) after a prolonged and pretty vicious fight high up in the tree canopy. Don't mind admitting it saddened me quite a lot, even though I know that's how nature works and that it's nothing more than the cycle of things.

Anyway, next time you see a squirrel, instead of muttering about rat's with tails, chuck the little bugger a nut or two and think of Dyson, because one man's vermin is another's funny little furry mate. We're all God's creatures after all, assuming one believes in such things and we all share the same planet. 

And apologies for the huge digression from the core subject matter of this thread! 

As you were ?

[sage]

13 hours ago, sheeponacid said:

Or black… people tend to forget that we have some small populations of black squirrels……estimates now put them at over 20,000. They have  enjoyed a steady but continual rise in their numbers since first being  discovery in the UK in 1912.

Originally thought to be greys with a DNA defect, research now suggests that they are American black squirrels, who possibly escaped from a private collection. Their few colonies tend to be in East Anglia & Hertfordshire 

To put their population into some sort of context we have around 140-150,000 Reds & 2.5-3m Greys.

The Reds population continues to be under pressure, which is why their remaining strongholds need to be so vehemently protected from the more dominant Greys. Strangely enough a slight rise in Pine Martin numbers (still estimated to be at less than 4000) appears to be helping the Reds in some areas were both they & the Greys populations overlap each other.

I saw a pine martin in the summer at the top end of Shining Cliff Woods between Ambergate and Alderwasley. Judging by the size amd colouring it was an immature male ( it was like looking in a mirror). 

[Boycie]

On 15/12/2021 at 10:44, BucksRam said:

Try Ocado - I think with almost every shop we get at least one thing refunded with tins or bottles packed on top of bread, fruit, yoghurt etc.  And don't get me on substitutions.  Often replaced with nothing like you originally ordered. 

They’re dearer through?

[BucksRam]

10 hours ago, Boycie said:

They’re dearer through?

Yeah a bit to be fair (not like Waitrose though) but we've tried Tesco etc and just got fed up with not having things available, or stupid substitutes.  Last straw was during lockdown when we were restricted to 80 items which was really hard for a family of 4 plus also shopping for my elderly parents who were shielding - we switched to Ocado (M&S) who had no such restrictions and haven't gone back.  That said we do still do the odd shop in Aldi or Lidl too. 

[Anag Ram]

13 hours ago, 86 Hair Islands said:

Sat in my garden in a previous dwelling where the back garden ended in a serried wall of trees with wetlands beyond. Had all manner of wild animals come visit. Deer, foxes, hedgehogs, enormous dragonflies, rats and lots and lots of squirrels. Sat one afternoon in the sunshine chomping though a huge bag of pistachios whilst catching a few rays and reading a James Ellroy novel, when after a while, I became aware that I was being watched rather inquisitively by a very large and very clearly pregnant squirrel. She was pretty unusual as they're busy little creatures and typically quite timid, but she was sat really quite close, on her haunches with her paws entwined and for quite some time. She looked like she was praying.

So I chuck her a pistachio... It lands close to her feet and she doesn't flinch, not one iota, rather she scoops it up and shells it in one swift movement and chomps it straight down. Then she re-adopts her praying pose. I chuck her another, then another, then another. Pretty soon there's discarded shells flying all around her since as fast as I could land them near her, she could extract the tasty bits and wolf them down. Soon she begins stuffing them shell and all into her cheeks, then she starts running around and around a small apple tree, making a huge fuss of burying a few, only to dig them up and eat them mere minutes later. I'd had no idea that squirrels buried food and it was joyous watching her obvious delight at finding this funny looking massive hairless squirrel who was quite generous with his scoff. By late afternoon, she'd helped me polish off the entire bag and was literally sat no more than a few feet from me seemingly enjoying the late afternoon sunshine as much as I was.

This became a regular gig, so much so that I dubbed her Dyson as whenever I'd venture out with treats, she'd be there in a shot and would swiftly hoover up whatever I put down. Soon, she'd even sit on the window ledge while I was washing up or sitting in the kitchen too, even without the lure of nuts. My GF of the time of course hated it. 'You can't feed a squirrel pistachios' she'd moan. Why not I'd ask? 'Pistachios are expensive' she'd reply. Well I bloody feed you don't I, I'd think without saying. I didn't really like her very much. 

I'm not sure how many litters Dyson produced, but as is nature's way, a couple of years after our first encounter, she was eventually killed by one of her offspring (I assumed) after a prolonged and pretty vicious fight high up in the tree canopy. Don't mind admitting it saddened me quite a lot, even though I know that's how nature works and that it's nothing more than the cycle of things.

Anyway, next time you see a squirrel, instead of muttering about rat's with tails, chuck the little bugger a nut or two and think of Dyson, because one man's vermin is another's funny little furry mate. We're all God's creatures after all, assuming one believes in such things and we all share the same planet. 

And apologies for the huge digression from the core subject matter of this thread! 

As you were ?

A lovely tale.

Now picture a grumpy middle-aged man who has just sat down with a cup of tea, smiling at the way his lawn and garden are looking after extensive hard work across the year.

Enter stage left two squirrels who systematically ruin his lawn by digging multiple holes to bury the nuts provided by members of the neighbourhood then do the same to the garden, digging up bulbs, destroying pot plants and leaving a right bleeding mess.

Not just first world problems for a gardener but the disruption of an ecosystem.

Now picture said middle-aged man’s balding head turn purple with rage.

As the title says, it shouldn’t annoy me, but it jolly well does!

[Comrade 86]

1 hour ago, Anag Ram said:

A lovely tale.

Now picture a grumpy middle-aged man who has just sat down with a cup of tea, smiling at the way his lawn and garden are looking after extensive hard work across the year.

Enter stage left two squirrels who systematically ruin his lawn by digging multiple holes to bury the nuts provided by members of the neighbourhood then do the same to the garden, digging up bulbs, destroying pot plants and leaving a right bleeding mess.

Not just first world problems for a gardener but the disruption of an ecosystem.

Now picture said middle-aged man’s balding head turn purple with rage.

As the title says, it shouldn’t annoy me, but it jolly well does!

Soz mate ?

[Gee SCREAMER !!]

 

On 16/12/2021 at 06:49, sheeponacid said:

Or black… people tend to forget that we have some small populations of black squirrels……estimates now put them at over 20,000. They have  enjoyed a steady but continual rise in their numbers since first being  discovery in the UK in 1912.

Originally thought to be greys with a DNA defect, research now suggests that they are American black squirrels, who possibly escaped from a private collection. Their few colonies tend to be in East Anglia & Hertfordshire 

To put their population into some sort of context we have around 140-150,000 Reds & 2.5-3m Greys.

The Reds population continues to be under pressure, which is why their remaining strongholds need to be so vehemently protected from the more dominant Greys. Strangely enough a slight rise in Pine Martin numbers (still estimated to be at less than 4000) appears to be helping the Reds in some areas were both they & the Greys populations overlap each other.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/Derby-news/rare-white-squirrel-spotted-Derby-6214612

Apparently there's incredibly rare White ones in Derbyshire and a few in Staffordshire.  One less at that minute as some twit shot one with a air rifle last year for a laugh and left it in agony till it was collected and put down by the RSPCA. 

Edited December 17, 2021 by Gee SCREAMER !!

[Anag Ram]

Saw this one singing Purple Rain outside my patio doors