12-1-02
Chuckie Gets A Gym
After seeing a wonderful FS gym photo on one of
the flyer forums, I decided to make one for Chuck. The base is a 36" portable garment rack (from Walmart). Added to the top
bar are a 2 year old's blueand red bib overalls (second hand kids shop), a child's mitten, wicker basket and a switch bundlebroom
(all from Michael's). A large "reptile" log from a pet store is centered with the top bar runningthrough it. A baseball cap
rests on the top end piece and a hemp rope looped over the bar and intothe bag on the clothes tree so he can access the gym
when he jumps from the bed to the bag and setsoff the chimes in route. He seems to really like the gym especially since nuts
are hidden in all front,back, and bib pockets of the overalls. Nuts are also in the cap, basket and mittens. So far, he likesitting
on top of the log while he opens peanuts.
12-4-02
Chuck found a new game he likes ... tag over the blinds. The big honey comb blind in my roombecomes his race
track at night. He raced over it with zigzag movements that would impress anyfootball scout. I was in hot pursuit, running
my fingers after him trying to tag his tail. He's just toodarn quick and led me in figure 8s and loop-d-loops until I was
pooped. I'm going to figure out a gameI can win.
12-5-02
Well, today I found out that I've been cracking nuts for a FS who can do it himself :-( Seems he'll letme do
it forever and never tell me he can do it himself. One of the forum hosts says she NEVERcracked nuts for any of her babies.
Now who's the smart one here?
12-9-02
Chuckie Has an Evil Twin
Tonight Chuck introduced me to his evil twin. Chuck is able to leap
tall buildings now and delights in"flying" around the bedroom. There is now no place he can't reach. Top of blinds, door frames,
shelvesand bookcases. He flies from his gym and goes wherever he pleases. Sudden loud noises distract mefrom whatever I'm
doing. These are followed by dead silence and I start looking for you know who. Chuck is often found sitting somewhere looking
innocent. I ask if he knocked over the picture on theshelf and I swear he shakes his head no and looks all surprised. So,
I have to conclude that his eviltwin has somehow found out where he lives and has moved in unannounced. Chuck agrees.
12-17-02
Ride the Bucking Bronco
Chuck loves this game. When he is on my forearm, I start bouncing
it up and down, faster and fasterwhile calling out, "Yee Haw, ride 'em cowboy". Chuck flattens out, grips my arm with his
arms and legswrapped tightly and holds on for dear life.
He's a good little rider and his time is improving. He's thinking about starting an All Pro FlyingSquirrel Rodeo to start
this spring.
Anyone interested in competing for prize monies can contact him at: FlyingChuckie@aol.com
12-22-02
Pitbull Chuck
I cut my thumb a couple of days ago and have been wearing a Band-Aid. Tonight, Chuck tried
to remove it, but was quickly distracted. After my shower, I removed the Band-Aid and the skin was white and looked"dish pan
shriveled". I left the Band-Aid off as the cut was healing well. Chuck rediscovered the thumband seemed to be trying to pull
off some dead cuticle. I ignored him as he's groomed me this way before.Suddenly, he bit into the live cuticle and drew blood.
I yelled and told him no, but had to literally pullhim off my thumb as he had a death grip on it with his teeth and wasn't
going to let go. I put him in "timeout" for 5 minutes ... he hates it and usually changes his behavior immediately. I cleaned
my bloody thumband put another Band-Aid on it. When I took him out of "jail", he was OK until he saw the Band-Aid. I hadto
curl my thumb into my palm to keep him from attacking it again.
Is he turning into a carnivore like Hannibal Lecter? Seems FS have a compulsion to remove that theyshould be on a human.
This includes Band-Aids, scabs, moles, etc. And they cannot be stopped once on this "mission".
12-24-02
Chuck's Holiday Game
Chuck has invented yet another game ... Twirl the Squirrel! He holds
onto my finger as I spin it roundand round. He's not really very good at it. I'm now calling him UpChuckie;-)
12-29-02
Stretch the Squirrel ... or the Medieval Rack Game
Another ingenious pastime invented by Himself. It consists
of holding onto my fingers with his handswhile simultaneous gripping the blind with his toenails. I then begin to slowly pull
my hand away from theblind while he continues to hold on. Chuck says this game is really good for the lower back and does
notunderstand why I will not try it.
BTW, you'd be amazed how long you can stretch out a FS. LOL
12-30-02
Chuck Gets a Scare
Early this morning (5am), I was playing with Chuck and he had been hiding and after
some effort, I foundhim. He jumped to a blind that he often plays on and I went to the computer. He began playing on thewindow
side of the blind, looking out into the dark. I heard him knocking against a couple of sun catchersI'd placed on the window.
He returned to the room side of the blind and I heard him making a loudchittering sound that went on for some time. He looked
like he was barking and scooted away from mewhen I tried to pick him up. He evaded my attempts to get him by running to the
bottom of the blind andgetting behind a small TV where he could avoid my picking him up. I was concerned that he was injured.He
avoided all my efforts to comfort him for sometime, but finally let me pick him up. He got in my shirtand became still.
When
he was vocalizing, I had the feeling that something might be outside the window that eitherattracted OR distressed him. The
window looks out on a bird feeder and we have raccoons that arefrequently out in that area. As it was still dark, I was unable
to see anything, but FS have keen night timevision. This was very new behavior for him and I've never heard him vocalize that
loudly or for thatlength of time.
