Meet Vincent Van Gogh, the Yarnmarket Squirrel

If you're a regular reader of the blog, you'll know that we're all a little goofy when it comes to animals. I'm the worst. Injured ones find me. (Mercedes the Cat and Scarface the Cat both come to mind immediately.) Well, the other day I pulled up to the shop and I caught a glimpse of a little squirrel darting amongst the shrubs. Something about him just wasn't right so I thought I'd better investigate.

I can now tell you one thing you may someday find useful: Chasing a squirrel and calling, "Here, squirrel" doesn't work.

I hung around outside until I saw the little guy run up a tree. The poor little thing was missing an ear, had a little stump of a tail, and was slightly crippled. He sort of hobbled when he ran. It was really sad.

Not long after I saw this squirrel, Alex was on his way to The Anderson's to buy a big bag of peanuts to shut me up. He knows he won't have a minute's peace until I'm satisfied that the poor little squirrel has lots to eat so he can become healthy enough to survive.

Since then, Yarnmarket customers who come to our shop have been crunching over a pile of peanuts at our door as Michele, Stef, Lisa and I have been trying to attract the little guy so we can feed him. Yesterday, four perfectly good squirrels came for breakfast. That's nice...but they're not our top priority.

Today, in the pouring rain, the little crippled squirrel finally showed up.

I tossed out peanuts and Michele grabbed her camera. She got two pretty good shots of the guy, but complained that she needs to bring her other lens in to the office so she can get a better photo of him. I'll bet by tomorrow we have breath-taking portraits of him worthy of National Geographic. (I have no idea how Stef is going to do his make-up and hair...like she does for our other photo shoots.)

If you're coming to Yarnmarket over the next few days, please forgive the pile of peanut shells at the door to our showroom. And say hi to Vincent, the Yarnmarket squirrel who's missing an ear, because he'll be in a nearby tree to welcome you...before he returns to gather his nuts.