World's Worst Apple Muffin and Squirrel Report
It looks fairly tasty, but here you see the worst muffin I've ever made. The recipe seemed good, but the batter was dryer than normal and I wondered about that. But, since it had a grated apple in it, I assumed that would provide some moisture. Wrong! Tasteless and tough.
In contrast here's a delicious pear muffin that I made for an article in Fit Fare. It was moist and full of great taste. You can get the recipe for it here. It contains four chopped pears in the batter, making it moist and flavorful. And since pears are full of fiber, these little gems are good for you too.
Off the subject of muffins, I have to mention that I talked to the marvelous Christine of Christine Cooks on Monday. She's back from her trip and picking blackberries in her backyard, no doubt. I'm looking forward to seeing the photos from her most excellant adventure. Christine asked how the squirrels were doing, and since I've had the same question asked by a few other bloggers, I thought it was time for a progress report.
I now have four squirrels. As some may remember, Atticus died. The other two who came with him, Scout and Boo Radley, also became very sick with a respiratory virus. Many squirrels were dying of it around here, so I braced myself for the worst. Fortunately, an antibiotic prescribed by the Vet worked wonders on them.
About three weeks ago, I received two more squirrels, who are younger than Boo and Scout. One was recovering from West Nile Virus and spent most of his time hidden, probably because the light gave him headaches, due to the virus. He's much smaller than the other squirrels, so I named him Pee Wee. The second new squirrel also caught the respiratory infection and it was touch and go with him as well. His name is Truman. The above picture is Pee Wee. Did I mention that he hates me? That posture means, "Get the hell away from me you evil #@*&%. I don't care if you did save my life, you're dead to me. Oh, while you're up would you bring me a grape? Good--now go to hell!"
Here's a shot of Boo, who's extremely friendly and always rushes over to greet me when I come into the room. He loves to dangle upside down and try to impress me.
They all sleep together in a big tangle of bodies inside this hammock made from a T-shirt. In the wild, squirrels build nests made from leaves and branches, sleeping together like this when the weather is cold. No one is turned away. Then, when the weather gets warm, they become territorial and all bets are off. Being a squirrel is a tough life. The average life span in the wild is about 2 years.
Scout enjoys some tree bark.
Boo says, "You talking to me?"
Both Boo and Scout are almost weaned. Soon they will have to go off to be "wilded up" so they can be released into the wild. Truman and Pee Wee (also known as Hellboy) will stay longer until they can gain more weight. It's crucial that a squirrel gets a lot of fat on them for the Winter. That's why they try to eat bird seed in feeders. If they're doing that to you, consider getting a squirrel feeder and filling it with dried corn. They are a lot of fun to watch and they need the nuitrition as much as the birds.
Awwww! What sweet photos. Thanks for the update Sher. And, thanks for the mention! I so enjoyed talking with you on Monday. Next time we're going to have to get together for lunch - Mustards Grill perhaps? We arrived home yesterday evening, just in time to grab a bottle of wine and head to the beach with our friends. What a home coming!
Posted by: Christine | October 19, 2006 at 10:26 AM
Boo, ok, I SEE that you're a boy, you want to rate your pic PG13 or R? *LOL*... Sher, I just kidding... thanks goodness all these babies recovered from infections/disease. I didn't know squirrel's life span so short though...
sorry about your apple muffins. But who knows, maybe tomorrow the apples release more juice and moisten the cake huh (it did happen on mine). Good luck, they really don't look bad at all! And I enjoy so much reading your article in Fit Fare. True, pears taste great in salad!
Posted by: gattina | October 19, 2006 at 02:57 PM
They are SO CUTE. I did wildlife rehab for a number of years when I was in college and grad school in Ohio - I raised many a squirrel. I look forward to getting into rehab again someday - I really miss it. Kudos to you for doing such good work for these critters!
Posted by: anne | October 20, 2006 at 05:59 AM
Oh man...they are cute for rats with fuzzy tails ;)
Posted by: Jeff | October 20, 2006 at 06:23 AM
aww look at those guys! hellboy reminds me of my hamster - totally hates me whilst demanding treats. its cute. boo is ever so handsome, you deserve a trophy for your hardwork. 1st place squirrel helper :) that cannot be easy!!
Posted by: aria | October 21, 2006 at 08:10 AM
I'm sure Pee-Wee will eventually come 'round...
Posted by: s'kat | October 26, 2006 at 05:10 AM
hello, fluffy little rodenctuals!
Posted by: eqj (the chocolate lady) | October 26, 2006 at 08:34 PM