Cyril the Squirrel - I

Can animals be trained? What a dumb question, you ask. How about those orcas at SeaWorld that are trained to do the most amazing acts? How about legendary flea circuses? And everything in between?

Yes, of course, animals can be trained. And it’s easy. Read my story.

Outside my study is the deck and a beautiful dogwood at its edge. As I look out my window, I have a few strategically placed bird feeders on the dogwood. Plenty of birds come to those feeders – a woodpecker couple, sparrows, sunbirds, blue jays and cardinals. Many more that I can’t name. And squirrels.

The one I call Cyril (not a very original name, I admit) runs up and down the dogwood, the railings of the deck are his playground. He thinks the bird feeders are for him and tries to get at the suet block inside. He hangs precariously, his hind legs holding onto the nearest branch, spread-eagled in air to snuffle through bars of the bird feeder and dig out morsels.

Then he figured out how to open the clasps of the feeder, so that the suet block falls down and its happy pickings for Cyril and his lady.

When the feeder is empty and the suet block all gone, he jumps onto the handrail of the deck and then onto my window sill. He’ll jump around on the narrow sill a couple of times.

‘Hi, Cyril,’ I call out. Then with a piece of bread in my hand, I step onto the deck. ‘Come on, Cyril,” I say loudly and proceed to break the bread into bits and spread them on the handrail. Cyril waits till I am back indoors and gets to the bread.

Cyril the Breadaholic

Once I took some squishy blueberries and spread them on the handrail. Nope. Cyril was not pleased. He didn’t touch them. Okay, I thought, he’s a bread-aholic. Like me. Somehow, that pleased me.

Lately, he jumps on my windowsill and puts his paws on the window and peers at me. I feel so special. So honored. I promptly go and break bits of bread for him.

Who says you can’t train animals? Cyril’s trained me!

Vacant Properties are Targets

According to Elizabeth Duke, Federal Reserve board governor (from Realtor Magazine): ‘Vacant homes pose a major challenge to the housing and economic recovery… and that these can be more than just an eye sore; they can have substantial negative impacts on the surrounding community.’

One major negative impact that we’ve seen is that these homes are a target of break-ins. Appliances, ceiling fans and HVAC systems are all stolen with impunity.

Distressed properties are not the only ones so targeted. Vacant homes in high priced neighborhoods are also being broken into.

Last year, an upscale property in an upscale neighborhood was broken into and the thieves stole the stainless refrigerator and cooking range. They had kicked in the back door, opened the garage and pulled their truck in. Then they took their time dismantling and carting away the appliances.

This year, at another vacant property, thieves stole the air-handling unit and went into the crawl space and ripped off wires, presumably for their copper content!

Last week, while showing a home to a potential buyer, we found that the wires to the air-handling unit were cut. Were the thieves disturbed or were they planning on hauling it away that night?