Saturday, January 21, 2017

Caturday Art: Showing some Squirrel Love on Squirrel Appreciation Day

I LOVE CATS.  That being said there are a few other animals that I am somewhat obsessed with, and Squirrels would be on that list! In honor of today being Squirrel Appreciation Day I just had to show them a little love!! (No worries, there are cat photos here too!)
Saved to my Pinterest Board
Original from CafePress.com


 I could watch squirrels for hours, scurrying here and there, striking hilarious poses, committing acts of thievery.  In my eyes squirrels are ingenious, always busy, always planning, but I often wonder, do they truly REMEMBER where they put their nuts when they bury them in the ground?

Pinned to my Pinterest Board
Original Pin came from cracked.com



As a child, I used to look at trees with "tree holes" and imagine that when the squirrels would go inside they would sit on the teeniest wooden chairs and eat their meals out of hollowed out acorns. Ok, I will confess, I STILL believe that!

Pinned to my Pinterest Board
Original Pin Came From 500px.com
My Angel Bobo had the luxury of living in a first floor apartment  that was situated next to the woods. His window had a window seat as well. Bobo used to spend HOURS in that window chittering at birds and crouching down low to "play attack" the squirrels. The squirrels seemed to relish  cavorting and teasing him knowing they were kept safe by a pane of glass. The photo below (and I apologize for the quality, but I had to take a photo of a photo hanging on the wall in order to share this with you), was taken at my first apartment in Michigan, when Bobo and I moved here together in 2001. That apartment was on the second floor but had the type of balcony where it was still convenient for Bobo to watch his beloved squirrels).




 Poor Cody doesn't have that luxury because while I am still in a second floor unit, I am in a different complex, and  this unit  doesn't lend itself well to "squirrel viewing." Instead, I have chosen to let a couple of MY squirrels infringe on Cody's space. Poor Cody, he isn't loving the intrusion at all.



At one point I was actively feeding the squirrels and got in trouble because what started as two quickly grew to over 10 eating at one time. A number of them took up residence in the "attic" or storage area above some units. They were freaking out a neighbor across the hall because they were running around late at night. Needless to say I was ordered to stop feeding the squirrels.

Oh to live in a cabin in the woods where I can feed them to my heart's content and sit, like a cat and watch them for hours!

Now, my squirrels can just hang out in Cody's cat tree when he isn't around.




For this post I Googled coloring pages of Squirrels and printed one off that I would like to share as a "Caturday Art" submission since it is rare that I post on Saturdays, and we haven't participated in quite some time!


I am pretty pleased with how this turned out. I am a fan of using gel pens much more than I enjoy using colored pencils, so that is what I used to color the squirrel. The only editing I used was a brightener to make it show up better on the blog. To see more great art visit Athena Cat Goddess:



46 comments:

  1. I adore squirrels too. I've never understood people's love affair with birds...squirrels are so much more fascinating to watch!

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  2. We love our visiting squirrels! They are so much fun to watch.

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  3. We have lots of squirrels but the kitties seem to ignore them, except when they get in the attic and run around!

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  4. I love watching squirrels too. We have a couple of black squirrels in our neighborhood that are really handsome looking. I have even seen a Delmarva Fox Squirrel once on Maryland's Eastern Shore. Larger than your average squirrel! They used to be endangered.

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  5. Who knew there was a squirrel appreciation day? We have both red and grey squirrels here and they equally torment the dogs - LOL.
    I love your stuffed squirrels, all the cute photos you found, and your beautiful art (love those colors!).

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    1. I LOVE the red and gray squirrels!!!! Thanks so much! I have a pinterest board dedicated to squirrels!! Thanks about the art too!

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  6. I love your stuffed squirrels too. They are the best I have ever seen. Well, the only ones but I doubt any could be better. Squirrels and raccoons are adorable looking but they can be destructive as you know...but there is no concern for you where you are. look at it as squirrels gotta eat too. xoxox

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    1. Thanks so much! I am CRAZY about the brown stuffed squirrel I have. Can't remember where I got it! I am not a huge fan of raccoons and yep I do have to worry about them because we have squirrels and raccoons here! xoxo

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  7. I'm a squirrel nut too(!)...have always just loved them with their distinct personalities and sense of fun and mischief. I also love your gel pen art - SO beautiful.....!

    Hugs, Pam (and Angel Sam)

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    1. I am NOT surprised that you love squirrels too!!!! Yep they are FULL of "fun and mischief!" Thanks so much about my coloring!! xoxo

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  8. There were several places that our Little Bit liked to explore because of the squirrels. When I see squirrels I always thing of Little Bit. Good memories.

    Have a purrfect day Cody. My best to your wonderful mom. ♥♥♥

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  9. Caren, I absolutely love your art. I love to color, but I have not had time since before the holidays. I also prefer gel pens as well as fine point permanent markers. The colors are so much more vibrant. My kitties have the best squirrel T.V. due to having the catio. They are spoiled rotten by it. Cooper spends most of his daylight hours there. I am hardly getting the opportunity to know him. Hugs, J.

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  10. Your squirrel came out really amazing... sorry too many squirrels took advantage of your kindness. I saved a squirrel once that had been attacked by a cat or dog - and she paids us back by living in our attic after the tree fell down from lightening.

    Now - Since my little bungalow has a screened in porch, the girls here get lots of bird and squirrel tv in surround sound.

    -purrz from the Katie Kats

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    1. Thank you so much!! Awww you are so sweet to have saved that squirrel, I guess it fell in love with you! xoxo

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  11. WE have so many squirrels -- Mom says too many. They defeated Mom on feeding the birds. No matter how many baffles she used on her birdfeeders they always found a way to empty the feeders.So the birdies have to go elsewhere for a free meal.

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  12. We love squirrels, too! Gracie and Zoe really enjoy watching them out the living room window, and their antics make us MOL. :)

    Hugs!

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  13. Lovely post!

    We only see one squirrel here (at least I think it's the same one.) That's mainly because there are very few trees here. It runs along our garden fast and really quickly, I don't think any cat can catch it. Very cute though!

    Purrs xx
    Athena and Marie

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  14. Thsoe are all just the best phtotos and we do love those goofy squirrels!

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  15. Mommy got to briefly take care of two baby squirrels that our neighbor found. Mommy called the wildlife people and they came got the baby squirrels they told Mommy they did great and would be released back into the wild when they were old enough.

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  16. I enjoyed todays post its full of the things I love cats squirrels and coloring and the pictures are so nice thank you for sharing. Hugs Houston & Cheryl

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    1. I Houston and Cheryl!! Hoping you are having a great weekend! thanks so much for your kind words and I am so happy you liked the pictures and all! Please give Houston kisses from us! xoxo

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  17. What an awesome post! We get a big kick out of Cody & the squirrels! We don't have many squirrels around us here (I guess we have marmots instead :))Love your artwork of the squirrel and what you have done there, exquisite!

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    1. OMG I AM AWFUL!! I sooo need to find your email to email you!! OMG THE CARD WAS GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you so much about the post. Lol about the marmots. Thanks about the artwork too! Love you!!! xoxoxo

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  18. That is great art and your stuffed squirrels are cute too.

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  19. As much as they taunt us and drive us crazy, we love squirrels too. :)

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  20. My cats lives would be a lot more boring without squirrels to chase!! And of course they live in small acorn chairs! what else would they use to sit on!

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  21. Oh Cody! Mes saw a squirrel today! The balcony in our new house has one that likes to traipse back and forth across it for my viewing enjoyment!
    Mommy loves squirrels too. Wes used to watch them (in the woods) out her office window!
    Kisses
    Your Nellie Bellie

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  22. Beautiful coloring! Grampa used to feed the squirrels. They used to come and take the peanuts out of his hand and TW's too. One day when Gramma opened the screen to hang the wash, one came into the house and scared Faith. Can you believe a cat scared of a squirrel?

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  23. Loved Cody's expression when he was "infringed" by the squirrels!! Hahaha. Also we LOVED our squirrel coloring...great job! Our human does not like squirrels but WE do!!!

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  24. Love our very spoiled calico kitty and love squirrels but we live in a wooded area and people around here complain about all the wildlife. Go figure. They're learning not to tell me "the squirrels don't belong here, they have to go."

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    1. I would be like you and probably tell those people that THEY have to go, not the squirrels!

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  25. We love squirrel. They are nice looking, cute little rascals.
    So sad, we just see some when the figs are ripe.
    Ronrons
    Hisia

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  26. We do lots of squirrel watching around here!

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  27. Mommy says we have squirrels. And we should, we're surrounded by woods and huge oak trees. But we don't really watch too much outside. Mommy used to hang hummingbird feeders which we luvved, but da wasps overtook it. And since mommy be deathly 'lergic to wasps, she had to stop. We luvved your colorin' page. Mommy likes to use gel pens too. Big hugs to all.

    Luv ya'

    Dezi and Raena

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  28. That's some wonderful artwork you created, Caren and we also do love squirrels very much. We have them in our new environment too, but because everything hasn't grown big, they won't come to our place...the birds don't either :( Now they're in hibernation, so I follow their example and wait until Spring. Do you think your Angel Bobo thought he was a spuirrel too? We had a dog with an identity crisis, not knowing if she was human or cat, that's why I ask ;) Pawkisses for an Easy Sunday :) <3

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    1. Thank you!! Oh I bet once everything grows at your new place the birds and squirrels will come! If you put out food for the birds, you can COUNT ON squirrels coming! lol. I think Bobo WISHED he was a squirrel, and thank you and Annie Bear for mentioning Bobo!! xoxoxo

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  29. That is an artistic squirrel!

    Bobo sure had a great spot for squirrel watching! How fun for him. I have to laugh at Cody's pic. He really doesn't look happy, does he. He's such a cutie.

    I've also wondered if they remember where they hid those nuts.

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    1. Thanks! Yep and thanks! I think you were the only one to mention my Bobo! He would watch the squirrels so intently! That was in our second apartment, not his fave one that was in Cleveland. He could see the squirrels much better in Cleveland! Nope Cody wasn't happy but he really never looks happy because of his mouth lol!

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  30. We didn't know it was squirrel day! That's very cool. Cody, you look so cute next to that squirrel. Too bad it isn't a real one!

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  31. I think I like your stuffed squirrels best. And your squirrel art is cool.
    Real squirrels are fun to watch, but as you know, they can become pests very quickly.

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  32. Awesome post and photos! I love squirrels and cats! :)

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  33. My parents gave me a hard time for years because the only thing I wanted from the gift shop in the Rocky Mountains was a squirrel stuffie. Hey! He was cute! And I still have him too! Don't tell Bear though ... stuffie is well hidden because Bear's not a fan of squirrels :)

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  34. I like squirrels too, especially the way they jump-walk. In our yard, they chatter at me, like I'm invading THEIR territory...and they've thrown some stuff at me too! But I still think they are cute.

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  35. Oh wow, mew did a fantastic job colouring the squirrel, it looks amazing and we love squirrels too, as long as they're not armed to the teeth with automatic weapons!!! MOL

    Sweetest purrs

    Basil & Co xox

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  36. We have a lot of those little red squirels in our back wooded area...but mostly they stay there...and a good thung, cause dog-guy would go ballistic if he saw them any closer. h=He long ago a=gave up trying to get at them...MOL! He realized they were too quick. I would not want him to mess with the red dudes though anyways, because they are rather nasty if in a pickle situation...we hardly see more than a rare black or maybe a grey one now and then, I think the red dudes chase them off, since they are quite territorial.

    Having said all that...they are kind of fun to watch...unless I see them chewing the house next door...yes i have!! And thye were nesting in their attic...and once years ago our angel Groucho went cuckoo because there was a baby in *our* house...playing tightrope walking on the curtain rod...oops he was not in the right place!! He went into the cold air vent and I never was able to figure out where he went after that...even though I put down some peanuts...
    The joys of rural living!!

    Bobo sure looks intent watching the squirrel having a snack:)

    Cody?? Well he sure looks annoyed at the disturbance of his cat-nap! MOL!

    You did a lovely job with that coloring. Its so bright and vibrant. I almost expected it to start chattering, MOL!

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  37. When I was a kid, I always thought a squirrel would make a fun pet! I love that pic of Cody with his pals.

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