Inquisitive Little Bugger
By Brittany Diliberto
2 Aug 2008
So it's just another sunny Thursday July morning, I didn't really think anything exciting was going to happen today other than I was going to go to walk to Richmond Camera to pick up some prints, and catch a cup of coffee with a friend who's moving away on Sunday. However, I was just in my backyard talking to my roommate and her mom and eating the half a grapefruit that I had wrapped in tin foil from yesterday's breakfast, and this squirrel starts to get friendly. We think he was attracted to the shiny tin foil. He's all over the fence, not even 2 feet away, scampering back and forth and being very inquisitive. Me... being well... me... gave the grapefruit to my roommate and said, "Keep him occupied while I get my camera," and ran inside to grab my Lomo Sidekick Bag and my Canon 30D.
While I was inside, the little squirrel had apparently tried to climb up my roommate's leg and had then climbed to perch in our tree. So, first things first, I pull out my LC-A and I get 2 snaps off at the closest focus setting (.8 meters) and I go for the third shot, this time actually putting my eye to the viewfinder (the previous two had been more of a shoot from the hip style of shot) because I wanted to ensure that I actually got the shot framed perfectly, and lean in. This was the mistake I made... the little bugger must have taken my leaning in as squirrel talk for "I'd like to meet you, let's play," because not two seconds after I did this, he took a flying leap and landed on my head!
That's right folks, there's nothing like nature in the morning.
I had every intention of taking some shots with my Canon 30D too, but after he jumped on my head, and I flipped my head upside down, had him cling to my hair, and then my bag, followed by me flinging him off my bag in one rather ungraceful swoop, he didn't want to come back out to play. And really, I don't blame him. I actually think if I was him (or her, I didn't get a close look), I'd try to make new friends too... he just hadn't learned the proper human social skills for that yet.
