10.24.2012

Pretzels & Brazil Nuts...

A few birthdays ago,
my dear husband gifted me with this rustic outdoor bench
 that wraps around our crab apple tree,
 a tree that sits next to our front door,
 and
 I. love. it.
(you done good honey)
 
  Summer time you will find it full of various potted plants,
old bird houses
 and
other ditties that I have found over the years. 
 
 At Christmas time
you will find potted sruce tips,
 fresh pine, winter berries
 and
 perhaps an old pair of ice skates.
 
Here is my Autumn version of the bench...
I filled the bench with various size, shapes and colors of these... 
with freshly picked bittersweet entwined throughout...
are you getting the picture?
Good.

This years harvest of hedge apples
 were really too big
 for my various ironstone bowls
 or platters
 for indoor decorating.
 
Darnit, now what am I going to do with all these hedge apples?
 
AND THEN
 I had this brilliant idea...
 
I'll tuck some of them around the pumpkins
on my tree bench...
orange & green, wonderful contrast,
PERFECT....

If you aren't familiar with the hedge apple,
 they sort of stink,
and
 they ooze a sticky substance.
 
 Old wives tales say they are suppose to repel spiders,
 if you keep a few cut up in your basement
over the winter months.
 
 Hmmmmm...
maybe they would repel those damn little bushy tail varmints?
{she thinks with a twinkle in her eye}
 
Brilliant idea,
I thought...
And the photo above pretty well sums
up my latest research...
The pumpkins are now gone,
not because I made pumpkin pies with them...
 
The bittersweet is finding it's way
to the ground.
Not because I put it there...
{sigh}
 
Awwww,
and
poor little bushy tail
only has hedge apples to snack on....

Hmmm...
 
Sort of like
 when you
get down
 to just
 the pretzels and Brazil nuts
in the bowl of Chex Party Mix....
 
you soon realize
they aren't so dry
and bad tasting after all...
 
and
 so much
for my
 hedge apple squirrel repellent theory!
 
Maybe I should stick to pattern ideas
and
 forget about a career
 in pest repellents...
 
You win squirrel,
Brenda
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14 comments:

lisa said...

Brenda- You will never ever beat the squirrels so don't even try. They always win!!

Patti-Rocky Mtn Stitcher said...

What a beautiful squirrel! I could stitch hime LOL

cucki said...

i love squirrels so much too..
she is so sweet..
hugs xxx

Penny said...

It used to be that I would ride around and see everybody else's pumpkins and gourds in great shape... no nibbles, no out-and-out munching on them. I wondered why those pesty squirrels always picked MY pumpkins to feast on...
I don't feel so bad anymore!

Elizabeth said...

Fabulous photos. Adore the rustic seat around the tree and the squirrel is gorgeous. We don't have them here in NZ. I think they are cute.

Judy said...

Nice bench...looks like the squirrel takes ownership! Someone in my neighborhood puts out peanuts for the squirrels and they bring them to my yard to eat them and leave the shells! It is a no win against them.

Judy heartland stitcher

marly said...

Got a chuckle out of your story! I love to watch their antics.

WoolenSails said...

That is so cute, they are smart little buggers.
I have a hanging one, with three tiers and the squirrel lays down on the bottom one and munches away.

Debbie

simaqsous said...

Thank you for fabulous story and beautiful photos!
Anyway all yours posts so interesting!I'm really like all of them!

Doreen Frost said...

It is amazing to me just what they can get into and up to..they are destructive little varmints but I have to say...they are fun to watch and are quite cute. Your photo's are beautiful and that bench is gorgeous.

Wishing you a great day.
doreen

*Kountry*Porch*Primitives* said...

Funny!! I NEED some of those apples to battle spiders, they look for ways to torment me :) Love the bench, my guy is a handy craftman and I showed him pics the other night of a wooden wrap around bench I want him to make when we buy our house and we're back in the country...ahhhhhh. Your hubby done good I agree! ~Kriss~

Lynn said...

So sorry but I had to laugh when I saw the end result. That pesky varmint is just too smart for his own good! The rustic bench is gorgeous with or without decor.

Alicia said...

QUE LINDO PODER TENER UNA ADILLA ASI EN CASA.
SALUDITOS

suz said...

This really gave me a chuckle. My son planted a veggie container garden on his 3rd floor deck this past spring. A squirrel "kindly" harvested his crop as fast as it grew (actually it ate the flowers off the pepper plants before they could grow!). Squirrels are not his friends at the moment!