THE SAGA OF SCOOP AND CHOMP

AROUND THE FOURTH OF JULY
SOME RULES DID NOT APPLY
AND ROUND THE SEEDY EATIN' PLACE
APPEARED A WHOLLY DIFFERENT FACE.
A BABY SQUIRREL SOUGHT FOOD TO EAT
INVADING FEEDER WITH NO RETREAT
HE FROZE AT TIMES
HIS ABSENCE TO FAKE
THE CAMERA'S TAKE.







AROUND THE NINTH OF JULY
TO MY SURPRISE AND WONDER
SCOOPER BROUGH HIS BROTHER!
SCOOP AND CHOMP THEY DID
ALMOST DEPLETED THE STORE.
AND I IN SILENT QUEST REMARKED,
"ARE THERE MANY MORE?"





RETURNING FROM A TREK TO JOHNSTOWN, PA
FOR THE CLOSING OF TWO OF OUR CHURCHES
IN CAMBRIA CITY, I WAS SADDENED BY THE
PROCESS OF CHANGE WHICH HAD BROUGHT
SUCH SADNESS TO THESE WONDERFUL PEOPLE
OF THE LAUREL HIGHLANDS. ALTHOUGH SADDENED,
MY HEART FELT THE LOVE OF THESE HARD WORKING,
DEDICATED AND FAITHFUL FOLKS AND I WAS
UPLIFTED BY THEIR PATIENT COURAGE.





JULY 20, 2009





WHILE WORKING ON THE PHOTOS FROM THE EVENT
MY EYES SHIFTED TO A MOVEMENT TO MY SIDE.
THERE HE WAS - CHOMPER, COMING FROM BEHIND
THE CHAIR WHERE I KEPT THE SUNFLOWER SEED.
I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND CHOMPER THE SQUIRREL
TAKING OVER MY ROOM. HE HAD GNAWED HIS WAY
THROUGH THE SCREEN IN MY BEDROOM WINDOW AND
SLIDE THROUGH A 5 INCH WINDOW OPENING. KURT
REPLACED THE SCREEN AND...YOU GUESSED IT...
AN HOUR LATER, HE HAD CHOMPED THROUGH THE
SCREEN A SECOND TIME. THIS BRAZEN DISREGARD
FOR MY PRIVACY SPAWNED A DECLARATION OF WAR.
ANTITHETICAL TO MY SPISRITUAL LOVE OF NATURE,
I AN FORMCED INTO ABANDONING ANY KIND OF
FRATERNITY WITH THIS LITTLE SQUIRREL. FROM
NOW ON, IT'S "START HOARDING YOUR ACORNS
CHOMPS, THE BIRDS WILL NEED THE FEED WHEN
SNOW COVERS THE GROUND."






JULY 23, 2009

CHOMPER DID IT AGAIN. ELEANOR FROM THE ROSARY
HOUR GIFTED ME WITH A METAL VENT SCREEN TO
PREVENT CHOPPER FROM ENTERING MY ROOM. COMING
IN FROM THE STUDIOS, TODAY, I NOTICED SEED
SHELLS ON THE FLOOR. "THE WAR CONTINUES I
SAID TO MYSELF WITH SOM RESERVATION. I WENT
TO THE WINDOW WHERE I HAD INSTALLED THE METAL
SCREEN. CHIPS WERE ON THE FLOOR. CHOMPER
HAD GNAWED THE WOODEN FRAM OF THE METAL SREEN
AND WAS PROBABLY SOMEWHERE IN THE HOUSE. AS
I PONDERED, WEAK AND WEARY OVER THE WHOLE
SITUATION, I HEARD A DISTURBANCE DOWNSTAIRS.
FR. STEVEN HAD CORNERED CHOMPER AND MANAGED
TO CHASE HIM INTO THE GARAGE, WHEREUPON THE
CULPRIT WAS ABLE TO ESCAPE. SHOULD I RAISE
THE WHITE FLAG OR TAKE DESPERATE EFFORTS!