Your Squirrel IS the path to Enlightenment!

Sweet Mr.Nut beaming LOVE


This morning I was having coffee with my little buddy Muffinheart and suddenly a message came in loud and clear.   "Your squirrel IS your path to enlightenment." WOW!
What does this mean?

Enlightenment is, simply put, the realization that everything is perfect just as it is.  Mr.Nut spent a lot of time teaching this wisdom.  He was the perfect example of pure Peace and Love.  No matter what was happening around him, Mr.Nut always demonstrated pure equanimity.


 Here are some of the many ways a squirrel makes the perfect teacher of enlightenment:

1.  Like Ramana Maharshi, they practice Silence.

2.  They accept what is.

3.  They always live in the "now".

4.  They love you unconditionally.

5.  They are always at Peace.

6.  They recognize the God in you, even when you don't!

And little by little, as we live with our little squirrel buddies, they teach us their calm and meditative lifestyles.  You can just observe them in everyday life because they teach by example!

Mr.Nut at an early age, teaching LOVE.

To learn more about enlightenment, you might want to go to squirrel satsang.  Just visit:  SatsangWithMrNut.com and immerse yourself in the ultimate Truth!

There is nothing more satisfying than the realization of Truth!

Fly High Admiral Nut!

Mr.Nut and Mr.Bee just chillin'

It has taken me quite a while to finally write this post.  There are no words to describe the exquisite love of and for my beloved Mr.Nut.  His story is a love story... one of miracles and magic. And so, I will begin at the very beginning.

Almost 4 years ago in mid-February of 2012, I received a call from a local vet asking me if I could take in a nest of baby squirrels.  Apparently some yahoo had knocked a nest out of a tree and put it in his shed. When his girlfriend came home, he told her about it and she immediately got it and called the vet.  (Note: this was the same vet who sent my Bucky to the light only 6 weeks prior. You can read Bucky's story here: "Farewell Beloved Bucky" ) 

So this woman brought me the whole nest with two little babies in it, but seemed troubled.  She said, "I just have a feeling that there is one more baby out there somewhere. I will go home and search the whole area and the shed."

So, 24 hours later, she returned to my house with one more cold, little baby. This sweet angel had been out in the cold, rainy, wet 40-degree weather.  And this was our amazing Mr.Nut!!   (Here is the post of this discovery: "Baby Squirrel Wisdom")

Bucky, Sweet Pea, and Mr.Nut grew into beautiful little boy squirrels, happy and healthy. Then as time went on, it became apparent that Mr.Nut was a little 'different' than his two brothers.  He was more quiet, gentle, pondering. In fact, sometimes he would just sit and stare... it seemed he was often meditating.  At one point Mr.Nut no longer wanted to share the same cage with his brothers and so I gave him his own space. Check out the three babies: 

While his brothers were lively and played together, Mr.Nut preferred to be quiet and contemplative.  He didn't seem like a good candidate for an outside life.  So when it came time to release Bucky and Sweet Pea, I felt it prudent to keep Mr.Nut inside. My best guess was that Mr.Nut had either incurred a brain injury or birth trauma. Certainly the rough and tumble of outside life was not for him!  In May of 2012 he began to share his wisdom via a new blog called "MrNutSpeaks.com"  Soon Mr.Nut became known as the "Buddha" of the neighborhood. It was clear that he was operating in the higher realms and so began the start of his satsangs: 

Sweet Mr.Nut became Commander Nut as his duties included keeping peace on the planet, helping others in need, and ministering to the broken-hearted.  He became known for his amazing compassion and peace.  Many times he would visit those in hospice or recuperating in a hospital bed. He would appear to them and comfort them at a soul level. 

Mr.Nut always reminded us that LOVE is all.  You can see in this video taken in 2014, that he radiated pure compassion: 

We celebrated all his birthdays with zeal and zest and he immensely enjoyed socializing with his many friends.

He loved celebrating Christmas and Valentine's Day. 

Anyone who met him fell in love with him.  He got to meet the bakers who made his birthday cakes, his friends at the post office who helped mail his t-shirts and calendars, and he even spent time with the children at the Integrity Academy. He was intent on dispelling the old myths of fearing squirrels. He was docile and calm and let anyone and everyone pet him and love on him, always key on giving a real experience of the immensity of Squirrelove.

People came from as far away as Japan to meet him and his calendars have been mailed to almost every one of the United States and even Australia, the UK, and Sweden! 

Here is the Commander enjoying his 3rd birthday celebration:

After his third birthday, the Commander seemed to slow down and gain more weight.  We tried an outdoor enclosure for him to run around and play, but after any short workout, he would sleep for hours. But no matter what was going on with him physically, he was always in good humor. Here is a video interview filmed about a year ago:

 

He was eating much less than all the other squirrels but his weight kept increasing. Even his vet had no clue of the cause. It wasn't until his last days that it became clear that he had been suffering from Congestive Heart Disease and that the extra weight had been due to edema. He was hiding more in his cubby and didn't like to be picked up. Finally, when I did pick him up I discovered the big sore spot on his lower abdomen... it was a sign of internal bleeding. The following day, on my 60th birthday, Mr.Nut lay in his cozy cubby while I was answering birthday wishes and phone calls. After getting off the phone with my brother from Florida, I went to check on Mr.Nut and sadly, he had quietly slipped away.  It was about 3:40. Something told me he had left his hurting body at 3:33 pm but I didn't know for sure.

  
I called one of his dearest friends to tell her and she just sobbed.. she could not even speak.  The next day we held a farewell ceremony for him, placing rose petals on his beautiful squirrel body.  During the ceremony, the phone rang and it was his dear friend calling back.  She relayed her story of his passing.   She had laid down to take a nap at 3pm and suddenly sat straight up in bed, trembling. She got up and stood at the kitchen window. The clock said 3:33.  The waves of energy continued and then Mr.Nut came to her, kissed her, hugged her neck and flew off into the light.  Yes, it was true. The Commander left at 3:33, just as I had known in my heart!

How does one say goodbye to such a Beloved Buddha as this?  Perhaps the word "good-bye" is really not appropriate for this occasion.  He had touched hundreds of beings with his amazing love and compassion.  Beautiful flower arrangements arrived, sympathy cards came in, and many of his grieving friends and fans called to offer their condolences.
Now all the love that he had sent out was coming back to embrace me in this auspicious moment in time. 

A few days after his cremation, one of his dear friends, a retired Naval Chief Petty Officer, suggested that the Commander should be promoted to Admiral.  He loved him dearly and would often send him his favorite incense from the Temple of the Great Buddha in Japan.  Then just yesterday a beautiful certificate arrived from this dear man to confirm Mr.Nut's promotion:

The Certificate reads:

Greetings to those who shall witness:

In recognition of his supreme work as a Buddha Squirrel while in service of the Greater Squirrel Galactica on Planet Earth and for bringing a message of peace and squirrel love to millions of its human and animal citizens from 

February 9, 2012 to January 19, 2016.

Mr.Nut, Commander Squirrel Galactica

is hereby promoted to Flag Officer status with the permanent rank of:

ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET

to rank as such from January 20th 2016

"SO SAY WE ALL"

_____________________________________

Please know that Admiral Nut's mission of spreading Squirrelove continues on in all the realms and throughout the Cosmos.  Friends can still seek his counsel by using his website: SatsangWithMrNut.com  

...simply go to his contact page and send in your question.

As is depicted on the cover of the 2016 Squirrels of Wisdom Calendar, the Truth is broadcast:  "Squirrelove Rules"

For my Beloved Mr.Nut...  I will always love you baby!  

Enjoy this touching video: 

"Because I'm A Squirrel."

Baby Nutkin

One day I had a very illuminating conversation with my baby squirrel Nutkin. We were playing together after his meal. Suddenly and spontaneously, a series of questions came out of my mouth and to my utter astonishment, Nutkin answered every single one of them!

First I asked him, "Nutkin, why do I love you so much?"

Nutkin answered, "Because I'm a squirrel."

Then I asked him, "Nutkin how come you get cuter every day?"

He answered, "Because I'm a squirrel."

Then I asked, "Nutkin, why do you love me?"
And he said, "Because I'm a squirrel."

Finally I asked him, "Nutkin, how are you able to remain so peaceful?"
Nutkin answered again, "Because I'm a squirrel."

Nutkin and friend

So I began to contemplate the implications of what Nutkin was sharing with me.  What did "being a squirrel" really mean?  Could it be that the frequency of "squirreldom" is equivalent to that of unconditional love?
Could it be that all the little squirrels on the planet are here to plant the seeds of unconditional love and help facilitate the return of paradise on planet Earth?
Could it be because little squirrels radiate so much love that makes their appearance so beautiful?



In the blissful silence of hanging out with little Nutkin, it became blatantly clear to me that little squirrels are always so happy and peaceful because they don't bother with a language.  They don't speak with words and they don't think with words. More precisely, they communicate telepathically to us and we hear what they share by tuning in to our own hearts. Then we can translate their messages into word for others to understand. But the little squirrels simply live in the moment and act completely from the Presence of Pure Love. This Presence is commonly known as the "One Squirrel Heart".







 

Ramana Maharshi LOVED Squirrels!

Indian Palm Squirrel


Ramana Maharshi, the Sage of Arunachala, is one of the most revered teachers of Advaita or nondual wisdom. He is also known for his compassion and love for animals. At his ashram, he was always feeding the monkeys, cows, dogs, cats and squirrels.   There is an awesome video about his relationship with the squirrels on YouTube... you can simply click here: Ramana and the Squirrels


"In the roof of the Old Hall, squirrels would build nests.  Once, some new-born squirrels dropped on Bhagavan's sofa.  Their eyes remained yet unopened and the size of each baby may not have been more than an inch;  they were very red in color with fresh flesh, absolutely tender to touch.  The mother squirrel ignored them. Now, what to do? How to feed and attend to such tender things?
The baby squirrels were in the palm of Bhagavan. His face glowed with love and affection for them.  While there was a question mark in the faces of those who surrounded Bhagavan, HE HIMSELF was happy and cheerful.  He asked for some cotton to be brought. He made a soft bed for them.  He also took a bit of cotton and squeezed it to such a tiny end, the end portion looked like a sharp pin. 
He dipped it in milk and squeezed milk into the tiny mouths.  At regular intervals, Bhagavan repeated this act of compassion.  He tended them with great care and love till they grew up and ran around.  They did not run away, only ran around their 'Mother'.  Kinder far than their own mother!"

Ramana holding a little squirrel.

Just hoping that along with the incredible gift of self-inquiry Ramana gave to the world, that we can learn the importance of compassion in caring for our animal brothers and sisters.

Ramona considered them his family and treated them equal to humans! 

Ramana lounging with friendly squirrel.

"Later on in life, Ramana began to walk with the aid of a staff. One day, as he was descending the steps into the ashram compound, a squirrel, who was being chased by an ashram dog, ran past his feet.  He called out to the dog and threw his staff between them and in doing so, he slipped and the fall broke his collar bone.  The dog was distracted and the squirrel saved.  Bhagavan did not care for his own safety while protecting the devotee. It may just be a squirrel, but for  Him, the primary concern was to protect His friend the Squirrel.  His own safety was NEVER a concern."

S.A.N.G.A. = Squirrel Ambassadors Networking for Global Awakening

Squirrel Ambassador en route to Planet Earth

Have you noticed lately that squirrel consiousness is on the rise?  Starting to see more signs of squirrels in the news, in YouTube videos and on t-shirts?  Our squirrel relations are showing up everywhere: from food products to jewelry to auto decals.  What's going on?

Muffin examining a box of squirrel cookies.

Well, it's simple, really.  The Mayan creation story tells us that the squirrel was the animal that led the Sun on its first journey across the sky at the beginning of time. The squirrel is the designated guardian of the Sun.  When the Europeans came over and accused the Mayans of being pagans because they "worshipped" the Sun,  they completely misunderstood what was going on.

In the indigenous cultures, the Sun represents enlightenment. It symbolizes Christ Consciousness, Buddha Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, etc.  In the Mayan calendar, the last of 20 day-signs and the last kin of the 260 day cycle (the Tzolkin),   is "Yellow Cosmic Sun".  This icon represents awakening;  the transcendence of duality.   In Mayan carvings and art you will find squirrels pictured around the thrones of rulers and you will see the symbol of the Sun emblazoned on the squirrel's face. 

See green circle: Squirrel with Sun Emblem

So today, more than ever on planet Earth, squirrel wisdom is sorely needed to reinstate balance and harmony.  
This is why so many people are now having the opportunity to actually get to know squirrels at a personal level.  Baby squirrels are falling out of trees, getting rescued by people and making real heart-to-heart connections.  People who would probably never meet are being connected via their love for the squirrels. 

Commander Nut's new website 

Commander Nut has taken it upon himself to help with the awakening of humanity.  He offers squirrel blessings, wisdom videos and is happy to answer any questions you may have.
You can reach him via his new website:  www.SatsangWithMrNut  

Please don't hesitate to call on him...  Mr.Nut takes great pleasure in sharing Squirrel Truths: 

Take heart dear ones:  Squirrelove Rules!

Lil' Mustard

Loving little Mustard

There are really no words to describe the sublime bliss that arises when a baby squirrel has touched your heart.


A few mornings ago, I was putting food on the tray for Muffin and suddenly a squirrel name popped into my head. I heard,  
"Little Mustard".
And I knew in that instant that someone would be calling me to say they had found a baby squirrel. Sure enough, the very next morning, the phone rang and it was a man in south Austin who has a shoe store.  He said he had found a baby squirrel hiding under the tire of a car in the parking lot outside his shop.


All alone trying to stay warm.


Mo brought the baby squirrel right over and I met this little angel.  He was about 6 weeks old, a bit scared, but looked to be healthy.  I proceeded to make my organic milk formula so that he could have some warm nourishment once he settled in a bit.   Little Mustard was not very happy about the nipple I put on the syringe, which of course is not as soft as what he had been used to.... his own tender mama.  But on the second feeding he took in 3 cc and then at the next feeding he took in 6 cc.  He was peeing and pooping and loved to be cuddled.  I played some soft soothing flute music and gave him Reiki healing energy to soothe his little heart.


All cozy in my nightshirt.

And then I remembered that two weeks ago, I had gotten a message from my friend Sonia.  Her squirrel Natasha had gotten hit by a car on New Year's Day and she and her husband were still really sad about that. I told her that it was baby season and I would keep an eye open for one for her.   And I knew in my heart that this little one had come for her.
Oh my goodness.  My heart was being torn... can I really let you go, sweet angel?  I am already in love with you.


 Little Mustard cozy and warm.

I sent a chat message to Sonia, thinking she probably wouldn't see it right away.  But less than two minutes later, she called.  Yes, she was very interested and yes, she could come by anytime for him.  We set the time for the end of the next day so I could make sure he was pretty settled in his eating routine and more relaxed.

That night I experienced such a wave of emotion.  To feel the touch of a pure, helpless little baby squirrel definitely opens your heart wider than it was before.  Tears were streaming down my face with a profound love... a new depth of sweet love.  How can such a little soul provoke such profound devotion?  It is a squirrel mystery no doubt.
I was dreading having to give over this angel.  And yet, I knew this was meant to be.

When Sonia and her husband arrived, she excitedly told me about how she broke the good news to him.  
Sonia's words: 

"Mustard: I put mustard on a lot of things. Potato chips, fries, mac n cheese, and with grilled cheeses. So when I found out Lil Mustard needed a home I knew he'd be ours. I was excited to tell my husband, Yitzak, but wanted to do it in person. After work, I walked in the house, and casually questioned my husband 
"Babe, what's my favorite condiment?" 
"mustard. Why?"
Me: "isn't it a great coincidence that that's our new baby squirrel's name??!!!"
We both squealed and squeaked with excitement."

  And indeed Little Mustard was exactly where he was supposed to be! He taught me this:  
If you only have the faith of a mustard seed, you can say to the mountain, "Move!" and it will move.   


A new home for little' Mustard.

They were so happy to have this little one to love that my heart was soothed.  I prayed that Little Mustard would settle in nicely and not feel that I had abandoned him.
I slept well that night knowing he was in loving hands.

Then I received an email from Lisa at the shoe store, inquiring about the found baby.  I told her that I had placed him with Sonia and her husband. And I was pleasantly surprised at her reply.  Lisa told me that her sister Sonja had passed away in 1990 and it felt special to her that he ended up with someone with that name.



Mr.Nut beaming squirrelove.

Today Mr.Nut held my hand and confirmed that I had done the right thing.  He said, "There is no limit to squirrelove. It continues to expand and one day will include the entire planet. It's all just a matter of time."

The "Muffin Body"

the Muffin man

No doubt you have heard of Eckart Tolle who wrote The Power of Now and The New Earth.  Tolle talks a lot about the "pain body" as being an unseen force that causes us to unconsciously seek pain over and over again.  This "Pain Body" is simply the collection of self-destructive habit patterns.  Most people feel that they are victims of this body and don't really understand how to dissolve it.

In my morning play session with Muffin, he told me that all one has to do is to connect with their "Muffin Body".   This is the exact opposite of the 'pain body'.  The Muffin Body is pure silliness, unequivocal juicy happiness, lightness and playfulness without concern for the past and without worry of the future.  Muffin says that everyone has their own 'Muffin body' and most people don't even realize it!   In connecting with it, there is the instantaneous lightness and buoyancy of pure bliss, a marked absence of doubts or anxiety, and a simple, happy curiosity and openness to everyone and everything!  

the Muffin body

If you are feeling like you have lost touch with your "inner squirrel",  then Muffin recommends that you watch this video to see how he taps into his "Muffin body":

Muffin said that really and truly, all you have to do is: 

Stop.

Smile, even if you don't feel like it.

Think of your favorite squirrel.

BE the squirrel!

Everything is Squirrelove

Muffin in the Morning.

Today Muffin told me that nothing is more important than playing with your squirrel first thing in the morning.
He explained that this 'human-squirrel bonding' is paramount in seeding the planet with lovingkindness to insure a beneficial future for squirrelkind!

Every act of kindness and love toward the little squirrels seeds the morphogenic field of humanity and quietly and invisibly increases compassionate awareness!  Sadly, there are still pockets of extreme darkness on earth where little squirrels are being hunted, shot, and abused due to some human's ignorance.  Therefore let all the squirrel lovers on this earth UNITE to pour forth the incredible and potent Squirrelove that is sure to effect positive global change!

Here is a video of the proper treatment of a loving squirrel in the morning....

I am currently reading a fabulous nondual book by David Carse called "Perfect Brilliant Stillness".  I want to share a quote from this book which proves the truth... that squirrels are in fact none other than PURE LOVE:

"And yet.  Yet if only once, only for a moment, there could be letting go, if there could be that pop of the shift in focus and the individual self seen beyond, seen for what it is, "an echo, a rainbow, a phantom, and a dream," then there is something.  Then the individual self is gone, and needs no comforting.  The individual self was simply a thought, an idea; a 'false 

imagination' that cried out for comforting.  When the true nature of things is seen, apperceived, then there comes something far beyond comfort, though there is nothing any longer that needs it.

It is seen that what one is is All That Is, and That is the constant outpouring of Love beyond love, Beauty beyond beauty, compassion bliss gratitude glory wonder perfection; streaming, outpouring, beyond comprehension.

All that is, is described as Sat Chit Ananda. Not a being, but Being itself; existence  itself, not a thing existing. this is pure Awareness, pure Consciousness.  Be-ing which is Conscious-ness is absolute, perfect, knows no bounds, and spills out in itself, unconfined; is always everything everywhere.  

This spilling out, this outpouring of Be-ing, Consciousness as itself is all of this. All of this universe, planet, worlds of senses and ideas, worlds of things and non-things, these bodies, these minds, these trees roads houses squirrels insects telephones."

Muffinheart, my teacher. 

Sri Sri Bankei Muffinheart

Bankei Muffinheart

Well, last you heard, Muffin had decided to live outside.  That lasted three days.  I was on a silent retreat in Portugal and my partner David was sitting for the squirrels at home.  Muffin was out and about in the neighborhood.  

On the third evening of my absence, David saw Muffin wandering in the street looking somewhat beleaguered. Upon trying to approach Muffin, he ran across the street over to the catladys' house.  Oh no.  A few hours later at suppertime, David went out the front door to change the water and who should be waiting for him but Muffin!  He looked tired and dehydrated.  Upon seeing David, Muffin jumped on him and obviously wanted to go back inside the house.  Muffin crawled into his own nest in his cage and took a long rest. That was the end of Muffin's outside adventures.  He is now a bonified inside resident.

Now if you know anything at all about Mr.Nut, you know he is considered the "Buddha of Gathright Cove".  When Muffin returned home, Mr.Nut took notice of this event and went into contemplation.  Just recently Mr.Nut let it be known that Muffin has also had a very important past life as a spiritual dignitary. Delving into the squirrelashic records, it was discovered the Muffin is no other than the famous Zen master Bankei.  
                                             

Teachings of Bankei


Anyways, after Mr.Nut goes outside first thing in the morning, Rosie is fed, and the outdoor squirrels and birds are provided for, Muffin and I read some of his original teachings as translated by Peter Haskel.  Here is a small taste of the squirreluminous nature of Bankei:

Where do you go?

A layman asked: "If you become a buddha,

                                         where do you go?"

The Master replied: "If you become a buddha, there's no place at all to go.  You fill the vast universe to its very limits.  It's when you become any other sort of being that there are different places to go."      

                                                                          (zenshu, p. 134)

                                                         

Adventures of Sir Muffington

Muffin enjoying his tree meditation.


A squirrel whisperer never knows how long a little squirrel will remain in her care.  Baby squirrels sometimes go through a lot of physical challenges even before they are brought to us.

My pal Muffin was one of three boy squirrels found under the hood of a student's car, parked at the St.Ed's campus here in Austin.  Luckily mama squirrel chewed the wires so the young lady couldn't drive her car away.  The car repairman found the nest just behind the left headlight.  Mama squirrels will do absolutely anything to keep their babies safe from predators and bad weather!!!

Nugget, Muffin and Buddins.

These happy little buddies grew fast and strong and all went well.  Then at about 5 months old, I had to switch up their diet.  Apparently the fresh corn started giving them problems.  Muffin was the most affected. He became paralyzed and cried out in pain.  The other two had a few muscle spasms, but not as serious as what was happening to Muffin.  I started insisting on them eating their greens first thing in the morning and Calcium supplementation daily.  Along with copious doses of Reiki healing energy, Muffin recovered in about a week's time, although he didn't wave his tail for another week after that!

Muffin on the mend.

So the boys grew up and it got time for their release...  By this time, Muffin didn't want anything to do with Nugget and Buddins.  I had separated him during this healing time and although he got well, he seemed to prefer his own company thereafter!
So Nugget and Buddins went outside in their release cage... that's when the raccoons started showing up!  I guess the smell of food in their cage lured them and one night there was a ruckus... a raccoon was seen and the two boys were gone! OMG.....
In another day or so, Buddins was back at the front door looking for food... and Nugget must have run further away.  Whether he is still around, I am not 100% sure, although I think I see him every now and then.

Buddins and Nugget sharing a moment during their release.

Then it was Muffin's turn to be released.  I started putting his cage outside and then noticed that his teeth were crooked.  Oh no... hopefully not a malocclusion!  I took him to the vet to have his teeth trimmed evenly so he could eat.  The vet said it wasn't a problem with his teeth, but his jaw was a little askew.  That's when I discovered that he was sleeping with his jaw against the cage.  Oh no Muffin... bad idea.  I put soft blankies along the inside of the cage in his bed and after that his jaw straightened out, his teeth grew in straight and he was able to do the trimming himself.  Whew! But waiting 6 weeks to see if he would need another trim put his release off again.  And then it was winter!  
In the meantime, Muffin was getting to be a real silly squirrel.  He liked to jump on me first thing in the morning and give me a little kiss on my cheek.  Then after some mandatory nut-burying, we would play "jump on the roly-poly purple monkey or pink bunny rabbit".  Muffin loved that game and loved to jump on me and run around the edge of the massage table which held his cage. 




And it seemed that as he got sillier, he got increasingly cuter! OMG!  I have never understood how a squirrel can wake up every morning cuter than he was the night before! Amazing! He was so cute that he made it to the 2014 Squirrels Of Wisdom Calendar!

Muffin's cuteness and fame grows!

As Muffin grew older, he also started wanting to run around more and sit in high places.  Often he would enjoy his perch on the draperies at the top of a window!   

Hanging out in high places.


 The main problem with squirrels is that the longer they live with you, the more you fall in love with them.  At this point I was head over heels in love with the Muffin man and I dreaded the day I would be putting him in the outdoor cage to get used to the neighborhood sounds and weather.  Nevertheless, Spring did arrive and it was Muffin's turn!
At first he would hide a lot under his blankies in the Zico box or high tail it into his nest box every time a person came to the front door or a dog barked.  It seemed he was spending more time hiding than running around in his new large enclosure.
Then after a few weeks, he started coming out of hiding and chasing after the visiting squirrels that jumped on the outside of his cage.  He was acclimating nicely.
Then he started wanting out of the big cage and that's the sign to open the door.
With an anxious heart, I opened the door for the Muffin man.  He was very curious and explored Rosie's cage and the feeder by the front door and then retreated to safety.  That happened two more times with him getting a little further afoot... even checking out the roof.

Checking out the roof and how to get back home.

Then one day he got all the way across the roof and jumped into the Chinaberry tree.  He looked like he was enjoying sitting in the tree just hanging out. What a sweet perch.  That same night I got a  friend to help me put his personal nest box right there next to his branch.  I thought that might give him a safe haven.  Well, that turned out to be wrong.
The next time he went out, he ran right over to that tree only to be accosted by another male. Oh no.  My poor Muffin!  I saw it happening and could do nothing about it.  It looked like a squirrel whirlwind in mid-air. By the time I got close enough, the fight was over and the bully took off. Muffin was there quivering and softly barking on a low branch that I was just inches away from.  I kept reaching to him, calling, "Cmon Muffin, jump on me... C'mon home now."
Then I thought he was going to climb on me, but instead he took a hard bite out of my finger! Poor Muffin was so worked up... at that moment I realized he was no baby anymore. He just had his initiation into the world of the wild squirrel. Bless his heart.
That night he stayed out and I prayed and prayed,
Oh God please guide him home if he needs help.
The next day Muffin came back and climbed into the big outdoor cage. He was still very worked up, but at least he was home. I closed him in and let him calm down and rest in safety.

  

Time to Rest!

Muffin had a gash on the back of his right shoulder and was favoring that arm. After he calmed down, I treated it with colloidal silver and gave him some fresh watermelon and grapes. He drank water with colloidal silver in it and then took a long nap. He slept off and on for the rest of the day and later I took him in the house and back to his cozy bed. He needed some TLC and R&R before facing the outdoors again!

Deep Rest and Healing for Muffin

So the next day, Muffin was a brand new squirrel! Amazing what a mama's love will do... not to mention the many friends sending their prayers and healing energy!

We are so grateful for that!

Muffin was as eager and excited to go back out into the world, but this time exploring in a new direction!  

Good on you Muffin! 

Wishing Muffin a wonderful and happy outdoor life!

A squirrel mama's love is FOREVER!