Just hand over the peanut and nobody gets hurt....

I think somebody in the neighborhood is trying to hand-train squirrels. (This is not a good idea if you value the structural integrity of your fingers, or dislike fleas.)

Headed out for my morning newspaper walk and nearly stepped on one of the tree-rats under our feeders. I tried to run it off, in sort of a mild way, and it dodged rather than heading for a tree. It looked up at me. It dodged again. Repeat ad boredom.

Coming back, it was draped on the feeder and loathe to leave until I nearly swatted it with the aforementioned newspaper. Then dodge, look up, dodge, look up. It almost held out a tin cup for my spare change.

I have removed the feeder to my workshop, pending further developments. If you don't hear from me for a few days, you'll know I've been mugged by a gang of Sciuridae and they broke my fingers as a warning.

Train 'em young

Okay, I was out for a walk (wind gusts up to 40 mph don't make bicycle weather, in my world). And I saw three cars in a row drive by, and yes, I mean the effing _cars_ were driving, because the person who should have been driving was yakking on a cell phone. So I get back to our street and what do I see? The neighbor kid peddling along on her bicycle, speed-dialing _her_ cell phone with one hand....

Hang up and drive, dammit.