It’s now tornado season in Southwest Michigan. Power failures have the kidlet home from school, and local friends are posting their latest battle with the trees that have fallen upon them. It never used to be this bad. Climate change appears in weather extremes and in types of storms happening where they haven’t before—such as that tornado in San Francisco last winter.

Image of a Squirrel On Hind Legs Probably Summoning Rodent Satan — **Unhinged Mofo**

The good (?) side for me is that it gives me an extended growing season. Zone 6a is no longer May—early September. Frost doesn’t break until almost Halloween now. Between learning foraging, incorporating permaculture, installing a pollinator lawn that can continue growth in winter, and winter sowing, I pretty well have a year-round garden.

What is also year round is the effing squirrels. Squirrels historically have had a friendly relationship with me. I suspect my current problem squirrel comes from that relationship and the fact that Squirrel Spirit asked me to install a feeder two Samhains back. Right now, it’s making do with a squirrel feeder on the ground, beneath the bird feeders.

A squirrel has started pulling up the burlap covers in my bucket garden, destroying my planted seeds. I am mightily annoyed. First, the seeds are destroyed. Also, because I have a massive spreadsheet for garden data tracking, I will have to input all the new data.

Plus, I need to make chickenwire boxes over my buckets. Stealing apples from my grocery delivery pales compared to messing up my attempt at starting a home food supply.

In everyone’s defense, the birds don’t poop there - they mostly direct it to the neighbors’ cars. When you feed them AND talk with them, their manners improve. Also, having a bluejay stare you down from your bedroom window as a reminder to put out some cayenne peanuts is a jarring experience.

Witchy Garden Problems

The Hearth and Home Path - plus kitchen witchery

Let’s try something more casual