Squirrel Farmers

This is a true story. Last August we noticed a vine growing several yards from the vegetable garden. It appeared to be something in the melon, cucumber or squash family and it covered a small area of shallow dirt comprised mostly of cedar mulch. Each of the sisters who work outside in the garden thought that another sister had planted the vine and carefully avoided uprooting it. Eventually, the truth came out: none of us planted the mysterious vine. The only logical conclusion: the squirrels.

The compost heap is just a short walk from the location of the "mystery vine" and squirrels can often be seen rummaging through the compost pile for a snack. It seems likely that, upon finding some delectable seeds, one clever squirrel buried them in the shallow patch of dirt and mulch. At the end of the summer we enjoyed two sweet, juicy musk melons -- all thanks to the squirrels.

Just last week, this sprout was spotted in the same location. It is too soon to determine what type of fruit or vegetable it is, but it looks as thought the squirrels might have just planted us another tasty treat!