My wife and I rented a cabin at North Bend State Park in northern WV last week, and our children and their families joined us for a long July 4th weekend. The cabin area was so peaceful. After a very hot Monday, the weather every other day was quite mild; cool mornings and moderately warm days, the sun streaming through the tall tree canopy, and sunbeams and shadows dancing about in the constant gentle breeze. With the absence of traffic sounds and the constant echo of bird and animal calls, one could easily lose oneself in their thoughts. I was having such a moment out on the deck our first full day there, when I heard the soft scratching of claws. I looked down just as a tiny squirrel climbed up over the edge of the deck, literally at my feet. It paused with one paw in the air, apparently waiting for a treat. Then another appeared . . . and another. The Great Squirrel Invasion of 2014 had begun. Apparently, the little critters were used to bumming treats, and would cautiously approach to as close as a foot away. While it is usually a bad idea to feed wildlife, we made an exception for "our" squirrels. All it took was a piece of corn or a peanut to one squirrel, and they would magically begin to scurry down out of the trees and run across the ground from all directions. The most I counted around me at once was 11. Did you know squirrels growled? They got quite chippy with each other in their feeding frenzies, and numerous times I heard one growl when another one tried to get their treat. They sounded just like a cat growling. I was also sitting at the dining room table by the window one day, when I sensed something in my peripheral vision. I glanced through the window to see a squirrel sitting on the railing, staring at me. They were definitely bold little things. I took loads of photos. Here are a few of my favorites. The little Q and MD 135 make for a great combination. These were all hand held. Only the first one was cropped somewhat.