Squirrels

I was having lunch with a family in their home on Sunday and in the middle of the meal, the mother cried out "Oh! There's a squirrel!" This proclamation caused all six people (2 parents, 4 teenagers) to leap to their feet and run to the window and marvel at the squirrel...for quite some time.

I was the only one left sitting at the table, finding this scene a bit curious. Should I tell them that we had so many squirrels in our yard growing up, that we had to shoot some? Dare I tell them what a nuisance squirrels can be when then chunk pecans at your roof or scamper around noisily on the roof when you're trying to sleep? No, this would ruin their pleasure right now.

I tactfully noted that we had many squirrels in our pecan trees in Texas. The family was exceedingly envious. I then learned from them that there are only 20 mammals in Ireland. And definitely no snakes. (Legend says St. Patrick rid the island of the the snakes.)