Now that the pool has closed for the 2014 season, many pool patrons will be missing our little, furry friend. We named the squirrel Millie (from Mill Creek), and she was a regular at the pool this year.
We’re not sure if she was interested in meeting neighbors, or simply that she figured out that people might mean an easy snack. Either way, Millie would greet us by climbing the fence or she would let us know she was around by shaking the trees near the deep end. We’d often see her running up the hill towards homes and within the hour, she would return with a stolen treasure from someone’s garden. Usually, it was a tomato – so if you’re tomato crops were slim, blame Millie.
Some days, she would sneak in the pool area under holes in the fence. She was also known to scale the fence and would walk the perimeter on the top of the fence seeking snacks. Millie discovered that life guards left their lunch unattended near the pump house as they guarded our pool. Peanut butter sandwiches, peanut butter crackers and (what else) but peanuts were her chosen targets.
Millie was quick to see that most pool patrons also brought snacks that included grapes, bananas, cherries, and MORE peanuts. Interestingly enough, she did not steal any of our cherry tomatoes – possibly she had had her fill from Mill Creek gardens. And like many residents, she enjoyed relaxing in the sun (on the fence).
So, if you’re on a walk on the Mill Creek trail near the pool – take a look near the deep end of the pool and you might find our friend, Millie. She was a charming reason the Mill Creek pool was nice to visit. We’ll see you next Memorial Day, Millie!
