Chipper and Squeaky, the Feuding Gold Ridge Squirrels (photo-essay)

(Author's Note: "Gold Ridge Farm" -- located in the Northern California town of Sebastopol -- was the location where the famed horticulturalist and plant breeder, Luther Burbank (1849-1926), carried out most of his large plant experiments which yielded, in his lifetime, over 800 plant hybids of widely diverse varieties and species...)

Chipper and Squeaky are two squirrels that live in the trees at Burbank's Gold Ridge Farm. They have somewhat of a rivalry between them -- as I observed one afternoon not too long ago -- So I asked them (separately, of course) what the trouble was between them... Here are their answers in their own words:

First, let's hear what Chipper has to say and then we'll hear from Squeaky...

Chipper, the squirrel:

Well, let's see... For me, a typical day starts off with having a few catkins out of my walnut tree for breakfast.

It's nice here at the Luther Burbank Farm in Sebastopol. There's LOTS of fruit and nut trees around this place. I heard wonna those "hew-mains" say that this old guy Burbank was a genius with plants back in his day. I dunno 'bout that but, he sure knew how to grow some pretty good walnut trees, alright.

Know what? It just so happens that I got the VERY BEST ONE! That's right, this is MY tree! The very best walnut tree in this whole place belongs to ME!

I always gotta keep a sharp eye out, though, for that pushy, little thief named Squeaky next door...

Every day that buck-toothed, would-be usurper tries to sneak his way over here and get into MY TREE...

Can you believe it? It's not like he doesn't have a tree of his OWN...

That's his Chokecherry tree right over there... and, after all, it's not like there wasn't any OTHER walnut trees around here! You'd think he'd be satisfied with that but -- oh NO! -- he's always coming over here to start trouble! I TOLD him a THOUSAND TIMES: This is MY walnut tree and he's not climbing up into MY tree while I have anything to say about it! I run that sneak off probably, oh, 30 times a DAY at least!

You think he'd get the hint after a while that he can't sneak past ME no matter HOW sneaky he is! 

I'm gonna stand right here in front of this number that's in front of my walnut tree and keep guard...(The hew-mains say these numbers have something to do with what kinda trees these are, I dunno...)

And, ONE day I'm gonna run that Squeaky off -- FOR GOOD!

Squeaky, the Other Squirrel:

Oh, that Chipper is a real PAIN in the PAW, I'll tell ya! He thinks he's so great up there in that walnut tree 'n all... He says none of us other squirrels can climb up in it and keeps tellin' anybody who'll listen that it's HIS tree...

"His tree" -- My big, bushy TAIL, it is...

Chipper's not the boss of ME! No squirrel is the boss of ME except ME and he just better get used to it, is all! Yeah, he's right... I DO go over to his tree all the time just to annoy him...

See, what I do is make sure he's watching me -- 

and then I play like I'm trying to hide behind all the plants and rocks and stuff while I'm sneaking my way over there.

Then he gets all mad and runs down the trunk of his precious walnut tree barking like a mad dog tryin' to run me off... He actually thinks I'm scared of him!

I don't THINK so!!! Even on my WORST day I'm so much faster than that lazy Chipper! I can outrun HIM any time -- any time at ALL...   

I like living here at Burbank Farm -- it's a squirrel's PARADISE! I'm not going ANYWHERE! So THERE, Chipper... :p