One of the great names for a local company is Skedaddle. They are in the business of humane wildlife control, and spend a lot of time with a lot of squirrels. Most of us regularly see squirrels, but we rarely give them a second thought.

Certainly the most common adjective used to describe squirrels is “cute.” Young people, not-so-young people and even tourists from Germany — almost all agree that the word “cute” jumps to mind.

Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, we are blessed with such wonderful tree cover. Enjoy a walk around Chautauqua, St. Mark’s Church and so many other areas of our town.

I have heard that during his 26 years as mayor, Henry Paffard advocated for the planting of over 1,000 trees. By any measure, that’s a lot of limbs and leaves and shade and oxygen. And with trees come squirrels.

While doing research for this week’s Ramblings, I was surprised to learn that several of my friends quietly enjoy sharing their NOTL space with squirrels. They observe and respect their furry industriousness, knowing that the end goal is survival. Food, self preservation and somehow avoiding predators. And yes, there is a definite pecking order between various species of squirrels.

Can you believe how fast squirrels run, and how they can turn 90 degrees left or right, on a proverbial dime? To watch them sprint along a flat area, and then suddenly climb up a tree. Or climb up a fence, or effortlessly go up a telephone pole and then run along the wires. And yes, they are occasionally blamed for power outages.

You may not be wondering, but the word squirrel comes from the ancient Greek word “skiouros,” meaning shadow-tailed. Betcha didn’t know that. Now we are sharing useless information.

I will also share with you that a group of squirrels is called a scurry or a dray. This is where my writing can become complicated. The very thick Random House dictionary/thesaurus at our excellent NOTL Public Library does not confirm these word meanings.

To “scurry” is to move briskly. Much like squirrels do. And the word “dray” refers to any vehicle used to haul goods. Who is this amateur scribbler to believe?

Most experts agree we are lucky to have these cute, clever and charismatic creatures among us. And if we agree squirrels are cute, how about chippy chipmunks? With their multiple stripes, they are so darned adorable. How did they evolve, with their little eyes missing nothing as they survey the area for food?

You have probably never wondered where squirrels sleep. Often in dreys, which are round nests made of twigs, leaves, moss and grass, built high up in tree branches. Or in tree cavities, sometimes hollow holes inside tree trunks and woodpecker dens that offer extra protection from harsh weather.

Squirrels just might chew their way into attics and other parts of residences, seeking warmth in the winter months. This is a problem, and often a very expensive problem. Suddenly our cute little friends are not so cute, and costly big decisions must be made.

And do squirrels sleep alone? No, and in fact they are rather promiscuous, and not monogamous in the least. Apparently they sometimes sleep in groups for warmth. An expert told me that, so it must be true.

So, we are heading toward winter and beautiful, white, snow-covered grass. Some of us will enjoy watching the conflict between the birds and the squirrels around bird feeders. Big bags of bird seed are expensive, and so much of the seeds end up on the ground or snow. So, our clever squirrel friends just wait under the bird feeders for food to arrive.

Which all leads to the surprise conclusion of this Ramblings: for whatever reason, my late Uncle Orval Knights up in Thunder Bay didn’t like squirrels. He was electrically clever and creative, and rigged up a six-foot square mat to place under his bird feeder.

If a squirrel got a bit aggressive and threatened the birds as they ate their birdseed, he would press a button that was located next to his easy chair in the living room. This would shock the squirrels, and off they would scurry. Don’t fret, it was a gentle shock, just enough to have the desired effect.

He would laugh his impish laugh, and lean back for his daily nap. Truly a memorable family member, Uncle Orval.

I was with the rest of his family, loving squirrels. Still do.