Squirrels and Chestnuts

As fall descends upon us, the squirrels are going, well, nuts. I'm just sending out this entry to please remind you to slow down while driving, especially in neighborhoods, because many squirrels are rushing across streets to get some nuts for the winter. Please don't squash them.

Some people call them rats with fluffy tails, but rats depend on humans, and they don't help the environment by sometimes forgetting to dig up a nut and then it grows into a tree.

Squirrels also go nuts for the chestnuts! I have a tree in my backyard, and the squirrels have beat me to the chestnuts! (They are quite delicious, mind you.) I have found a few on the ground, which I then roasted and ate, and the taste left me wanting more. So crazy me climbed up the tree and shook the branches. Nothing came out, unfortunately, because the squirrels had climbed up their earlier and taken all the ones that hadn't fallen. Whatever chestnuts fall on the ground, though, are goners to ME. My dog is in the backyard, and he's always looking for squirrels, especially by the chestnut tree. (It's a wonder how he doesn't get those needles in his paws!) The squirrels can reach the tree by the fence and other trees, which they do, but they never EVER go into the yard, because my dog is there.

However, there is this park called Green Springs, which has two huge chestnut trees. I went there the other day, and got a good amount of chestnuts. Here's what you need and how I did it.

What you need:

1. A bag to collect the chestnuts
2. Sneakers
3. A tennis ball

VERY IMPORTANT NOTE! DO NOT PAY ATTENTION TO THE LOOKS PEOPLE GIVE YOU!!! (Also, sneakers are good climbing shoes... read the procedure and you'll get it.) Here is the procedure:

1. Scour the ground for any fallen chestnuts.
2. Look up into the tree to look for chestnuts that are ready to fall. (If they are not ready to fall, skip this step and the next.)
3. Toss the tennis ball up, toward the chestnuts that are ready to fall.
4. Climb the tree, and give one of the branches a good shake. If chestnuts fall, go and collect them. 
5. Toss the tennis ball up again.
6. Shake the tree again.
7. Repeat.

So, to sum it up, you have a way to collect chestnuts, and PLEASE DON'T RUN OVER SQUIRRELS. 

Thank you!