Albert

In September 2021 one of the squirrels that had been visiting us daily for years disappeared. A few days later a hungry, bedraggled squirrel too young to be out of the nest showed up at our back door, and we ended up taking her in.

Her first night with us included a saucer of applesauce while we started looking for help. We didn’t have much success sending her to a rehabber, so we ordered some formula and then Henrys blocks.

Albert spent the next month living in our basement, at first sleeping in the fold of a blanket hanging over the back of the couch. Later, she built a nest in a basket from paper towels and tissue paper. We pretty much never left her alone or locked her up, she had free run of the basement but kept very close to her corner.

Albert grew quickly and after a stressful month we started taking her outside. We didn’t build an outdoor enclosure, but let climb the trees during the day and we brought her in at night. After a few days of coming in at dusk she wanted to stay out and that was that.

It eventually became clear to us that Albert wasn’t a boy, but she was already Albert so we didn’t change her name. We’re a little more clear on the differences now. 😄

Albert will be three years old this summer. She lives in her mother’s tree and visits us every day. She’ll come running through the trees when I call her name, and she’s often waiting for us in the morning.

Albert drying off between burying peanuts in the rain. When she was little she would sleep at night in that green blanket.

Albert loves to jump to me from the deck chairs, and here I’ve captured it in slow motion.