The Pumpkin Thieves

I'm so sad to see Fall making its way (too quickly in my opinion) out the window. I love everything about this holiday! From the apple cider to the vibrant changing colors of the trees, and yes I even love the smell of burning leaves.

I used to have only one complaint about this season---the fact that I feel it is way too short! I mean, really, such a beautiful time of year and if you blink you miss it. Meanwhile we have to trudge through a good 4 months worth of winter blues shortly following Fall. I'm sensing severe unfairness in this.

My new complaint about this season happened a couple weeks ago (and has continued to happen, with no signs of stopping). You see, in the town I grew up  in, it was considered safe to leave Fall decorations such as pumpkins, gords, corn etc. outside your house. Well, it obviously isn't safe in the town my husband and I live in now!

You have to understand, I absolutely love my fall decorations! (I'm not into the creepy Halloween decorations, but the cute pumpkins and hay bales and scarecrows are how I celebrate the season.)You should also know that if anyone denies memy decor or messes with my what I have there will be a price to pay!

Well...

 not even two days after I slaved over my cute little Fall set-up outside my house (a hay bale, a pumpkin, a gord, and two ears of the most beautiful indian corn I had ever seen) my indian corn went MIA. I was all ready to have it out with my poor, unsuspecting husband, thinking he must have been the thief who took it. After pleading his innocence, my husband suggested maybe some neighbor kids stole it. Seriously? Stealing just the corn but leaving everything else? Well, whatever, we had no other leads, so I bought this.

Shortly after the Missing Corn Incident, my poor, helpless pumpkin started sporting deep gouges all the way around it.

I soon figured out who the culprit...or should I say culprits...were. Squirrels. Little menaces! Oh sure, they look all cute and cuddly and innocent UNTIL they start eating away at all of your Fall decorations!

Now remember reading above my statement about anyone who messes with my Fall decorations will have a high price to pay? All you animal lovers don't have to worry. I didn't hurt the chubby, greedy little squirrels. *But only because they are too dang fast for me to catch!*

Surprisingly enough, I did find a silver lining to this cloud of criminal activity...

 I guess the greedy little creatures did save me on having to carve my pumpkin. Can't say much for their artistic ability, though.