Woke this morning to leaf-stripped branches, an inch or so of soggy, melting snow, and a three-squirrel meeting in a relocated vine outside my window. The vine's a huge creeper that's been winding up a big tree for years; it's been pulled partly down by these last two storms. I'm going to have to see if I can persuade the super to help me find a way to make sure it can cling to the tree all winter until, in the spring, it puts out new tendrils and can grab on by itself. The birds use it for cover and we do have a hawk problem back here, though I'm sure Pip doesn't think of herself as a problem.

But more to the point, when I looked out the window, three squirrels were using the twisting branches of the vine as they hung free in their new location rather like a verandah. Hanging out, grooming each other, some acrobatics and wrestling. The two wrestling were a little smaller and thinner than the other one, so I think maybe this was Squeeze and the kids. All squirrels accounted for! I haven't seen the new black one since that first post-Sandy day, and I have no idea where Squirrely and his family are planning to live for the winter. Seems obvious there was/will be no fall litter. That's just as well. What with the tree damage back here, it might be harder than expected to feed a couple more mouths.