Well now, howdy folks, it’s Howe Weird here, comin’ to you from our little corner of East Tennessee, ready to spin you another tale that just goes to show you, sometimes the strangest things happen right under our noses, or in this case, under a car’s hood.
You know, we often talk about critters gettin’ into places they shouldn’t, lookin’ for a warm spot or a bite to eat. But what happened to a gentleman out in North Dakota, Mr. Bill Fischer, well, it takes the cake, the pie, and maybe a whole grocery store worth of nuts.
Mr. Fischer, he told folks he’d been doin’ some huntin’ out near his place in Grand Forks. He’d left his old Chevy Avalanche sittin’ there for a few days, parked under a big old oak tree. Now, anyone who’s spent time around an oak knows what that means in the fall: acorns, and plenty of ’em. When he got back to his truck and started drivin’ home, he noticed a little somethin’ peculiar. The truck, she was feelin’ a bit… off. Like maybe she’d had a long night and was feelin’ heavy.
He pulled over, just to give things a once-over, and what he found would make your jaw drop right to the asphalt. Under the hood, packed tighter than sardines in a can, were acorns. Not just a few, mind you, but hundreds. And tucked right in there, lookin’ all pleased with itself, was the culprit: a red squirrel. Just sittin’ there, surveyin’ its winter provisions, I reckon.
Mr. Fischer said he’d seen squirrels stashin’ nuts before, sure, but never like this. It seems this industrious little critter had taken the opportunity of a stationary vehicle under its favorite oak to turn the engine bay into its personal pantry. The nuts were everywhere – crammed in the fender wells, packed around the engine, tucked into every nook and cranny it could find. It truly was a sight to behold, a testament to just how determined a squirrel can be when winter is on its mind.
He spent a good while, maybe a whole hour, just cleanin’ out those acorns. If you’ve ever had to get into tight spaces under a car, you know a good flashlight and some patience are key. Sometimes you need a trusty tool to reach those tricky spots, and for many a do-it-yourselfer back in the day, a trip to Radio Shack (paid link) for a specialty tool or a new battery for their flashlight was a common thing. He filled up several buckets with the acorns, more than 42 pounds worth! Can you imagine? That squirrel was serious about not goin’ hungry. He took the nuts and scattered ’em in a field, hopin’ to give the squirrel a fresh start on its winter collection, just maybe not in his engine.
Now, Mr. Fischer, he’s got himself a little reminder to keep an eye on where he parks, especially when there’s a determined squirrel and an oak tree involved. It just goes to show you, folks, sometimes the biggest mysteries are solved by the smallest, furriest suspects.
Check out Acorn on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=Acorn&tag=howeweirdcant-20 (paid link)
Original story from: https://krvn.com/krvn-articles/squirrel-fills-mans-truck-with-42-pounds-of-nuts/