Josephina: Making Herself At Home

This is Josephina making herself rather comfortable as you can see.

It was a spectacular first Christmas, for this young rodentia, only 4 months old yet.  Besides getting tons of new snacks, she got to play an extra long time on Christmas Day.  The next day when she was out of her pen, she decided to only play for short time and then lie down and listen to the Christmas carolers on EWTN (she especially loves the nuns of Our Lady of Perpetual Adoration Monastary).   -- pictures of Josephine while listening to the nuns are forthcoming.

Josephina got a bungie cord with an apple (a "Squngee"), but it offended her.  She didn't quite get why she should have to work for getting an apple, much less leap to a cord that would suspend her from the air and bounce her to an unpredictable depth.   Fortunately, her owner saved the receipt.  When she finally received the apple (she waited for it to be handed to her), she took her frustration out on it by shredding it to pieces, which had to be vacuumed the next day (no vacuuming on Christmas).

Overall, Christmas was a good experience.  (For Josephine) Snow tastes great and it's neat to rub and clean your belly on it.  She even got to see snow for the first time, although when the cold wind blew, she locked her ears down, shivered, then as soon as the wind died she made a point to give her keeper a look to convey "What the heck are we doing out here?"  Then she stretched her neck out towards the door --- while remaining on her keeper's shoulder, of course. 

That night she had the sneezes and has no plans on going back outside for at least a few more months.

The "spirit of Christmas" still reigns in her tiny heart, as evidenced by the fact that even today she showered her keeper with kisses on her nose 3 times tonight, and even took to her cage when it was time for dinner and to go to bed.

More good news:  We're making it "official" --- a wildlife refuge that doesn't euthanize her kind will be making an assessment as to whether or not she can be sent out into the wild in 2 months, or if she'll have to remain as a pet.  Right now, Josephine seems to be pulling for the later.  If that ends up being the case, she and her keeper will get legal rights, a vet, and even a babysitter if ever needed (and someone who is experienced with squirrels and a friend of her keepers).   This we just learned on Sunday on "Feast of the Holy Family".   Perhaps Josephine should be seen as part of the extended Bernhard clan?