When we moved here we asummed this was a grape vine. It was overgrown and had lots of dead growth on it and by the time I was finished getting the dead growth out we just decided to cut it back to the ground. Where it came out of the ground was almost like a small tree trunk in places. Anyway, this spring when it grew back it had all these lovely blooms on it. Anyone know if this is a grape vine or just some kind of vine?



Here is a photo of our "tame" mama squirrel. She had a nest of 4 babies in our back yard this year and she has left the yard to them and moved down the street 2 houses but still comes back to eat. She will take nuts out of your hand. She is enjoying a walnut in this photo. We are still hosting the babies, I have gotten one of them to take a peanut out of my hand.

Connie, I don't know what kind of vine that is, but it is pretty. That squirrel looks so sweet! Have you named the tame squirrels?

Dianna

We just call the mother squirrel "mama". LOL we are too original here. It is hard to distinguish the babies as they are pretty spooky yet. But I figure once they get used to us they won't be so scared and we will learn how to distinguish one from another. The mama will stay on the bird feeder or tree and if I am in the yard and not close to her she will run over on the grass and look at me as if to say "lady where's my nut?!" The babies will scurry away as soon as you see them. The day I got the baby to take the peanut I had seen him on the feeder. So I come out and put a peanut on the feeder. I went back in the house and he came down and got it. I did this a couple of times and then I went out and slowly approached the feeder. He ran up the tree but saw the peanut. After a while he came closer and I stood there for about 30 min and he finally came and grabbed the peanut and ran. My dad keeps telling me I am going to get rabies LOL. The mama squirrel has been here since we moved here (it will be 2 yrs after Thanksgiving) and our neighbors had tamed her. I told him I feel safe that I am not going to get rabies!!

Let's hope not. I have heard the shots are painful. Let's hope your squirrels have better manners than to bite the hand that feeds them!

Dianna

Then you better be darned quick with those nuts. As a teenager I got bit on the backside by a tame squirrel. He was quietly gnawing a hole in the bottom of the peanut bag cause I wasn't handing them out fast enough and he missed the bag and got me instead. I've also been bit, scratched, clawed, climbed on and licked by any other animal in range. Dad likes wildlife so do I. Fortunately, very fortunately I have never had to get rabie shots. But you better believe my tenus shots are kept up to date. One every ten years.

cannot see well, but looks like it could be something in the solanum family. nightshade vine

I looked nightshade vine up and it is what I have, thanks so much! I will have to watch the dogs to make sure they don't eat the berries.

You'll really think that those squirrels are 'sweet' when they decide to live in your roof and raise a family, while they're chewing your wiring and insulation.
I used to think they looked so snuggly (I still do, but I fight it hard) but after being a homeowner for a few years and having to pay, not only to get them out of the roof, but for the repairs for the damage they caused, I want to ship them all to Siberia or somewhere.
If squirrels get tame enough that they're not afraid of you, they are also prone to running into the house if the door is open and they smell food. A friend had that happen and the squirrel went nuts once it realised it was enclosed, bashed itself against windows, ripped curtains and furniture and generally turned into a mad creature that was so frenzied she couldn't get it chased towards the still open door.
I really wouldn't encourage them.
Besides, by teaching them not to be afraid of humans, you are leaving them open to approaching someone who will harm them.

I like looking at squirrels, but I don't like them near me. I'm always thinking they are going to jump at me, going for the throat.

We have a whole zoo of them on our lot.

No, I wouldn't feed the babies. Squirrels eat more than we do, I think. They're always munching on something.