Whazzat?

I was taking a walk in my 'HOOD the other day. It's a nice place - lots of trees, grasses, and smells. Too many folks don't pick up after their pooches, but that is another blog post.
ANYHOO, I was trotting along when suddenly I hear this odd sound. It was chirpy, like a bird, but clearly not a bird. It was almost . . . what? Chattery? Yeah, that's it. It was CHATTERY.

Suddenly this creature jumps down from the spiky green branches of the Italian cypress tree. It kinda looked like a cat: furry all over, triangle shaped ears, small oval paws. But the tail wasn't quite right - not like a cat's at all. It was long and BUSHY and it kinda twitched a lot.

I tried to sniff it a little but it wanted nothing to do with me. Huh? I'm a friendly little PUG, not at all aggressive (moist orb action and an innocent mouth here). It didn't go far, though, and turned around to twitch it's tail at me. So I ran up to it, again trying to decode it's SMELL. Cat? Mouse?

Hmmmmm. It sprinted off for a nearby tree and started climbing up the trunk, circling it as it did. It stopped right in the middle of the trunk and again twitched its tail at me. So, I am getting a little HOT under the harness from this PUSH ME - PULL ME routine and felt I needed to express myself clearly.

Hey! I shouted. I am just trying to say HELLO. As I got closer it AGAIN skittered up the tree trunk until it was on the branch over my head. It chattered then, almost a taunt. That bushy tail TWITCHED again maniacally. Suddenly something came crashing down through the branches and hit me on the head!

What is your PROBLEM, I again shouted?
Nuttin' it said. Just being a SQUIRREL!