Smells like Squirrel Spirit

Smells Like Squirrel Spirit

On November 6, I attended the latest

exhibition, opening and performance

by American artist William Earl Kofmehl III

which coincided with the inaugural reception
of the new

Lombard-Freid Projects space
at 518 West 19th street

When I first arived I could see it was going to be a nutty scene, but I soon realized that it was also a tour de force.

There were ancillary themes of knights, narcissism and old New York, but the main focus of the show was squirrels - essence of squirrel - eau de squirrel - raised to the level of art.

Whence came this inspiration? From what I heard, William Kofmehl, the artist, met Bernie Goetz in a park one spring day, played with the squirrels and then just got it -- he flipped for squirrels.

The centerpiece was this giant wooden squirrel sculpture, which people milled around and were able to walk through, which served as a trojan horse for the artist who lurked inside, emerging only at the end of the show, to say goodnight!

He was actually not lurking, as you could hear his voice coming from the squirrel eye microphones throughout the evening!

And not to worry, with a little help from his friends, arias were being sung and great passages from literature being recited alongside  his own contributions.

And then there was Bernie Goetz with his pet squirrel in tow, who would help to make the evening complete. 

Golden Squirrels

And the piece de resistance --  in lieu of his physical presence, a bronze of the artist sitting on a park bench surrounded by squirrels.

check the red ponytail.

how about a corn cob tail!

Watching Bernie and the artist play with squirrels on video.
Here's one of the videos. 

     Bernie and his squirrel meet and greet. 

Man puts hand in carrier to feel squirrel.

But is there an actual squirrel in there?

                

              Yep, there is!

Squeaky

Viewing the fascinating canvases embroidered by women of Costa Rica, where the artist lives for part of the year. The canvases, many of which feature squirrels, are for sale.

The exhibit is a triumphal recognition of squirrels and we are indebted to the artist for taking time to focus his genius on our furry friends and shine his brilliant beam of light on them. 

This man caught the Squirrel Spirit!!!

The exhibit can be viewed  until Dec. 21 at:

Lombard-Freid Projects

518 West 19th Street.

Squirrel Killer Still at Large

The WSP squirrel with the broken legs died overnight. It's not known if  his injuries were caused by this woman, but she and her dog have caused many other deaths.  Possibly the dog caught him.

It seems that she is hated in the WSP dog run; there are plenty of people who would like to see her brought to justice.

Dear Father Knickerbocker, I Just Googled You

This amazing squirrel sculpture will be a centerpiece of the inaugural show that opens on Saturday Nov. 6, at the Lombard-Freid Projects in Chelsea. The show includes a video interview with Bernie Goetz, and 150 canvases embroidered by a group of Costa Rican women commissioned by the artist, William Earl Kofmehl III, who lives and works between Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and San Luis, Costa Rica.

The wooden sculpture of the giant squirrel becomes a backdrop for a series of performances enacted by the artist and his cast. Characters played by various members of the Kofmehl’s family and friends perform a script that conflates the Greek myth of Narcissus with the artist’s own Wikipedia explorations. Read More

Squirrel Killer on the Loose

This time we're not talking about a hawk. We're not even talking about a dog. We're talking about a human being, a fellow New Yorker.

We just heard that there is a woman who allows her dog (a German Shepherd mix) to hunt and kill squirrels in Washington Square Park on the NE side. Quite a few squirrels; five that our informants know of in the past few weeks. The dog enjoys killing and they think she does too.

They just discovered this a few days ago and sent a complaint to the current Park Manager. Then yesterday as they were walking through the park, they came upon people gathered around a dying young squirrel. Some of the chess players there saw the dog attack. The woman and dog had just left the park.

Another squirrel was located at the base of the Hangman's Tree that night. He has two broken legs, which have been set by a vet. With luck, he'll have use of at least three, but is going to have a hard recovery. It's not known if he was chased by the same dog, but it's likely.

There are people watching out for her now, and working on getting more information. She appears in the park around 8 am, and then around 5 pm. Yesterday she varied her routine. She's young, medium height, slim, w/long dark shiny hair. She wears sunglasses.
 
Ralph Musolino has asked people to call the Parks Office at 212.387.7676 if she's seen. They want her apprehended for animal abuse.

black baby found dead

After a cold, wet and stormy 24 hours, a black baby was found dead on the ground not too far from the tree stump pictured below. It must have died from exposure. It was probably unable find a dry  hole to snuggle into during the storm. It may have been pushed out by bigger squirrels if there was not enough room.  No room at the inn? Um... no inn?

the autumn leaves

In a final affront, they are taking away the leaves - the materials squirrels use for building their nests. First they've been chopping down trees, including one of the biggest ones that was used by squirrels for many homes. Think of the equivalent of an entire apartment building.  This is no joke in winter when the freezing winds blow and the snow and sleet pour down.

Now they're blowing all the leaves into piles and bagging them up to be carted away. Not a peep from the squirrels of course, as they watch and wonder. Sadly, they have no voice, and few speak for them. Of course there are already plenty of nests that have been built by the industrious creatures, but strong winds mean nests must  constantly to be refurbished. And with what, if there are no leaves left? It's sad because leaves are not only  decorative but they also serve the purpose of nourishing the soul-- oops I meant the soil --  but I'll leave that typo in. It almost seems like the workmen there are making work for themselves, for no good purpose.

Instead of picking up leaves, why don't they pick up trash? The park is looking more and more like a garbage dump these days. Bernie goes around picking up trash whenever he comes over there now.


On top of this there is now at least one hawk in residence at PCV. And there's something else that I neglected to mention at the time, which is brought to mind by the hawk. About a month ago they started clearing out all the bushes and hedges at PCV. In some cases they chopped down bushes as if they were trees, leaving big bare areas of ugly stumps. Where there used to exist plenty of cover for squirrels, these bare landscapes aid the hawks and make squirrels feel more exposed as well as look particularly ugly. Why have they done this?

the good news and the bad news

First the good news: Bernie found Littleguy! Then he brought him over for a celebratory visit -- lots and lots of nuts and water -- he was ravenous and thirsty after being outside for four days.  Here we're getting a glimpse of his glorious chompers: (click to enlarge)

Open wide!

Now for the bad news: Another hawk sighting at PCV. Looks like they're back for the winter. Today the hawk was swooping low along the hedges (where squirrels like to hide). Then it flew from one end of PCV to the other. On the move.

El Día de los Muertos

In memory of Dolly - the halloween squirrel - one year ago today


Dolly's skull has fallen out of her tree. It has no doubt rolled out so that we'll remember her on this coming Day of the Dead. Her tail is still sticking out the hole, and has become as brittle as a witch's broom.


A curious squirrel sniffs Dolly's skull:

The story of Dolly:

Hello Dolly!
Goodbye Dolly?
R.I.P. Dolly

Happy Halloween!

Tree Down in PCV

Yesterday PCV lost one of its oldest and biggest trees. They've been cutting down trees with a vengeance recently. We got nervous when we saw the yellow truck parked next to the big squirrel tree, one which was full of  wonderfully large holes. And sure enough, the tree was about to come down.

What a revoltin' development this is! First the return of the hawks, then this sacking of the homeland. The squirrels are sure not "Living the life of Riley" at PCV these days.

In fact I think Tubby had moved over there and if she's already had her babies, her nest was possibly in that tree. Nobody admits to finding any babies' nests there.

I couldn't stand to stand there and watch. We came back a  while later and this is what we found.

And then today, the final death blow had been administered to one of the finest squirrel homes in PCV.
When the cold weather arrives, there will be less room for squirrels to snuggle up and stay warm, with this big tree gone.  Maybe that's why God is sending in the hawks -- to thin the ranks so there's not as much competition for bed space?

Whenever I see trees going down like this, I remember the battle over the old trees in Grammercy Park, and how "they" finally won and took away all the magic from that park. It's not even worth walking out of my way to go by there now. It may look pleasant enough, but it does nothing for me, whereas walking by the old Grammercy Park used to take my breath away.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506E2D61639F93AA25756C0A9639C8B63&pagewanted=all

The Hawks are Back

We thought they were gone. We never saw a single hawk last winter, or since then.  Around this time last year I saw about 8 of them sitting all in a row on the rooftop of one of the buildings in PCV, and they suddenly took off en masse flying south. That was the last hawk sighting, and we were thinking that they didn't take to City living (we don't think they belong here either).

But while Bernie was releasing Babyboy in PCV today, he called to tell me that there was a hawk there, eating a black squirrel as he spoke! And a visit to the Urban Hawks blog shows me they are alive and well in NYC.

How much do hawks eat?

According to a falconer:
An average sized female redtail (say 50 oz) which is commonly though erroneously called a hawk- can eat a large squirrel, three rats, or a medium sized rabbit every day when being flown in the season with ideal weather.  If it's very cold, the bird will eat more.  (redtails are actually in the buteo family- buzzards.

How do hawks eat?

Hawks rip their food into small pieces with their talons and beaks, then swallow the chunks.

The hawk picked up its prey and flew toward a large nest in the tall tree by the flagpole. Bernie's concerned that it may be the hawk's
nest. If so, that means it's settled in here at PCV, and could pick off a squirrel a day through the winter, easily ravaging our population single-handedly.

We need to watch that nest for signs of the bird. Unfortunately Bernie didn't think to take a picture of the hawk, but here is the nest it flew towards:

I'm concerned because  Spunky, Tubby, Brownie and Mr. Operator all live in this area. If something happens to any of them there will be hell to pay.

SPUNKY

Julie and Littleguy come to Visit

Well we had sort of an aborted visit today. Coming out of the carrier... (remember you can click on a pic to see an enlargement)

The squirrels are skittish and attach themselves to Bernie...

 

Showing off Julie's red tail...

Not a happy camper...

So let's go outside and get released...

HALLOOO.. anybody in there?

Here I am! What do you want?

Whatcha got there, a nut?

Laying the Lure

 While Julie plays statue, Littleguy shows some interest...

But not enough to get really motivated. These squirrels ain't goin nowhere today.

Meanwhile, seemingly unnoticed, Mr. Operator has found the bag of nuts...

and is making out like the one-eyed bandit that he is ...

In his typical entrepreneurial style...

 ...eat one, bury two.

HEY, Mr. Operator, you're on CANDID CAMERA!

Desperately Seeking Babygirl

Bernie has offered a reward if I can find the little squirrel with the golden tail. It shouldn't be this hard. The squirrels are all out and running all over the place with great energy. It's the cooler weather that does this to them. They've put on their winter coats. I can't believe how BIG Teddy Bear got! They are all carrying acorns in their mouths too, which they did last year around this time. They look so funny! I call it "the fall fashion". But I have no idea what the meaning or cultural significance could be.

Searching for Babygirl

Squirrels have been keeping Bernie busy these days. Yesterday after he brought Babyboy back he told me he was feeding Babyboy and Bronxie from the same syringe, alternating between the two. The little girl squirrel had been fed first and was already asleep in her nest box.

The one I call Bronxie was brought to him from the Bronx, after he was injured by bigger squirrels in a fight. He had a bloody nose and was generally weak and having trouble walking. He is recovering nicely but last night he awoke shrieking from a nightmare. He is obviously traumatized by what happened to him.

Today Bernie gave the little girl over to Kathy, the rehabber who rescued Babyboy's sibling after they all fell out of their nest. So now he's down to four squirrels if Babygirl is found. I asked him if things aren't getting a bit to hectic over there at his office (which is where he keeps them). He agreed that it was, and he's not used to having so many around at once, but it's just the way things have been happening recently. Still no sign of Babygirl though. Bernie searched for several hours this morning. She must have moved from where she'd been released, but to where? It's a big park.

Update on Babyboy

Good news! Babyboy came over to the carrier which Bernie had posted to a tree, and he sat on top of it and ate some nuts. Guess he had a big appetite after last night's storm! He has now been initiated into squirrelhood.

Bernie came up close with the syringe in hand, that was loaded with tapioca pudding and hazelnut milk (he still loves formula from a bottle even though he can eat). He immediately started guzzling, and next thing you know he was inside the carrier! And now he's home fast asleep in his nest box, recuperating from his Big Adventure at PCV :) Three cheers for Bernie who has given an inordinate amount of his time to tracking down this little guy.

Note: he is quite a roamer, and was all over the area, going from tree to tree and keeping Bernie busy in attempts to stay on his tail. At one point he managed to get from one tree to another without coming down while Bernie was staked at the base of the tree. He's a great jumper! And he's still so little.

One disturbing note: Babygirl has still not been seen.

Babyboy sighting

Babyboy was sighted yesterday, moving from tree to tree in the same area where he'd been released. At one point he saw and recognized his green carrier case and went over and sat on top of it, for about a half hour-- his security, his nest box!

Meanwhile his Dad was waiting patiently on the sidelines, so as not to disturb him, hoping he would climb inside. He doesn't seem to have the same recognition factor that Babygirl has, who will run up to her Dad and climb on his arm, making it easy to get her back in the carrier.

Then a dog came along and scared him up a tree! He would not come down again, so he ended up spending last night outside. And what a night it was! First there was a hail storm, followed by rain, thunder and lightening. Hopefully he and Babygirl were both ok.