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Q: Hold on, it sounds like you’ve got a dog in the background there? What does he think of all this?

A: Oh? No. Must have been the wind. But I do have a cat. Unfortunately some days she decides to go out and sit on the deck just when I’m ready to get a good shot. She hasn’t gone after them yet, but the squirrels are cautious of her. She’s kind of big, fat and lazy.

Q: How many usual suspects are there?

A: Well there’s one big squirrel I call Mr. Peanuts. I can even go out on the porch and yell “Peanuts” and he’ll come over, and so will the blue jays. I also have two new young ones. They’re just getting warmed up to me. But squirrels are pretty territorial, so if a new one comes the other will try to chase him away. So they have to take turns.

Q: Have you always been this interested in squirrels?



A: No, I probably didn’t know they existed until a couple of years ago. But the people who order my calendars are total squirrel fanatics. They’ve got squirrel collections.

Q: Would you consider yourself a squirrel fanatic?

A: Not to that extent. I’ve got enough squirrel props, I don’t need anything else in my house. My whole dining room is filled with this stuff.

Q: You live with your husband, right? What’s he thinking about all this?

A: He thought I was nuts, until I started to make some money from it.

Q: As of late you’ve been interviewed by media in Canada, Germany and the U.K. You’ve got publishing contracts for your squirrel-themed calendar. But before all the buzz, were people starting to think that Mrs. Rose is starting to lose it?