Hi, Everybody!

Glad you could make out to the country today. My name is Angus P. Squirell, and I live in the countryside of Southeastern Minnesota near the mighty Mississippi River.  What's the "P" stand for? Why, "Peanut" of course! Cause I always wanted peanuts when I was just a young little pup, so's my Mom just gave me the nickname of "Peanut".  Well, it just kinda stuck, so's I just use it in my "official" name.

Pull up a stool 'an sit a while,, make yourself comfortable. Can I get you some tea, or a cup of coffee perhaps?  Coffee's my preference, so I hope you don't mind me enjoying a cup while we visit!  For you kids, I've got some soft drinks or kool-aid if you like.  The missus is inside just finishing up baking some snickerdoodles, so I'm sure she'll be bringing some out just as soon as she's finished.

What's a "snickerdoodle"? You don't mean to tell me you've never had a snickerdoodle! Why, those are just about the most scrumptious cookie ever created! I used to help my mother make those when 'I was just a pup, and when we had our own pups many years ago, that was one of the first things BJ (that's what I call the missus) taught them how to make 'em. Now I hear that the grandpups make 'em once in a while!  Well...I know you'll like them, 'an she'll give you the recipe so you can make your own.

Oh, hi there, BJ! You brought us some cookies and milk? Well, ok. I guess a little milk won't hurt me. Thank you!

You know, there's a subject for you. Manners! Manners? What in the world has happened to people that they have very few manners anymore? When I was gowing up in the big oak tree down in Illinois, I remember the human's mother and father always taught the little boy and girl how to say, "Please", and "Thank you", or "Excuse Me". If the little boy wanted to do something, I would always hear him ask, "Mom, may I go over to Freddie's house for a while? Please?". After she said something like, "Ok, but be home in time for supper.", the little boy would say, "Ok mom, I will. Thank you!" Well...you just don't hear that anymore.

Just the other day I tagged along with the my humans to the grocery store (well, actually, I was kinda sneaky about it, and hid in one of the recyclable bags), and I saw first hand the lack of manners even with the adult humans.  The woman human was going down the aisle and stopped to look for some spagetti sauce.  Well, she was just standing there trying to decide which one to get when all of a sudden an arm and a hand reached right in front of her face,, grabbed a can, put it in the cart and walked away without ever saying anything like, "excuse me", or "pardon me".  Not a word!  The woman human just stood and stared in disbelief. She couldn't belive that someone could be so rude! Rude, I tell ya. That's what that other human was! There was simply no reason whatsoever for not being polite and exercising some manners!

When I was just a young squirrel, my Mom always taught me manners.  Say, how do you like the snickerdoodles? Good, aren't they? I knew you'd like 'em.