Since THERE'S A FLYING SQUIRREL IN MY COFFEE: OVERCOMING CANCER WITH THE HELP OF MY PET has come out, I've be deluged with requests from readers like you for more information and photos about Rocky and Bitsy.
So, with the help of my family, we'll be trying to add new information periodically about the Rockster and his two girlfriends, Bitsy and Angel.
Updates Below Are In Chronological Order
Diary Start Date: July/August 2002. Thank you for visiting. Rocky and Bitsy have been getting along quite well, thank you.
Rocky has been giving Bitsy a lot more space lately, which she seems to appreciate a great deal. In fact, when "The Rock" is out flying around with me, and then we return and I put him back in their cage together, Bitsy immediately runs out of her (and sometimes their) little wooden house on the left.
You see, we have two little white birch houses in there, one on each side of their large white cage. Sometimes they go to sleep in their cottage on the left. Sometimes they go to sleep together in their cottage on the right.
Sometimes --- about one week out of the month --- they break things off and sleep in separate cottages. Rocky, in the past, wouldn't stand for this. Now, older and perhaps wiser (and definitely more fatigued), Rocky seems to like this arrangement and respite as much as Bitsy.
Bitsy is now about full-grow, weighing in at svelte 3-4 ounces, which about two-thirds Rocky's rather rotund mass of fur, fat, muscle, and bones, (and, oh, yeah, brains, Rocky wanted me to remind you) equaling in size and weight about that of a brand new bar of Ivory soap.
Bitsy is much more aerodynamically suited for flying than the Rock.
Rocky, however less aerodynamically suited to flying and gliding than Bitsy, makes up for this shortcoming by his outrageously bold aviator-like behavior, apparently fearless of anything, almost to a bizarre extent
September/October 2002. A new problem lately is that Bitsy has been partaking in what is called "barbering." This is a new behavior where she is in effect, giving Rocky a hair cut on his lower back, not biting him or hurting him, but clipping down his hair so that he looks like he has a Mohawk haircut on his butt. So, for the time being, we are separating them for a week or so, to see if Rocky's hair starts to grow back on his butt. We'll keep you posted!
November/December 2002.
Rocky and Bitsy are back in the same cage again. Rocky has taken up
residence in the upper nest box and Bitsy has taken residence in one of the two
bottom nest boxes. No longer do they seem to get together for constant
romance, and the hair on Rocky's backside and butt has completely grown back,
making nine year old Rocky look healthier and more robust than ever before.
He is still all personality and Bitsy is still very shy, and not nearly as
active in the cage as Rocky.
Also, there is a new addition to their cage, Angel, an almost full grown female
flyer, who came to us from a nearby family that found her in their garage one
day. Very friendly and tame for a wild flying squirrel, Angel is fitting
in very nicely with Rocky and Bitsy, and her addition to the cage will
dramatically increase Rocky's chances of now becoming a father, because a single
male and female are rarely in heat sexually at the same time. So the
addition of another female raises the odds for there being a Rocky II, III, and
IV, in the future. One of Angel's personality differences is that she
seems to prefer to burrow deep into the cedar chips in the bottom of the cage
and fall asleep in the hole she created, more like a hamster, and does not
seem to like the confines of the nest boxes as a place for her to sleep.
January/February 2003. I've got to be honest with you. I'd been worrying about Bitsy lately. She seemed ready to die over the past few months and she could hardly walk around the cage and was never climbing up to the top level of the cage anymore. Happily, I can now report that this problem is all fixed and Bitsy is as alive and full of life as ever. What I did to help her might seem bizarre, but it appears to have worked wonderfully. Bitsy had appeared to slowly become crippled to me, and, upon close examination of her, I could see that she still had tiny baby fingernails that were very sharp and hooked. It turned out that she was getting all four of her feet tangled way too easily in the cotton balls we put in the cage for her and Rocky and Angel's nest boxes. So, very carefully, I clipped off the tips of the tiny nails on her hands and her feet. Over the course of the past month she has advanced dramatically in her activity levels in the cage and she now even quickly comes to me when I call out her name. I also started giving her additional vitamins, but I am convinced that the tiny baby claws had been creating for her an almost club-foot-like effect on all four of her paws. Now she is climbing and moving around the cage at night even faster than Rocky and Bitsy, seemingly ecstatically happy with her new manicure job. And Rocky has a newly revived interest in her, if you know what I mean, now that she is out and about so much and looking so good. Angel's starting to get a little jealous, but she is enjoying her playtime with Bitsy much more, now that Bitsy is so much more mobile.
March/April 2003. Rocky's getting a lot of tail from Bitsy and Angel, but unfortunately neither one of Rocky's girlfriends are pregnant yet. Unlike human beings, both the male and female flying squirrel have to be in heat at the exact same time, which often only lasts a few days each year, which makes this whole thing a tricky timing issue. Rocky, Bitsy, and Angel do a ton of hugging each night which looks like mating, but it is only a simulated act, not the real thing.
April/May 2003. Still no babies, and maybe I will have to wait until next winter when the nights are longer and they're more likely to enter heat at the same time. Rocky is approaching 10 years old now, so, although he still acts and looks like a party animal with his girls, Angel and Bitsy, he just might not have any bullets left, ie. maybe he's only shooting blanks. But somehow, being the aviator that he is, I feel Rocky might still have a surprise or two up his sleeve...I mean skin folds!
June/July 2003. A major flying squirrel fly-in is being scheduled in Northeast Florida by the marvelous Joan Barron. Celebrity flying squirrels (along with their pet people) will be flying in from all over the country to exchange flying squirrel stories and to put their squirrels together for some formation flying....well actually formation gliding. Contact Joan Barron at JOAN1477@aol.com for more details.
August/September 2003. The big flying squirrel fly-in mentioned just above was a great success. Folks came from all over the state and the country with their flying squirrels for show and tell and meet and greet. Fantastic job by Joan Barron who hosted the event with her flyer "Chuckie" and also Laurie and Steve Pray who showed us their huge flyer cage at their home, along with their flyer "Roxie." Joan writes extensively about her experiences with Chuckie and her new female too, so if you want her to send you her extensive diary on her flying squirrel husbandry stories, with a whole lot of humor thrown in for good measure, then contact her at JOAN1477@aol.com and maybe she'll add you on her email list of people interested in flying squirrel stories. I think Rocky was the oldest flying squirrel at almost 10 years old to attend the event, and the bald spot on his behind was the dead giveaway as to his seniority...though in his case, it's his girlfriends, Bitsy and Angel, that are likely pulling out the hair (our vet, Dr. John Rossi, calls it "Barbering") than it is from baldness like some humans' have to deal with. Peggy and I have also raised up to baby grey squirrels during this period, Lola and Little Ricky. Hey, squirrels are cute too, especially when they are babies. Both Lola and Little Ricky fell from tall trees and then were found by cats on two different occasions. In fact just a few days after Lola joined the wild, Little Ricky was brought to us by a neighbor who's cat had been playing with it. The trick appears to be getting Esbilac puppy formula (buy it dried in the larger container, you're gonna need it all eventually!) with a fat eyedropper, keep them warm and fed every 4 to 6 hours and your in business. Don't forget to give them the availability to lots of fruits and nuts so that they can wean themselves. A baby grey is the size of a full grown flying squirrel, and they grow to full size very fast, so stand by for a unique squirrel experience if you end up with one. Also, ideally grey squirrels should be released into the wild when they become teenagers, they just seem to have different and wilder needs than little flyers.
October/November/December 2003. Yes, Rocky is still alive and thriving as he enters into his tenth year of life in the Goss household...maybe it's his two girlfriends, Angel and Bitsy, that are keeping this old rodent aviator happy and alert. His fingernails for climbing are not very good anymore, which makes it harder for him to climb up and down my shirt. In fact, as he climbed up the front of my shirt a few weeks ago, his almost non-existent fingernails gave way and he fell onto his back five feet onto the hardwood floor in our living room. He started convulsing and I was sure he was going to die, and he remained still in my hands for almost an hour. But, amazingly to me and my family, Rocky seemingly came back from the dead after an evening of almost total stillness, to become apparently as good as new, something all of us, Angel and Bitsy included, are eternally grateful for. Even the hair that the girls have pulled out of Rocky's hind side, leaving on his lower back a big bald spot, well...even that spot has grown over with completely new hair, and you'd never know that once Rocky was completely bald back there. This is the second time that Rocky has lost the hair on his butt and it has grown back. What am I learning from all this...that getting old...even really REALLY old (Rocky must be about 143 years old in human years) doesn't mean that we've lost our ability to recover from very serious falls or grow back luxuriant hair in places where it hadn't been for a long time. If a flying squirrel like Rocky can do it...then so can we. And one more thing... you can be sure that I am now being really careful that Rocky does not have another fall from my shirt again, because when this old guy Rocky falls, he no longer falls and lands on his front side like a cat, but if he falls back first, he lands back first, and I'm just never going to let that happen again. Finally, Rocky, Angel, Bitsy and the entire Goss family and Goss family menagerie says God bless to you all and have a wonderful and happy 2004!
Jan/Feb/Mar 2004. Angel turned out to be Angelo, suddenly growing a huge set of gonads. He has a new home now a few miles from here with a girlfriend of his own. Rocky is much happier without him and Bitsy might be too (but I can't speak for her!) Rocky, in fact, seems better than ever now as he blasts through his tenth year of life is an extremely robust manner. But Rocky and Bitsy are not mating or simulating mating, so the chances of Rocky becoming a father are getting slimmer and slimmer. Oh well. As long as Rocky stays healthy as he heads into his second decade of life (a really amazing thing for a tiny little rodent) I'll be happy and feel blessed.
Now please enjoy the photo collage below of Rocky and
Bitsy
and some of their animal and even human roommates...it's a large file that takes a while to load, so be patient,
but only if you are an animal lover! And always remember these sage words of advice
from Rocky the Flying (Gliding) Squirrel: "Don't forget to always fly with the
pointy end forward!"
April/May/June/July/Aug/Sep/Oct/Nov/Dec
2004. Sorry for the long delay but I've had a
very busy 8 months. Look for me as an extra in Oliver Stone's newest
mega-movie ALEXANDER THE GREAT starring Colin Farrell, Angelina Jolie, Val
Kilmer, Rosario Dawson and Anthony Hopkins. I went to Thailand to visit a
friend and ended up in put into the end of the movie in the mutiny scene dressed
as a Macedonian Warrior...I even got a close-up...even though it lasted about
one second. When it comes out on DVD you'll be able to get a good look at
me. Did they need a flying squirrel in the movie? No, but I did ask,
and they did have just about every other kind of critter in this movie...with
tons of snakes, tigers, camels, eagles, etc. The elephant war scenes in
Indian are truly amazing! But this column is supposed to be about flying
squirrels! So here we go: Rocky and Bitsy are still doing fantastic and
Rocky, despite being almost 11 years old continues to wake up every evening as
spry as can be. He's developed cataracts, but not apparently too
severe...I have seen severe cataracts in flying squirrels just a few years old,
and Rocky is in much better shape than those guys. Rocky is no longer
jumping and leaping with confidence like Bitsy still does, so I am very careful
when I hold him, making sure he will not be in any kind of situation where he
might fall off of me to the ground. His fingernails do not hold well on
shirts anymore. But his attitude and friendliness is still
outstanding...truly remarkable. He and Bitsy seem to have a great
relationship (unlike when Angel turned Angelo was their roommate) and I really
feel that adding a mate to the cage has added years of life to Rocky.
Bitsy really energizes Rocky...just like a good wife and I think that Rocky
really entertains Bitsy...just like a good husband...the perfect squirrel
marriage made in squirrel heaven.
Jan/Feb/March 2005. Rocky continues to amaze
me with his longevity...he is now 11 years old, and although he moves slower and
more carefully then when he was younger, he still seems to have a great attitude
about life and is still extremely warm and friendly towards me. He girl
squirrel Bitsy is still cute as a button, and although friendly, she is just too
squirrelish and quick for me to attempt to hold without her escaping into the
interior of our large house...something both of them once did together years
ago, dubbed the "Great Escape" and which both of them were missing for days.
We found Bitsy in one of our bathtubs...thankfully empty of water (they often
are found drowned in toilets when they escape in houses...we ran around and
lowered all the toilet seat lids). Rocky appeared days later on the top of
my dresser...I have no idea where in God's creation he had been hidding,
although I suspect he had been hiding somehow in one of interior walls of our
home near Jacksonville, Florida. Regarding the good humor of these two
adorable creatures, neither Bitsy or Rocky have ever nipped me, which is
amazing, after all these years. Rocky still attempts to get behind Bitsy
for "a little aviator action" but Bitsy is too fast for him now, so he just
chases her around the cage, like the dirty old man who just won't give up
trying, even though he hasn't had "any" in years...something I frankly respect
and admire both in Rocky and in older men...it's what the French call "joie de
vie" or something like that that means "the joy of life" although you won't find
me quoting the French very often...and I expect someone to email me someday to
correct the spelling of that phrase, which I'm sure I screwed up. Anyway,
nothing new to report except that I have given up on expecting any children out
of Rocky and Bitsy...he may be an aviator and he may be still trying...but he's
darn sure no military aviator, because he's yet to produce a Rocky one, two, or
three for us yet.
June/July/August 2006. Sorry for the lack of updates, but life around here has gotten very busy...with son Brian headed off to Annapolis and his twin sister Christie headed to Florida State. Regarding Rocky and Bitsy, nothing has changed. They are both happy and still very much alive, and still without offspring, which is unlikely now going to happen at Rocky's grand old age. Rocky still "hugs" Bitsy from behind every night, but it's probably a lot more like Anna Nicole Smith's grand-daddy husband used to hug her before he dropped dead from a heart attack...it's unlikely that any real action is taking place. But thank you anyway for checking in to find out how the Rockster and his favorite girl squirrel are doing!
Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec 2006. Rocky and Bitsy are still alive...and in love...but no little Rocksters. Rocky is now approaching 13 years old and he has seen our two children, Christie and Brian, head off to college, with Christie at Florida State University in Tallahassee and Brian at the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. They both look forward to seeing and holding Rocky and Bitsty this Thanksgiving at our home in northeast Florida.
Jan - June 2007. Holy smokes. Time is really flying by! A wonderful lady and super survivor by the name of Sheila Whitely reminded me that many months have gone by since I have written on this blog and she wanted to know if Rocky was still alive. Well, first let me tell you that Peggy's and my daughter, Christie is presently home for the summer after completing her first year at Florida State University and Brian survived his first year at the U.S. Naval Academy, or as they refer to it, Boat School. Remarkably, they both got straight A's. In fact, I think they got more A's their first year in college than I got my whole academic career from kindergarten on. But this is a Rocky and Bitsy blog, not a bragging blog, so here is the word --- yes, amazingly, Rocky is still alive and I think his girl squirrel Bitsy continues to have much to do with that in terms of him not being lonely. I had to do major clipping of Rocky's top and bottom incisors with a toe nail clipper recently, because they had grown so incredibly long…now I better understand where the expression “long in the tooth” came from. I discovered that his long incisors made it too hard for him to eat. It was very traumatic clipping his teeth for me and him…it took me about an hour to finally position everything right…but he came through over the next few days with flying colors and he is now able to eat and knaw on on hard food and also wood and bone (for calcium) again. Next St. Patrick’s Day 2008, Rocky will turn 15 years old, and absolutely amazing thing for a tiny rodent the size of a small bar of soap. And yes, Rocky, still comes to me when I call his name...so I don't think he is suffering from squirrelheimer disease...he still remembers me, even in his very advanced years.
July 4, 2007. The death of Rocky. My wonderful Rocky...Rocky the Flying Squirrel, who got me through my battle with cancer and some of the toughest times of my life, died on Wednesday night, July 4, 2007, of extreme old age. Rocky was well over 100 years old in squirrel years. It is incredible how much a tiny 3 ounce rodent affected my life and the life of my family. God speed, Rocky...and I look forward to seeing you again on the great cloud in the heavens...and I promise I will bring you some pecans. Rocky, you were the greatest little pet --- and friend --- of all times...and you truly were an angel sent down from heaven at exactly the moment I most needed you in my life. Thank you, my fine little rodent friend of extraordinary flying talents (until you got to chubby) for everything you brought into my life. You died right at the point in my life when I was ultimately convinced that I had not only survived a deadly bout with cancer, but, because of Rocky and my wonderful family and friends, I in fact thrived with and because of cancer. Unique friendships can bring about a unique supercharging of your immune system, and I am 100% totally convinced that this happened in my case. I will never forget you, Rocky!
Jan 2, 2008. Today, a man named Doug Eskridge, who lives just a few miles from miles from us on Fleming Island, called to tell me he had a male flyer named Stuart all alone in a large cage. Doug was wondering if I would let Bitsy go stay with Stuart a while and hopefully she would get pregnant, (which she never did with good old Rocky, who must have been just shooting blanks.) Anyway, I said yes, and now Bitsy and Stuart are enjoying themselves and neither of them are lonely anymore. Wish them luck in their efforts to have some baby flyers!
April 12, 2009. Unfortunately, Bitsy's new boyfriend Stuart passed on, so Bitsy was transferred to a kind of flying squirrel heaven on earth...a huge walk-in screened-in gazebo strictly for flying squirrels. It is owned and created by Tom and Brenda Hauk, too of the nicest animal-loving people I have ever met. Tom, who lives in NE Florida, was introduced to me by Joan Barron and Doug Eskridge. Tom is part native American Indian and seems to have a very special way with relating with animals of all types, but especially flying squirrels and dogs and snakes. Tom is known by many as "The Flying Squirrel Whisperer." We took Bitsy over to meet Tom's famously friendly flying squirrel. This wonderful little girl squirrel is named "Who" which is really short for Houdini, because of her ability to disappear and then re-appear like the famous namesake magician. Well, Bitsy and Who got along, but even more important Bitsy seemed to get along with the almost 100 other flying squirrels in the colony inside the gazebo, plenty of which I am sure are males. And all these squirrels sure eat like kings and queens in there too, with fruits, vegetables, Brazil nuts, pecans, and even Dannon peach yogurt too (which they love and which provides plenty of calcium to help prevent metabolic bone disorders). Living here, in this colony of flyers, there is no way on earth that Bitsy can ever be lonely again! Tom says that he has never seen any of the flying squirrels ever fight inside this colony, not even once, and that flying squirrels are a fine example to humans of where strangers are accepted into a group immediately in a very friendly fashion. Also inside this gazebo, with all these flyers, Tom has yet to find a sick, injured, or dead squirrel...they all just do fantastic together even when together in large numbers and in relatively close quarters. So let's all wish Bitsy luck in her new digs with her new friends. And we'll see, but just maybe Bitsy will end up becoming a mom after all!
Photos 1 through 8
1. Rocky on Christie's shoulder
2. Bitsy checking out the time on Bill's wrist watch
3. Bitsy half asleep on Peggy's shoulder
4. Rocky enjoying the holidays climbing around in our Christmas tree
5. Bitsy hanging out in Peggy's pajamas
6. Christie holding some of our giant pet tiger salamanders
7. Our Yorkie, Peanut, looking up at Rocky, Bitsy and Little Rascal, our pet box turtle.
8. Brian in his younger years holding a very fun and fabulous ferret that came to visit us one day
.