It's ba-aack. The black squirrel that invaded my dwelling last fall -- or else its evil twin.

I was just about to go out and noticed a black squirrel on my landing. Given all the problems I had getting one out of my apartment last time, I did not want to go there again (and since any efforts to get the squirrel to leave require opening the door, I knew the little bastard would try and zoom in here).

Plus it's holed up right under the barbecue -- and my newspaper is lying right beside it.

If I grab the paper, is a panicky and/or rabid squirrel going to rip flesh from my hand? I  can't take that chance.

(And of panicky or rabid, of course the latter is w-a-a-a-y more likely.)

Will update on this crisis.

5:25 p.m.: This bizarre form of incarceration has lasted about 15 minutes so far.

But I am learning a few things about squirrel behaviour in high-stress situations.

I have a fishing rod, used for fishing for salmon and steelhead (I'd say catching, but ...), that is quite long. I thought moving the barbecue and the bag of charcoal would stimulate an escape attempt by the squirrel. I held a jacket to the door's gap to dissuade it from trying to get into my place, and set about disrupting the squirrel's comfort zone.

But squirrels like to escape either upwards (not an option in this case) or under, so now it is under the now-tipped-over bag of charcoal.

The poor thing is obviously terrified (its eyes were bulging out of its head), so now I'm foolishly feeling bad for bugging it.

Agghhh!!

5:35 p.m.: The siege is lifted. I looked outside the back door, and didn't see the squirrel. I tried moving the bag of charcoal again with the fishing rod, however, and that set off a frenzy.

The squirrel, as predicted, tried to make a break for the inside of the apartment. "Whoa, you little $$@@#!!," I yelped. But the jacket did its job.

With no bag to crawl under, and the barbecue moved out from the landing's corner, the squirrel looked around and calmed down. Then a light went on in his tiny squirrel brain, and it used the stairs to leave!

Double Agghhh!!