National Squirrel Appreciation Day

I kid you not.  I didn't make it up either.  I was flipping through the pages of the latest edition of National Wildlife Federation magazine and came across a notice that January 21, 2014 is the day to celebrate squirrels.

I don't generally celebrate the presence of squirrels in my garden.  They empty the bird feeders faster than the birds do.  They leave half-eaten fruits all over the yard.  They pilfer my blueberries and dig small holes here and there to hide their stolen goods - and then can't remember where they are.

Squirrel in my backyard cleaning up after those messy birds dropped seed all over the ground

Apparently, January 21st was chosen because someone determined that is the day when their food sources are in lowest supply.  You couldn't tell that in my yard where the local squirrels are enjoying the ripe guavas but, nationally, that's probably a good bet, especially in the year of the "polar vortex."  You can read more about National Squirrel Appreciation Day here and here.  The first picture in the 2nd link is particularly sweet.

He turned his back on me so he can pretend I'm not just a few feet away

I thought about my own reasons for appreciating squirrels.  Here's the best I could come up with:

1. They're more attractive than possums.
2. They don't stink up the place like skunks.
3. They don't eat the neighbor's pets like coyotes.
4. They don't destroy my plants when they dig in the garden as the raccoons do.
5. I already had some photos of them on hand.

Can you find any reasons to celebrate squirrels?