Squirrels! -- an Althouse obsession.

I love squirrels out in yard. They're entertaining, scampering around, looking for love in the spring, furiously burying acorns in the fall. Yesterday, I walked right next to one that was burying an acorn, and I was impressed by the efficient technique and the impressive musculature of the upper back and forelegs under sleek gray fur. When podcasting, I am easily distracted by the skittering of a squirrel across my roof. And, as you know, I've had this ongoing mystery about whether a squirrel has been in my house. I'm not as nervous about that as I once was. There have been no more stray cracked shells on the carpet.

But now, there's this! (Via Metafilter.) Squirrels on crack! Crack dealers/users bury rocks of crack in people's yards and the squirrels dig them up and come back for more.

"I was chatting with my neighbour who told me that crack users and dealers sometimes use my front garden to hide bits of their stash.

"An hour earlier I'd seen a squirrel wandering round the garden, digging in the flowerbeds.

"It looked like it knew what it was looking for.

"It was ill-looking and its eyes looked bloodshot but it kept on desperately digging.

"It was almost as if it was trying to find hidden crack rocks."

Is this for real? This Guardian article notes: "According to internet legend, crack squirrels have terrorised residents in New York and Washington." Yes, it does sound awfully urban legendary. But still...