Yesterday morning was crummy -- wet snow/rain/snow again. Overnight, for some unaccountable reason, Squirrely's nest suffered a major collapse. There hadn't been much in the way of wind or soaking rain, but when I got up at sunrise the whole east side was drooping over the branch. Maybe he and Squeeze (and Stranger? How risque, if so) were rockin' it all night. Anyway, Squirrely himself got up about the same time I did. All yesterday morning, in the yuck, he ran up and down branches, chewing off supple twigs, bringing them back and weaving them in. He built up a sort of curving roof on the west side, maybe a kind of windbreak? The little guy worked really hard. It hadn't sunk in to me when I watched him build the first time, but of course he has to ferry all his new building material up one twig at a time. No collecting into bundles, no material lifts or backpacks. One twig in the mouth per trip, that's it. He must have made a hundred trips. The first time I watched him build, he brought back a number of twigs with leaves still on them, but there aren't any more of these. I thought he might re-use some from the collapsed side, but he doesn't seem to have. Now, of course, the weather's been cold but clear since midday yesterday. I wonder if he won't notice the joint isn't waterproof until it rains again and his windbreak-roof leaks. He slept in this morning -- didn't get up until a bluejay flew into the tree right above the squirrel nest and started singing. A minute into the song, up pops a groggy-looking squirrel head. Squeeze hadn't been seen up until the time I left -- wonder if she's pregnant and conserving her strength? Or just lazy? Or cuddling with Stranger while Squirrely works?