All of my squirrel problems have been solved as we have a bobcat that passes through on a regular basis, doing the rounds of his vast territory. He is an incredibly efficient predator - no squirrel has lasted more than 2 weeks out back. I dutifully warn them all when they arrive, but do they listen? Nope.
There's a huge groundhog with a bunch of babies living under the neighbour's shed, and they have skills, so far. The big Springtime raccoon that battled all comers and claimed this area as his own went out and got hit by a car - that's what happens to dumb alphas. And the skunks seem to have met with a similar fate. Say what you want about tourists, but they do run over skunks and raccoons.
I got to watch a white/blue freighter going into port at 6am when I was walking the dog - they don't usually have those colours. I'll call that a good start - 3 hours of painting, then some water changing, grocery shopping, a visit from a friend with his kids, and maybe some Euro watching. For now, really strong dark roast coffee as I sit beside a snoring dog and look at the Atlantic.
