Story and pictures emailed to us by Senior Master Sergeant Chad Cox of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

"My story is not so tragic, but painful to hear nonetheless.

I traveled to California for two weeks. My beloved 2004 F250 Powerstroke stayed behind keeping vigil over the cul-de-sac.

I eagerly awaited my return. I longed for the sound of the 6.0 liter motor coming to life and the sound of the turbo on the open road.

What really happened was something far different from what I had imagined.

After hearing a suspicious noise from under the hood, I decided to take a look. What I found was a squirrel condo made mostly of dry grass from my front yard. (fig. 1) When I removed the nest I discovered that the vacuum pump was running continuously because the squirrel had removed much of the hoses to make room for his new pad.(fig. 2) They also managed to chew through several wires.

Total damage: $700.00.

I did manage to catch a big male. He no longer lives in our cul-de-sac.(fig. 3)

My efforts to lure others into the trap have not been so successful, but I will keep on trying."

Nice work, Chad!