I have taken to feeding squirrels on my back deck.
It's a bit ironic because I said that I would post an article here daily (across different categories), but for the past couple days I haven't posted anything, mainly because I've been in a creative dry spell, and I've taken to feeding the squirrels on the back deck. I find myself watching the mammal dynamic taking place right in front of me, as oppsosed to writing something here.
I've come to believe that there are about 4 or 5 of them visiting my deck on a regualr basis. They all have slightly different colorings, and I have come to recognize them by these colorings.
There are a pair of siblings. They're smaller than the others and they always venture towards the seed as a pair. Curious, but skittish. Any sudden movement on my side of the glass, and they bolt. Unless of course there is an "adult" supervising the deck. In that case, they will creep over while the adults are feeding, "steal" one seed and then bolt.
One of the older, adult critters, is completely fearless! I have come to admire him/her. I put seed right up to the sliding glass door. This little guy/girl will come right up to the door and start feeding. I can go right up to the glass, literally within inches....my nose to it's snout, and the squirrel continues eating. It has been the closest I've been to a live squirrel in my entire 42 years! To me, being a city-boy, I find that completely amazing! (Watching the seed husks go flying left and right, as he/she gets to the meat of the seed. How do they do that?)
There is more to this "critter dynamic" that is going on, which I won't subject anyone to. Ummm...except peanuts. They can't figure out peanuts yet! What's up with that? They're more than happy with the sunflower seeds.
Anyway.....
The working title of this blog is "Random Abstract Thoughts". Here I was trying to come up with some global/political statement, or a rant about the local afternoon AM talk show host, while all the while my next post (this post) was literally staring me in the face. Sometimes I have to relax and not try so hard.
And those of you who read me on a regular basis were thinking I would make some abstract connection of the squirrel dynamic to something going on in our lives. HA!
Not my best work, but I'm happy with it. And it is mine.
LLS