Photo by MadMaven/T.S.Heisele
We’re smack dab in the middle of Squirrel Appreciation Week, which runs from October 7th through 13th.
Do you take squirrels for granted? It’s easy to, especially if you live in a place where you see them everyday. Unless you’re an avid gardener or backyard ornithologists, you may have no reason to pay the squirrels romping in the gardens and feasting at bird feeders any mind.
I grew up in Denver and squirrels were a staple in our backyard. As a kid, I liked to watch Mackie watching them through the sliding glass doors. I liked it even more when I’d suddenly throw open the doors and he’d give chase.
When Wayne and I moved to Jacksonville from Phoenix I rediscovered squirrels (which were in short supply in our Phoenix neighborhood). But in Jacksonville? Holy cow. With all the towering trees it was a squirrel’s paradise. I got the biggest kick watching them traverse the tight ropes (power lines) and making daring leaps to branches and trunks. (Some of those leaps had to be 10 feet or more.)
Then Murphy came along and discovered squirrels too. One day I found myself in a moment of déjà vu when I threw open the sliding glass doors so he could tear across the grass towards the squirrels crowding around the bird feeders. Talk about life coming full circle.
Four Reasons I Appreciate Squirrels
1) They calm me. Some people find watching fish helps lower their blood pressure. Watching squirrels does it for me. I can’t help but laugh when I watch their antics.
2) They leave me in awe. It’s amazing how fast they can run. (Especially when a dog’s after them.) And their acrobatic maneuvers? Wow. Performed with no safety nets high above the ground, and somehow they can twist, leap, and grab onto things it just doesn’t seem possible they should be able to. Then there’s their climbing abilities. Doesn’t matter what, they can climb it, even the side of a house. Which I would not have believed if I had not seen them do it with my own two eyes. (And they did it because they were after bird food in a hanging feeder, which they learned how to jump on to get.)
3) They’re smart. Talk about diligent problem solvers. I can’t tell you how many times I concocted the perfect “squirrel-proof” bird feeding set-up only to have them figure a way to undermine my efforts. (Refer to #2 above.)
4) They’re cute. They may be rodents, and they can be pesky, but I think they have the most adorable little faces.
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