Sooner or later I knew that someone would finally discover the bird feeder I’d hung outside my living room window. I might have known it would be a squirrel. I’d always had feeders hung back in my house in Michigan. In California, once I’d moved out of the house I’d shared with my partner and into the condo during the last tough year and a half out West I hadn’t had a place to hang my feeders. It was a small reclaiming when I pulled them out of the box where they’d been stuck for 7 years and rehung one of the three. As yet the birds have not discovered it–it’s been hanging for about a month now, but with the weather so fair there seems to be no shortage of food for them out in nature. The other day as I was walking to my building at work I saw an entire tree full of robins. “Wait,” I asked them, “don’t you all fly south for the winter?” Needless to say they didn’t reply, but their presence provided the more obvious answer: I guess not.
So this morning as I walked to the kitchen I glanced toward the window where the feeder hangs and yes, it was moving! I was so excited until I realized that it was being jostled by a squirrel hanging down from the gutter batting at the top and sides of the feeder. After watching for a moment as the squirrel pushed this way and that at the feeder trying unsuccessfully to get at or into it, I stepped quickly away to go get my camera. When I’d returned, it was gone, apparently having given up. I was disappointed at not having gotten the shot. I’ve found the squirrels in my yard highly entertaining. Back in Michigan the squirrels were downright acrobatic in their attempts to get at the bird feeders. Most of the time they were unsuccessful, but it was vastly amusing watching their attempts. Eventually I bought them a squirrel “bungee” a springing contraption to which you attach an ear of dried corn on the end. Watching the squirrels dangling off the end of that gizmo was as diverting as watching them go for the feeder. Watching my Maryland squirrel attempting to tackle my current feeder promises potential entertainment. I doubt I’ve seen the last of him.
Anyone who read my blog back when I was in California knows that I am perhaps easily diverted by the antics of local wildlife. My particular favorites were the wild turkeys who frequented the parking lot behind our condo complex. I must confess that I miss the turkeys who provided many moments of delighted entertainment, not to mention feathers, of which I have an impressive collection. I have yet to discover much in the way of wildlife in my little yard, though I did discover a trio of squirrels living inside a tree in my front yard. It was unexpected. My sister Ruth had pointed out to me the hole in the tree wondered aloud if anything lived in there. A few days after I’d moved in the inhabitant made an appearance. About a month later I discovered there were actually three inhabitants of the tree–two “red” and one black squirrel. Considering that what I had read about squirrels described them as “solitary animals” this was quite startling and delightful. I have no idea if they are related, but they sure looked cozy all tucked together in the hole in the tree.
My three little friends
One could ask what any of this has to do with gratitude and I would simply say this: I find delight in sometimes silly things–the antics of a critter trying to get into my bird feeder or the turkeys standing on the roof of my condo. I am grateful that I can laugh and smile at those things. Laughter is good for the soul and I intend to indulge in as many good belly laughs as I can get throughout 2013. Oh yes, I am grateful for many deep and wonderful blessings that surround me every day. And, I am grateful for the tiniest of delights that come my way. Tiny or grand, they’re all wonderful.
