There are a couple squirrels that live in the trees next to my house that I see all the time. Love them, really. Yes, they are rodents. Yes, they are near my home. They’ve never done Bad Things (okay, one dismantled the bird nest in my mailbox last spring and ate the eggs. That was Very Bad) and generally keep the environment perky out there. Today one was sitting on my trash can looking so cold and forlorn while a second was rifling through the over-picked remains of a pumpkin they gutted last week, looking for edibles. It was sad. The look of the little fella on the trash barrel was most definitely sad. I actually thought about it and tried to assess his emotional state.
Against my better judgement, I went to the kitchen and grabbed a handful of mixed nuts (lightly salted - bonus!) and tossed them onto the ground. The sad squirrel looked at me, then the nuts, then me, then seemed to say “Really?” and scampered to the ground. He tentatively picked up a peanut and began nibbling, holding it like treasure between his little fingers. Taking tiny bites and savoring each one. It was precious, His entire body language changed. He turned his body around to be facing me directly, and we looked at each other as he ate his little treat. He was a happy little squirrel. The other squirrel had left, so this guy got to eat his fill this morning without interruption. Merry Christmas, little guy. And please don’t invade my house!
That one silly interaction made my day. That says a lot. !!
So now I sit at the computer, which has a grinding hard drive warning me of impending doom. I let Hapi out to share my coffee time, but he let Cairo out, so now as I type I have a 12” bird hopping from forearm to forearm, and sitting on the edge of my coffee cup. My house is a mess -- both clutter and abject filth, so my day is pretty much spoken for, If I work at it today, I might have more time to do art, later? Ah, but there will be new mess tomorrow. And the next day. Running a Canine Nursing Home and Avian Pet Emporium has this effect on domestic life. But, as Cairo leans over, gently touches my hand and makes a sharp, loud kiss noise, can’t imagine it any other way.
Onward, onward. For an art link today, here is an image by the AMAZING Megan Nedds, who creates astoundingly lifelike animals from felted wool. This is a parakeet because I couldn’t find a squirrel. More of her work can be found here. Incredible stuff - literally!