Squirrelly Nature

Normally I don't have extended amounts of contact with the non-domesticated animal kingdom. However, the other day as I exited our apartment I saw the best thing I've seen in awhile.

I was passing the edge of our lawn where the recycling bins and garbage cans are kept when I noticed a medium sized squirrel sitting on top of the recycling. Normally this scene wouldn't really have struck me as that unusual-the squirrel was for all intensive purposes an average looking, black squirrel (no offense to the squirrel).

However what made me look twice was that this squirrel had a HUGE piece of cardboard latched firmly between his teeth. It just hung from his tiny squirrel lips like a ridiculously large postage stamp he was in the middle of licking. I thought perhaps when he saw that I had paused to observe him he might drop his treasure and run away.

I was half right. He did run away but as he skittered over our fence and up onto a neighbors fence he kept the cardboard firmly gripped in his mouth. He loved that cardboard so much. And I was impressed with his climbing dexterity as he jumped and ran, never releasing his soggy brown prize.

I felt blessed to have happened to have my camera, so I obliged the moment and took a few pictures. Perhaps I'll release a whole series: Nude Gopher with 2 Liter, Inquisitive Shrew with Tin Can, Disheveled Badger with Spreadsheet. The list goes on. Perhaps it could make an impressive seasonal calendar for the recycling industry...Anyway three cheers for NATURE!