Critter relations

[miladycarol]

I’ve taken to carrying a handful of peanuts in my pocket. I was just out scattering coffee grounds on my veggie bed when the little Sweetie Squirrel girl spotted me. She ran up to me and sat on her haunches a meter away with her hands folded across her chest. I can’t resist. So there I was, squatting on the grass, in the rain, hand feeding a squirrel peanuts. I am so whipped.

As I walked up the deck, I noticed Dina in the window next to her doggie door watching me with growing concern. Inevitably, I gave her peanuts, too. I can’t have her thinking I favor the squirrels over her. She’d never let me sleep at night. I know who rules this house and do all I can to keep some small advantage – outside of the obvious opposable thumbs and height. Maybe that’s why I curry the favor of small critters… at 5’2”, I rarely can claim a height advantage.

Speaking of opposable thumbs, I have been watching the squirrels manipulate and, when seen up close, observe that they have a proto-thumb. It’s just a little nub that juts out at a 90-degree angle from their fingers. I don’t see that it moves like ours, yet it seems to be a stationary brace for the fingers to use. Hey, it’s more than those useless little dewclaws the puppies have. It’s all about exploiting advantages. Yay for opposable thumbs!

Comments

[sbloss.livejournal.com]

I love your posts. Squirrels, little arctic pygmy wolves, gardens...it's all very uplifting. I miss you terribly. *hugs*

[wyliekat.livejournal.com]

I was doing that when we were at Tall Pines Lodge last weekend. I kept a pocketful of salted sunflower seeds to feed the deer - in amongst the random handfuls of carrots I was also giving away.

It seemed appropriate to pay homage to Mother Nature in this way.