Squirrel!

This morning as I looked out of the window with my cup of coffee, I saw a couple of squirrels scampering along the top of the fence and scurrying alongside of it, their big fluffy tails flying behind them.  

​I thought perhaps I could get a picture of one of them.  HA!  Once I opened my door, they decided they wanted no part of the paparazzi.  I could hear the one squirrel high up in this tall pine tree, noshing on a pine cone.  I’m pretty sure he was laughing at me as he let the little seed hulls fall down to the ground at the base of the trunk, where he already had a sizable pile of them.  I tried to get a shot through the branches but it was difficult.  Finally he threw the pine cone “cob” as I shall call it, almost right at my feet. 

I could presently hear him again rustling up the branches further and caught a glimpse of him way high up and out on a small limb.  He had decided on his next pine cone snack and began to chew it loose.  Once he got it free, he carried it off to continue his happy munching.

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Here he is working on getting the pine cone detached from the branch. Best picture I could get of him. Sorry folks.

​In my mind’s eye I can see the squirrels running wild up and down the oak trees.  I see them flying through the branches high up and then dashing down the trunks to the ground below, bouncing through the leaves like kids and puppies in the fall before scurrying back up the trees. I see them shaking their tails and throwing acorns at each other until they are panting and laughing, slapping their thighs and holding their sides and rolling on the ground, pointing at each other and carrying on some more over who knows what.  Squirrels are funny that way.  I imagine almost anything can be hilarious if you are a squirrel.  Some things only make sense if you are a squirrel too.  Like why they feel the need to chew through the water hose when they could just drink out of the fountain like the rest of the animals.  I have absolutely no idea why they do this.  But then, I’m not a squirrel.  I recently went outside and found water spraying all up in the air in a fine mist in several different directions from said hose and watering the grass in the yard.  Nutty squirrels.  Ok so the ewe lambs will be drinking out of a water pan for now until we can fix that…
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​I remember a few years back when it had been very dry.  It had finally rained that night, and the next morning as I looked outside, I noticed a sprightly little squirrel scamper up through the mostly dead grass.  He stopped near my window and quickly and efficiently dug a hole and buried his nut.  I had never seen that before.  After he had covered it to his satisfaction, he quickly took off again and was gone.  Did he remember he buried it there, and come back for it again later?  Maybe, but then perhaps God made squirrels slightly forgetful on purpose, so some of the nuts would sprout up into trees.  
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“Remember that the mighty oak was once a nut like you!”  I still smile every time I remember how my dad used to say that to me.  We would always both end up laughing.  The funny part about that statement is how true it is.  Everything big once had a small and humble beginning.  Maybe it even got its start with a little help from a forgetful squirrel.  Zechariah 4:10a says, “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin.”  Translation: just because something looks small and insignificant right now doesn’t mean it isn’t full of giant potential.  Also, one should never underestimate either the squirrel or the nut. 

If squirrels had a theme song, I’m quite sure it would be, “The Entertainer.”  I am wholly convinced they make God smile every day with their silly antics.  So the next time you encounter one, take a moment and just watch.  There’s no telling what you might see when you truly open your eyes and… Oh look, there goes a squirrel!