Tag: squirrels

(2023) The Valley of the Acorn King…

Wiwohka4 Comments

(Even though I may love our little apartment, I still miss that park, the squirrels, and even that silly old broken down R.V.)

I choose my local park, hands down, as my favorite place!

While I’m sure the local squirrels love anyone who gives them peanuts, I choose to believe that they love mine the best. Due to my absolute love and fascination of these small ones, my husband has now moved to buying Biggie size bags of peanuts… it has become my mission to ensure full tummies and fluffy tails through the cold months.

Most days you will find me walking along the path with a string of boisterous chatterboxes darting between my feet. These little ones show no fear whatsoever… only excited anticipation of the treats they know to be forthcoming.

I’ve become so fond of these fluffy characters, stories began to form in my mind of their miniature world. In a way, a squirrel’s life is much less complicated than a humans… but is it really? In other ways, the life of these tiny creatures is far more harsh than ours is… but is it really? Writing stories for squirrels using human nature as the reality of their social structure is rather easy.

The park is massive, holding 4 large sports fields used in the warmer months, a large Tennis court that keeps busy nearly all year long, and multiple trails running through several playgrounds and down all along the White River. For a smaller community, this park gets a great amount of use, and a great amount of care. The city puts forth a great amount of effort to maintain and care for this place and that makes my heart happy.

Living in a house with wheels means that we may not always be in this particular location, in close proximity to such a beautiful and peaceful place. For me, the beauty and peace are not limited to just one place… no matter where our wheels come to rest, God always gives me a park and/or a trail to walk… always! Here’s the tricky part… I have to be looking.

It’s rather funny that I’ve known about this park for years and never walked it’s paths. I lived in this very same city over 10 years ago… not 5 blocks from where we are at the moment, never once walking beneath it’s trees. I wasn’t looking… but I am now! In a way I suppose that God has used this park, and these creatures to work part of His healing in my wounded spirit. This is a wonderful part of nature that draws me to return time and again… I see my Fathers hand everywhere my eyes look. From the smell of the earth, to the sounds of the world around me… from the antics of the squirrels to the laughter of the children playing… From the warmth of the sunshine to the bitter cold of winter… I see His hand in all of it.

Long story short, the local park is my Jam…

Here, have a cookie…

These were gifted to us by Acorn Valley’s most talented royal Chef, Rollina MutterNut.

(March 2023) Hey Bob

Wiwohka5 Comments

So, here is a funny story!  I love the outdoors and if I can help it, I am out there as much as possible.  I make an effort to take a walk nearly every day, and I have a route that I have used for some time now.  I do a good amount of thinking on these morning jaunts, as I call them.  Sometimes it can be very productive, but at other times, I let my mind just wander to relax.  On one of these such relaxing mornings, I hatched a plan, that in my mind, would be very funny to any that were involved.  I have a great many squirrels that I encounter on a regular basis, and I was going to recruit them for this idea.

I came up with a plan to simply begin saying hello, out loud, to every squirrel I encountered and give each a random name, as if I actually know them.  I thought that if I did this, eventually, the passersby that frequently saw me, would begin to think that maybe I knew the squirrels.  I could simply wait for the time when someone would stop me to ask how I knew all of the squirrels names, and I could then say, “Oh no, I have no idea, I just thought it would be funny”. I didn’t say that it WOULD be funny, I just imagined it would be funny.

The next morning, I headed out onto the trail, thoroughly tickled with myself, for what I thought would be an extremely funny idea.  Honestly, I giggled to myself all the way down the block as I began looking for my first unwitting participant (a squirrel, that is).  I got about a half hour into my trek, playing over and over in my head how it would play out, and then I spotted a squirrel.

I learned two things that morning.  Number one, I discovered that, apparently, a lot of squirrels share the name Bob.  Number two, Peanuts!  I should have brought peanuts.  My recommendation is that we not engage in conversation with wildlife, unless we bring some sort of food offering.  I think someone else may have been conditioning these guys way before I ever thought up my ridiculous idea!

Here is how it went down…I saw the squirrel, I approached confidently, thinking how funny this was gonna be, I called out, “Hey Bob”, and before I knew it I was being chased down the trail by three hungry squirrels.  I felt like it happened in slow motion…lol…I spoke, our eyes connected, they looked hungry, I had nothing but a coffee tumbler and a tissue, Coffee over Heathens I say!   I did not care how absolutely ridiculous I must have appeared to onlookers.  I actually think I may have laughed out loud at myself, but I did not care!  I walked a different route for two days after that to let them forget me hopefully.

I still see the same three squirrels on the trail regularly, and the accusation is still there on those furry little faces… Where Are OUR Peanuts!!!!

Just call us The Lost and Founder’s…

Wiwohka7 Comments

Well, we did it! It’s all a bit of a blur, if truth be told. Two days of wandering in search of our lost troll, while simultaneously wrangling a passel of wild babies behaving as if they’re on holiday, nearly drove me crazy! It’s a miracle that none of them are hanging by their shirt collars from random trees within the forest. I’m not terribly proud of having the urge to hang them from the branches, but come on! Even the best of grown-ups have their limits, am I right?!

Besides, even if I tried to hang them from the branches, they’ll simply squirrel their way out of it. Get it? Squirrel their way…

I thought it was hilarious, but I guess you’d have to be there. And, I’ve heard it said that if I have to explain it, then it wasn’t that funny. Well, at least Squagon thought it was funny!

Anyways, while I was running through the forest chasing Bailey, who was chasing Osrig, who was hunting a dragonfly… the ever faithful camel went and found our missing troll, Peanut.

Eustace is the hero of the day!

He tracked down the location of my grandson’s old house, and found Peanut’s hiding spot under the wooden bridge, nearly tripping over our missing troll. After making proper introductions, Eustace and Peanut packed up all of the trolls tiny treasures, and then returned to our camp.

While I had basically wasted a full hour, making futile attempts at regathering all of my wild ones, Eustace had used his brain. In his camelly wisdom, Eustace started cooking breakfast, which is what I should have done in the first place! And yes, I did say camelly, because it sounded cute!

Breakfast!

What a silly thing to have overlooked. How could I have forgotten that food works like magic for this crew? It was a rookie mistake, if I’m being fully honest. Well, you can’t expect me to remember everything, really. That’s quite a lot to keep up with, wouldn’t you say?

Well, it doesn’t really matter anymore, now that we’re all safely back at camp. We’ll stay a second night before heading back to the ship, in order to let everybody get to know young Peanut, as well as, calming the little guys nerves.

It must be quite an adjustment to go from isolation and solitude, to suddenly being the center of attention. It must be very confusing, and a little frightening for Peanut. Though I’m sure he remembers me, it was my grandson that first befriended the troll. Another night around the campfire will give him time to get more acquainted with everyone.

My first thought was to take him all the way to my grandson’s new home, but it wasn’t my decision. I desperately want to make things right for Peanut, but am I choosing for myself, for my grandson, or for Peanut? What might he want?

Perhaps, when my grandson moved away and left Peanut behind, the tiny troll felt it was his own fault. What if he still felt hurt, at being unwanted or merely forgotten? I can certainly understand those feelings, but what if he didn’t want to come back to the barn with us, either? What then?

What if Peanut doesn’t need me? If the troll wants to go somewhere other than the barnyard, am I willing to help him find a different home? I write all of the time, regarding the things I do, the things I desire, and the things I strive to do… but sometimes, it’s not about me, is it?

Sometimes, in order to truly love another, we must make choices for their betterment, without expecting any payment or reward, nor any recognition at all! It isn’t easy, often hurts, and seemingly makes no valuable sense… but it’s still the right thing to do!

So, today shall be a new beginning for Peanut, and hopefully for us as well, if he chooses to come back to the barnyard. We will be spending another night here, sitting around the firelight, sharing love, light, and laughter with the little guy. But we’ve still a whole day ahead of us. Questions of where he wants to go, can wait until tomorrow.

For now, maybe there’s something to all this running around in the forest, chasing one another. Maybe I’ll join in the chase this time… or better yet, maybe they’ll chase me…

Barnyard Business…

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The mood around the barnyard this morning is rather sad, with a number of hugs and tissues being handed out among all the little ones. It’s literally a tearful and snotty mess in the barn!

Remember me telling you that story about how all the squirrels in Acorn Valley were gone? When I questioned those ravens about it, all they gave me was a very cryptic song that I was expected to decipher. Well, it turns out that due to problems within their own kingdom, the Acorn King and all his kingdom were forced to accept help from the Pinion Kingdom… you know, Lady Ophelia’s kin from the southern woods.

You may be asking how I came to know this information, and in truth, I didn’t even know that, until I arrived at the barn this morning. Let me explain…

Early this morning, a large armada of stern looking squirrels, all dressed in royal guardsman uniforms, arrived at our barn door. They bore the insignia of House Pinion upon the breast pocket of each of their uniforms, so I knew right away who they were! An older, and seemingly high ranking squirrel, stepped forward and handed me an official looking piece of paper. Awkwardly, I broke the tiny wax seal and opened the letter. As I did so, I noticed a very subdued and sorrowful looking Squagon standing between two heavily armed Squirrel Guards. I didn’t even need to read the contents of the letter to understand what was happening… I’d just been given orders to release him to his mother’s kin, House Pinion!

I knew this day might come, but quite honestly, I thought we’d have more time together… and I certainly didn’t expect him to be taken all the way south to his mother’s family. The suddenness of things was rather shocking, and all of the babes were a wreck… especially Squagon, the poor little thing!

Helplessly, we all just stood and watched as they marched him away, though I will tell you that I sent Brutus straight away, to secretly follow them all the way back to Pinion Valley. He’ll make sure that nothing bad happens to Squagon… at least nothing physical, anyway. The dragon will watch over young Squagon!

With Brutus watching over him, I do not fear for the little squirrel on his outsides. Though it pains me to think about it, sometimes dangers and injuries can come from within the heart, where one must rely upon themselves to overcome. He may be a young one, but I do know that Squagon is quite smart and has a stout heart!

For now, while Brutus does what he must do for Squagon’s sake, I too have much work to do, here in the barnyard. Teaching the babes how to cope with loss is not something I’m looking forward to doing, but it needs doing, none the less.

Now don’t worry too much, as Brutus has everything in hand with young Squagon… and we’ll be getting regular updates on how things are going for him with his kin. He is a very brave young squirrel, and I would be ashamed to let him see us blubbering on about the situation. We must be strong for Squagon, so that he knows his barnyard family will be here, when he returns.

I think I will use today’s classroom time for writing letters to Squagon, telling him how much everyone loves and misses him. Perhaps, with Brutus carrying notes back and forth between all of us, the distance will not seem so great. While I’m not certain of when, I am confident that we shall see Squagon again, soon.

While the squirrel might be bigger, older and a bit changed when he returns, he will forever be our tiny furry baby with funny wings, all wrapped up inside a walnut shell.

Uh Oh… we’re all out of tissues! I gotta go get more before Miss tilly starts blowing her nose on the sleeve of her dress… ewww!