March 6, 2024
We try, here at the Ashbury
household, to be good stewards of the land we’re on, and to be kind to the
critters who come to visit—to chirp or sing or just to take a rest on a branch
or a roof edge. For the last several years—since just after we got our Mr. Tuffy,
in fact—we have been putting out feed for the birds and the cute furry rodents.
At first, we did that because of our little dog, who loved to bark at the
squirrels and chippies. But then we had a couple of bad winters, and so it
became just something that we do.
Of course, since we began
planting our table gardens, our kindness may have come back to bite us in the
butts a little. After all, a couple of years back, the critters saw David
planting what looked like their food in the dirt and had to come and dig them
all out again. But that’s not a bad thing, either. And we took a few protective
measures after that incident so it didn’t happen again.
One of the things I love about
being alive, is that there can be a cute surprise, or a silly moment right
around the corner. Not every day, of course, because too many sweet or funny
moments would really dull their value. But every once in a while, there will be
something new, and I truly adore those moments.
The best thing about those
moments, of course, is that you never know when they’re going to happen. There’s
no warning at all. And no way that they can be predicted. And yes, dear
friends, I know that same sense of…what shall I call it? Propinquity? Cosmic
surprise? Kismet? Well, whatever we call it, I know that same mechanism or
twist of fate can just as easily bring doom or gloom to tragedy.
But this morning, I choose to
focus only on the good and the positive. The cute and the silly.
This morning, I’m at my
computer, going through my morning routine, quite involved in my activity when
I hear a fast, soft tapping on my office window.
Now, a necessary digression.
My desk is directly in front of the only window in my office. It is a double
window—two for the price of one. Of course, I sit in front of my desk—an antique-ish
library desk I purchased years ago at a flea market. And on my desk, blocking
my view out the wonderful window that is on the east side of my house
overlooking the street, stands my computer monitor. I just measured the thing.
It’s 28 inches side to side. I can see a bit of the outside around the edges of
the monitor, but if I want to look out the window I have to stand up and
scrunch in very close.
This morning, when I heard
that fast, soft tapping on my window, I looked down and all I could see was
grey fur.
My immediate first thought
was, “Oh, no! The cat got outside!” That could be a tragedy because he is a
house cat, not a field or a street cat. So I stood up to get a better look, and
stared into the face of a impatient-looking squirrel.
Mr. (or Mrs.) Squirrel looked
right at me for a long moment, then got down.
Did you know that squirrels
can be extremely egocentric and become quite demanding if they perceive they
are not getting their due? I did. I
recall my father-in-law once reporting out that very fact when one of the
squirrels he regularly fed would sometimes come up to the door and natter at
him.
So when I realized it had been
a squirrel who had “knocked” on my window (being smart, he likely saw the
Purolator and Amazon drivers do that to get my attention), I knew what to do. I
left my office and headed straight to my husband. I told him what happened, and
we both laughed. Then he got up to go and put some food into the feeder
attached to the walnut tree.
I also texted my daughter
because she enjoys a funny story, too. I finished my telling of the tale in
that text to her by observing, “I guess there’s no speedy rating for this
restaurant.”
And our daughter proved she has
the same sense of humor as her parents. She replied, and I quote, “…and when
the peanuts finally came, I had to take them out of the shell myself. 2 out of
5 stars. Would not recommend.”
Yes, indeed. I truly love life’s
silly moments. They’re the seasonings that give everything flavor.
Love,
Morgan
http://www.bookstrand.com/morgan-ashbury
No comments:
Post a Comment