Nuts!
Such comical little beings, squirrels. Chatter, chatter, chatter as they bounce around from one branch to another.
Tig was the name I gave the squirrel who came daily to our yard to receive his supply of nuts, bread crusts, sunflower seeds and other treats. He was quite a friendly little guy, maybe because he was so grateful for the food we provided to make his life a little bit easier.
We became better friends over the months we lived on this particular street and he made me laugh and smile every day. I went for a run most days and he always seemed to know when I was coming home because he would wait for me at the end of the complex where we lived, running down the fence beside me to wait at the corner of our yard. He ate from my hand and in fact once came onto my stomach while I was sitting in my chair enjoying the sun. I placed the seeds on my tummy and he comfortably sat there while he ate, his tiny little feet barely noticeable on my flesh. I could tell many stories about Tig, but these two are my favourite.
In the summer I spend as much time as possible outside, and this particular day we were sitting on the deck enjoying a cool drink while our dog, Hawk, was laying on the grass under the shade of the tree. Then along comes Tig. He scampered all around the yard, up the tree and back down again. Hawk didn’t pay him much mind, falling in and out of sleep. He would never harm another animal, although he would be upset had Tig threatened his personal food supply.
While enjoying this dynamic we were completely taken by surprise when Tig hopped right up to Hawk and kissed him on the nose, then scampered on his merry way. Hawk opened his eyes, watched him go and then fell back to sleep. It was wonderful to see this display of trust between what could be considered natural enemies.
Maybe this unusual show of affection was the result of Hawk inadvertently sharing his fur with Tig. After brushing Hawk one day I neglected to gather up his fur and so I was quite amused when I later witnessed Tig bundling the fur into his mouth and scampering to his little nest home. It was pretty cute to watch him running down his highway fence with a big ball of white fur in his mouth, looking every bit like a snowball. After seeing this I brushed Hawk every day to leave more fur for lining Tig’s nest. Cooperation between two animals….aided by human awareness.
Another time on a cold winter day I was sitting in the kitchen window doing some beadwork when Tig came down his fence highway toward our house. He went into the tree to get some nuts or bread yet when he came closer I could see his furry tail was half missing. I put on a sweater, slipped on my sons extra large shoes and went out with a handful of nuts to console him. He came over to where I stood and took a nut from my open hand. I softly asked him what had happened and while he pulled apart the shell to eat his nut he began to tell me.
All the while he was hiccupping and sniffing while he chewed. We were both shivering from the cold and it was obvious that he was very upset. I had never seen him behave like this as he always bubbled with happiness. In my mind I felt he’d had a recent narrow escape from a dog or cat and while he managed to escape, his tail had lost much of its bushiness. That was the last time I saw him and feared the worst. We had other squirrels come to visit, but none were as friendly as Tig, he was one of a kind. A beautiful little soul who never failed to light up my day.
Squirrels hop around the forest planting acorns which then become seedlings. They are helper friends of the forest and the trees give them shelter. They seem to have an unlimited supply of energy and playfulness, which is always entertaining to watch when out for a walk. They are food to many birds and animals and so their existence helps to sustain the natural balance. The smallest of packages can indeed hold the greatest gifts.
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