… sometimes you don’t.
Frosty weather still prevails here in Southeast Michigan, and it was only 23 degrees with a real feel of 12 degrees, when I departed on my walk this morning. By the time I got to Council Point Park, my lips were numb, my eyes were watering and my nose was running from the cold and blustery wind. I hoped I didn’t run into anyone else on the trail, and, luckily I was the only walker once again. I sure knew my squirrel pals wouldn’t care how I looked, that is … if they came around today.
So, who doesn’t remember that catchy jingle for Almond Joy candy bars back in the day? The commercial was a toe-tapping tune that started out with the words “sometimes you feel like a nut … sometimes you don’t.” The jingle left a perpetual ear worm whenever you heard it … to refresh your memory, here is that commercial circa 1977: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JSIRo9DjBA
That little ditty was on my mind this morning upon my arrival at Council Point Park.
While I lack the brilliant mind of the renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who passed away earlier today, this morning I had a revelation. It goes like this:
On Monday, the sky was gray and gloomy looking and we had a blustery 25 degrees. There were no squirrels on the perimeter path for the daily meet-and-greet that has become our morning ritual.
Yesterday, we had the same cold and windy weather, and again it was 25 degrees, however … a pale sun was up in the sky, bathing the Park in a soft light. Though it was just as cold as Monday, a passel of squirrels came rushing over to see me. My thought at first, was they were a little fickle. But this has happened before – one day they’re all over me and the next day, they don’t bother to come down from their nests.
Fast forward to today … for mid-March, it felt a little brutal out there at 23 degrees with a wind chill of 12, and the coldest day of the last three, but, as I started on the trail, those squirrels came scrambling down from their respective trees, a streaming pack of peanut pals, with Parker out front, all racing toward me.
My scientific observations tell me that it has to be the sun that helps lure them out of their respective nests and to ground level. It was a vivid blue sky and a brilliant sun this morning. Perhaps these furry creatures lack enthusiasm and energy on the cold and gray days, much like many of us who live in a four-season climate do. After all, we are all God’s creatures, so why should the non-human species be any different?
It’s good to be curious about how things work and why things happen sometimes.
Meanwhile, I’ve decided until more Spring-like weather arrives, I’ll classify these extra-sunny days as “good shadow days” … today was definitely one of those.
I’ll leave you with this good advice from a genius:
“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” – Stephen Hawking
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Aye! 🙂 We’re in synch!
And, I’m coming to love that li’l rascal! Do keep him well-fed.
Thank you! Cheerz, UT
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🙂 My “like” button is on the fritz suddenly, so consider this reply “liked” Uncle Tree. Parker sure is a sweetie and has me wrapped around his paw.
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So much for a partially brilliant mind. I was proofing this post just before publishing it and saw I misspelled Stephen Hawking’s last name as “Hocking” … I caught it in Preview and forgot to correct it … of course I remembered just now.
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Miss Linda……………………so cute picture of the squirrel………………………….thank you for sharing Mr. Stephen Hawking’s quote………………………….I’m inspired!
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Hi Ann Marie – he was really up close wasn’t he? We were seeing eye-to-eye. This morning it seemed almost tolerable outside as it was 31 degrees. Next Tuesday/Wednesday we are getting snow, according to Paul Gross at Click on Detroit – shovel-able snow. I liked that quote from Mr. Hawking as well. I was inspired by him with such a severe disability and never letting it stand in his way. I felt badly I misspelled his name in the post, but saw it after I published it and went back and corrected it.
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A squirrel came onto my deck this afternoon to steal the birds’ seeds. I looked at him closely and wondered how you recognize Parker. Are his markings any different from that of the other squirrels?
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Hi Anne – First off, my “like” button is not functioning for some reason – it seems to be just on my own blog. Hmmm. Most of the squirrels at Council Point Park are fox squirrels – they do look alike, I have to admit. But Parker, has a few characteristics, not in his looks, but in his actions. There are several squirrels that come right up to you begging for peanuts. They sit on their haunches or come near you and get impatient as you try to open the bag with heavy gloves and they start running in circles. But with Parker, he starts climbing on my shoe or boot right away and then looking up at me. He is the only one who does that. Plus he also does something else unusual and this is why I gave him the name of “Parker” … twice a week I take the car out and, unless I’m doing errands, I take it to the Park. If he sees me getting out of the car, he’ll come running across the parking lot to greet me. I really don’t want him doing that, because I’d be horrified if someone ran him over while I was there. But, sometimes after I’ve fed him, usually at the beginning of the trail, he will go back to the car and be waiting there patiently next to the car for me. Back in late Fall/December, he was living on a nearby street where I walked every day. I got into the habit of tossing him a few peanuts and he started following me to the Park and trailing along behind me. Eventually he no longer lived in the tree on the street, but lives in the Park 100% of the time. I know it has to be the same squirrel as most of them are friendly, but he is over-friendly.
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Thanks for the background on Parker. I’ll keep looking at whatever squirrel comes to my deck and see if there are any identifying characteristics.
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We have some black squirrels at the Park and in our neighborhood. Not many of them at all.
They are so much smaller and quicker than the pudgy fox squirrels. I think they do breed with one another though because some of the squirrels at the Park have splashes of black in their tail or on their face … I had one last year, and I’ll try to find the post to show you – he had a very peculiar look about him and black outlines around his face like he’d been eating black licorice. And he was distrustful of me. The black squirrels in the neighborhood and the Park are not as friendly … in fact I’ve never had one approach me while I’m feeding the fox squirrels. They are skittish and usually run away – perhaps since they are smaller so not as brave?
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give Parker a treat from me please Linda!
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I will do that Wayne – that will give us both a grin. (P.S. – my “like” button is not working for some reason.)
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I understand but it doesn’t stop me from commenting!
Needs a little internet oil me thinks?
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I am always glad for your comments. I read the comments on my blog earlier and did comment to you and also a woman whom I routinely comment with from North Carolina – she asked me how I knew it was Parker as they all looked alike. So I explained to her about his actions and how they are different from the other squirrels. I said the others are friendly but don’t hop on my shoe, or beg for peanuts by looking up at me, and he is always by my side, first one leading the “pack” when I arrive at the Park … 🙂 Now I am going to look at your posts – I saw you had new ones from my e-mail subscription and on Twitter. They changed the name of that site I told you about this morning to “The Nature Conservancy” … I’ve had literature from them in the past.
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Blessed heart! 💖 The squirrel Parker sees you have some much love to give and so much snacks. 😊
Your post just made my day.🔆
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Thank you so much for saying that … he is such a cutie pie and gives me a smile every single time I go to Council Point Park. He is like a faithful pet who is ready to stay by your side whenever he can. 🙂 P.S. – I am sorry I can’t “like” this post – my “like” button is not working for some reason. Consider this post “liked” please.
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That’s ok, your reply surpasses 100 likes.
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Congratulations! I am excited for every new level I get to in my blog. I am not excited that my “like” button still does not work for my own blog – just on other people’s posts.
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Do you think the ‘like’ button problem has something to do with your computer or the theme?
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I’m not sure – I think it has something to do with WordPress though – I’ve not had the problem before yesterday or Friday maybe. Last week, every time I posted a comment on someone’s site (mine was okay), the comment didn’t show up, though people said it was showing up when they looked at their site. I may have to contact the “Happiness Engineers” at WordPress.i
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I had the same problem last night, which made me comment multiple times because my first comment took too long to publish.
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That’s happened to me as well and I did duplicate posts – I wonder what is wrong with WordPress because in the five years I’ve been using WordPress, these problems are just the last week or so?
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WordPress might have upgraded their software. And not all computer processing systems can handle new software. I never had any problems when I was using my laptop. Since the battery died, I’m stuck using my tablet or phone.
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I have a laptop that I bought in 2009. The battery died about five years ago and it is missing a few keys, but runs like a dream. I don’t know why the battery died as I never unplug them. I admire that you can prepare a post with pictures on a tablet … that must be hard. I’ve only got a flip phone! And no tablet!
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It’s very slow. I’m trying to contact Apple to mail me a new battery. Blogging with my phone is frustrating.
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Your eyes will cross if you continue to use your phone, or at the very least you’ll start squinting! Hopefully Apple has the batteries in stock and you don’t have to wait too long as that is frustrating.
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I know!😳 That’s why I might order from Ifixit.com tonight.
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“Like” … sounds like a plan to me!
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Yeah! 😊
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