I will admit that I have strayed a bit from my “Seize the Day” series of excursions taken in June, but I wanted to share the news of my 10th anniversary of walking and my 60th anniversary of beginning school (gulp); there will be a post to pause and remember the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and then there is Grandparents Day … whew! I’ll resume that series on September 13th. At the rate I am going, I’ll be doing June events through the Fall.
From sad … to mad … to glad.
On August 23rd I had a range of emotions in the span of about a half-hour. Every day that I walk, I try to exit the house with my mind a blank slate – there is way too much clutter in my brain, so I like to give it a rest while I walk and just absorb nature’s sights and sounds, many which end up percolating into a post.
There are a couple of backstories to this cheery chalk art.
On the morning of August 23rd, I was not going straight to the Park as I had to drop my car off. And, speaking of anniversaries, my car will be eleven years old this week and it only has 8,760 miles on it. But, just like its owner, it is sometimes a little quirky – especially lately. For example, the driver’s side window started going down on its own and I was worried it would disappear one day and not roll back up. The air conditioner quit working in June, despite having a charge in August 2020. But the most worrisome idiosyncrasy of late is the door locks. They either don’t open at all on the passenger side, or unlock and/or lock themselves on their own volition on the driver’s side, without any rhyme or reason. Sigh.
Before leaving the house, as has been my practice of late, I set out peanuts and an ice pop on the porch for Two-Tone and her youngsters. Though I’ve not seen Two-Tone in about a month, two solid-black young squirrels, believed to her kin, have beaten a path across the street just as soon as I opened the front door. One of the two squirrels was a little more eager to run across than the other. But both scoped out the door from their nest in the tree across the street. Just two days before, one of them spotted me, then dashed halfway across the street, saw a car, double-backed and went up the utility pole. It was a cringe-worthy sight and a close call. I was sure I could see it shaking like a leaf from my vantage point. I shook my head and wondered aloud “is it time to stop feeding them, or maybe just look for them on the opposite side of the street when I go out before there is an accident?”
Sadly, I was prophetic, because on August 23rd that indeed happened. I no sooner got everything on the porch and one black squirrel scrambled through the front garden and up onto the porch. I scolded it for being careless and said “I have to take the car out – stay here or cross over now, so Linda doesn’t roll over you and please watch for the cars – you almost got killed the other day!”
I shut the door, grabbed the keys and came around the house to open the garage and gasped. I couldn’t miss the black body lying in the street. My eyes misted up and I was sad, not to mention sorry … sorry I started feeding them on the porch, sorry I saw the aftermath of my good deeds.
Then I was mad … mad at the drivers who race up/down the street in a 25 mph zone. One day it will be a child. In the Summer of 1997, I pulled a child out of harm’s way when I was out doing yardwork and saw her ride her tricycle down a driveway into the street and path of an oncoming large truck that was barreling down from Fort Street. I caught her in the nick of time and pulled her by the arm to safety. She was oblivious to what nearly happened; I was upset, but relieved and the truck driver just kept going.
As bad as I felt about this little squirrel, I couldn’t dwell on my furry friend’s demise as I had an 8:00 a.m. appointment and I aimed to walk afterward at the Park and get there ASAP. I had to share the tale, with fellow peanut-dispensing walkers, that the day before two juvenile hawks, working together, were chasing and attempting to nab squirrels, so we all needed to be careful to place peanuts near bushes where the squirrels could take cover easily. That of course, doesn’t mean the squirrels won’t run off to the middle of the Park to bury the peanuts.
I dropped off the car and began to walk home to pick up the bag of peanuts I left hanging on the cellarway railing. Then I indulged myself in a little cry and played the blame game – was it my fault versus the driver’s fault or my furry friend’s fault, who, in its zeal to get peanuts, raced across the street meeting its fate. Obviously no one said to look both ways as was drilled into my brain as soon as I was allowed to walk to school on my own – my mom was hit by a car at age 11 and spent the next four years in the hospital and had 41 orthopedic operations in her lifetime, the result of one careless moment.
So, my heart was heavy and I was still misted up, as I came upon this chalk art.
There is a backstory here as well. Just the day before, I was walking to the Park and a man was sitting on the porch of this home. He had a huge dog, that was panting heavily, sitting next to him. “Morning” I called out and he responded in kind. I stopped and said “you know, I love dogs, but I’m scared of your two dogs, especially this one. I walk by your house most days if I don’t drive and your two dogs see me and lunge at the window, barking ferociously. The big one actually makes the window jiggle. I’ve taken to walking on the other side of the street unless your drapes are closed. But then I would miss the great chalk art which I photograph and use in my blog.” He smiled and said “I will tell her you like the chalk art and she loves doing it.” He added that the dog was a Rottweiler/Shepherd mix and big and yes … scary. We chitchatted about the weather and the neighborhood and before I left I said “perhaps your dog saw us talking and smiling and knows I’m no threat now.” He smiled and told me to have a great day and I went on my way.
Flash forward 24 hours.
I was walking down Pagel Avenue with a heavy heart plus thinking about all the expenses to be incurred with the car, when I came upon the City sidewalk and leading to the front door of this same house. They were filled with colorful chalk art and inspirational messages. I have to assume my compliments were given to the young girl and this is the result … at least I’d like to think that. The chalk art improved my mood immeasurably and I took these photos to memorialize the artwork. The living room drapes were open, so I gave a “thumbs up” to the window since no one was outside. Hopefully the family members, not just the pooches, saw my gesture. I was glad I walked this way, mentioned the artwork – it all kind of came together in a positive way.
Thank you sweetie for your cheer and wise words … they meant a lot to me. And, as for these words “Keep moving forward” in this chalk art …
… the entire quote is below.
“If you can’t fly, then run; if you can’t run, then walk; if you can’t walk, then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” ~~Martin Luther King, Jr.
Linda Schaub
WALKIN', WRITIN', WIT & WHIMSY 
Love the MLK quote – I don’t think I’ve seen that one before. Very helpful words to live by. So sorry about the little black squirrel. I cringe whenever I see a close call on the road and tear up whenever I see a creature dead on the road. My sister and I saw her orange tabby cat, Butterscotch, hit by a car when we were young. I picked him up and he died in my arms while my sister ran home to call our father at work. (We were latchkey kids and his work was closer to home than my mother’s.) It was one of the most traumatic events of my childhood. Good thing Papa dropped everything and came home to comfort us. We felt guilty that Butterscotch was following us to a neighbor’s house. Those feelings are hard to process… We got mad, too, because the driver who hit Butterscotch never stopped. I’m glad your neighbor’s chalk art work encouraged you when you needed it the most. Love the synchronicity there. 💙
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I liked that quote too Barbara. Before I began walking at the Park, my route took me down Emmons Boulevard, a tree-lined street with old and stately homes. There were squirrels galore and I couldn’t look at the street as they’d dash across and cars would go whizzing down the busy street causing many furry friend fatalities. I was glad to discover a less cringe-worthy spot to walk at the Park. I am grateful my neighbor picked up the body – I couldn’t do it and did not want to see the aftermath as time went on. I don’t like to see dead creatures on the side of the road either. When I go to Lake Erie Metropark, it is out in the sticks and there are always raccoons, muskrats and skunks that have hit by cars. There are deer roaming about in late Fall so I don’t go there around November. I am sorry for your orange tabby cat Butterscotch and can imagine how traumatic that would be as a youngster (as well as it would be now). How could the driver not stop with you right there? I know the guilt will eat you up as you play the blame game. Yes, it was nice to see the creative chalk art at that exact time – it lifted my spirits immensely.
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So sad. Locally I worry about the deer, another species that doesn’t look before crossing the road. My friend’s dog got hit because she ran across the street. My friend called her just as a car came around the corner and hit her as she was responding to my friend. My friend had a lot of guilt for a long time. If only she wouldn’t have called. Sorry about your car. They are expensive things even if we rarely use them.
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Yes, I was sorry Kate and I am glad I didn’t see it – I would have felt sick about it. My neighbor saw the body and took it away and I thanked him for that. Your poor friend … I can imagine the guilt she felt. I stay away from Lake Erie Metropark in late October and through November. It is deer mating season and they chase one another out of the park grounds and right into the street. There are many car-deer crashes in that area and in the northern suburbs which are more open and not fenced in like my neighborhood. Yes, the car’s quirks, all at one time, are annoying. I’ve not heard back on the door locks yet. He said four might be difficult to get. By the time you count insurance and upkeep, it does get pricey to keep a vehicle.
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What a lovely post! You know I love chalk art.
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Glad you liked the post Anne – yes, I know you love chalk art and there was plenty of it here, from pictures to inspirational quotes.
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What a range of emotions you had in a short space of time Linda. I hit a squirrel once, and that was traumatic enough. I also hit a dog (a large Golden Retriever) which bounded out of the ditch so fast I couldn’t avoid it, although I tried. This was out in the country on my way to work. I got out, confirmed it was dead, (instantly but an awful sight), then drove into the driveway of the nearest farmhouse, where it had been crossing to. No one was home but there were kids bikes about. When I drove home that night, someone had taken it off the road thank god, but I always worried about those poor kids. Nice that you complimented the artist of the chalk art!
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PS. My dad lost several dogs over the years, killed on the road, but that’s a fact of country life, unless you want to keep them tied up all the time, which is more of a town thing.
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Yes, I can imagine – it is not the same for dogs in the country. I had a young boss once who came into work upset one morning that he had killed a dog and the woman was sobbing when he left her and still holding the dog. He was still pretty upset about it.
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Most country dogs are allowed to roam free, unless they tend to attack people. My dad’s dogs would cross the road from one farm to the other, but they usually checked the traffic, until they got too deaf and couldn’t hear it coming. My dad lost one of his favorite dogs because my brother had gone across the road to chop wood in the back bush and the dog had gone with him. That same night the dog ended up dead on the road, the car did stop and the lady was very upset, but my brother also blamed himself, as the dog was not known for ever leaving the farm before. My dad was really shook up too, as it was his favorite Golden Retriever, although he had others later. Our childhood dog was also killed on the road, but he was 15.
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That’s too bad as your family pets had just one moment where they had a lapse in judgment and lost their lives because of it. Following your brother on a whim. Another blogger said their cat followed her and her sister when they went to a neighbor’s house and was hit by a car. They, like your brother, had the same guilty feeling. I had a young boss years ago and he came into work quite upset. He said “I had my first domestic kill and the woman was sobbing because I hit and killed her dog.” I read stories in the neighborhood forum on Facebook where people are walking their dogs (small dogs mostly) and a pit bull is on the loose and mauls their pet in front of them. They are often injured in trying to rescue their pet. I read those stories and cringe. I remember your childhood dog in the picture with your siblings at the roadside stand. Have you gone fishing yet?
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He’s one who got killed on the road, but thankfully we were at school and my dad had him buried by the time we got home. He lived to be 15 but was deaf by then, and a bit crotchety. He used to go across the road to my gramma’s place, but we had more traffic on the road by the time he was old, which is why he got hit. I’m not a fan of big dogs in town, as I think they should be allowed some freedom but that is the downside/price. In town, the rule is you must have your dog on a leash, although some of my neighbours don’t follow that. We only have one off leash dog park and there is ongoing controversy about that. No fishing yet, but my brother has been night fishing several times. I’m afraid of the mosquitoes, and always too tired by the time he goes out. He says the fish bite better than. Hopefully we can go sometime during the day, now that it’s cooler out. I still don’t have a post ready, but will probably do a garden recap when I do. Trying to get stuff done before the Delta variant hits here now that the kids are back in school.
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That’s really too bad about your dog you grew up with Joni. Our last dog, a poodle, dug a hole under the fence and went roaming the neighborhood on its own. This was the year before we moved here. Someone had put out rat poison in hamburger as there were a few stray dogs in the neighborhood and Peppy ate it and came home foaming at the mouth. My mom called my dad at work and they had him euthanized before I got home from school. We never had dogs after that. I hope you get to go fishing and I do not like the mosquitoes either – we have two types causing two types of diseases right now. I have been doing errands galore for the same reason. I have one more load of pantry items to get in and I’m done for the Winter – that was a job and a half. No word from the car on the buttons/locks yet. They said four may be tough to find. I’m going to walk to CVS Pharmacy tomorrow and get my flu shot and part 2 pneumonia shot. Then that’s it for a while until the furnace guy comes for the check-up and still wavering on the dentist in October. I’ll do the last grocery shopping on a weekday – less people there.
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We don’t start flu shots here until late October. I’m expecting the furnace guy for a checkup on Monday – I hope they remember, as I expected them mid-August and they had cancelled the apptment and not told me! I had waiting around for them period. Are your Covid stats bad as you are worried about the dentist? or are you just expecting them to be bad by then? We had sudden wind and rain around 5 tonight and it lasted about ten minutes and then the sun came out! But it does feel fallish to me. Lately, I’ve been watching Blue Jays baseball at night, so I haven’t been getting any blogs done. I hope they make the playoffs.
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I’ve been getting the flu shot since 1975 when I began allergy shots (it was available there at the office) and have continued since then. I always got it mid-October, then the last few years (before COVID), they recommended getting it by mid-September as flu season starts in October. One year my mom and I got it the day after Labor Day and were told by another doctor to get it again in the Spring. So I Googled Tuesday and they still said now is fine. I called CVS to ensure they had the pneumonia vaccine and whether to book an appointment – last year I just decided to get it when I got the flu shot. They said no appointment necessary and they had the flu shot and had been administering it the last two weeks. So I got it this morning – this afternoon I heard “get your flu shot before Halloween” … oh well, I’m intending to wear a mask outside until this pandemic is over, so last year they said very few people got the flu due due to everyone wearing masks. So as to the pneumonia shot … she said it is too early and to wait until month end. So, yes – I was aggravated as I got the flu shot the same time last year and both on the same day. Grrr. I was getting it today as they give it in the muscle, as you know, and I had yardwork to do this weekend, putting the yard ornaments etc. away for the season and weeds … lots of them. Now it will be very hot on Sunday though. We’re having a hot September so likely more storms. So I didn’t want a sore arm and it would give it a few days before having to use it. So much for that. Yes as to both of your questions re: the dentist appointment. Our stats are high in Michigan and hospitalizations and deaths going up – yes the unvaccinated but still there are breakthrough cases. And I had the Moderna shot which they are now saying is the better of the two mRNA shots. But I figure, like you, with kids back to school and we have loads of kids with COVID now just since starting school last week or this wee. The ones under 12 years old who cannot be vaccinated are the bulk of them. If I had a kid, I’d keep it home as virtual learning is available for all the schools … you just pick what you want, in-seat or virtual. So, this is the first time I’ve had dental insurance since I went off COBRA (I stayed on COBRA for a year after Robb/I left the Firm, then got my own insurance – the agent said “don’t get optical or dental – it’s cheaper to just put money aside.” So I can’t go before the six-months are up or I have to pay. I am enjoying this cool weather too – it’s a treat after the heat and humidity all Summer.
There is a fellow blogger, Laurie, who said she was going on a blogging break in early June and will not be returning until October. She/husband are retired and they visited her sister in Cape Cod, all their kids who live out of state, then went to Alaska on vacation. Now they are going to England/Ireland – London, for the London Marathon. Wow! So enjoy your break for now, then do your garden post when you get time.
I hope the Blue Jays make the playoffs. When the team was formed, my grandmother saved me some commemorative items – some came free with the newspaper, others she bought, so I could be a fan from afar. I thanked her, but was worried to wear them over here, except under a coat. We’ve had people get injured as they were wearing another team’s swag.
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I guess it depends on when flu season starts in your area, but with the flu stats so low last year, and this year too probably, I don’t think it matters when you get it. I haven’t signed up for my pneumonia shots yet, although I believe they are covered now that I’m older. Same with the Shingles vaccine. Our stats are still pretty low here, but the kids just went back, so time will tell. That’s a lot of travelling for your blogger friend – she must be comfortable with it. I don’t think I’ll be taking that long a break. I would be afraid I’d never go back. I’m behind in Reader a few days, due to watching the baseball at night. Today they played a double-hitter. The Blue Jays were losing tonight in the second game, with no hits at all, and just pulled ahead in the very last inning, and now it’s 5-1 for them against Baltimore. They are the come back kids. I hope they get a spot in the Wild Card too. I can’t believe you would get injured for wearing BJ swag, but I know Detroit Tiger fans are passionate about their team. That swag your grandma bought might be worth something now. I was in Toronto for a work conference in 1994?092? when they won the world series and had the parade after, and it was crazy.
God, it’s now 8-1 for the Jays and only one out – in the last inning. Unbelievable! Like I said, the come back kids.
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The Detroit Lions (football) played their first game with a new coach and quarterback and lost. Their quarterback (Matt Stafford) after 12 or 13 seasons asked to be traded at the end of last year, but they were famous with Matt at the helm, for being called “The Cardiac Cats” as they would do well, then falter badly, then rally back at the very end of the game. They still didn’t make the playoffs. This new coach is a little out there – he comes in saying “I’m changing everything” … all the swagger and bravado so they lost today and lost all three pre-games too. I don’t have any of the Blue Jays swag anymore as I outgrew it. And I think I did wear the cap outside for protection from the sun doing yardwork – but would not wear any team or school-related things to go out in public. A few years ago, I think it was an NFL game that someone beat up a fan for wearing a sweatshirt from another team. He was injured badly. My grandmother saved me something that came as an insert in “The Toronto Star” – it was some type of hat you put together with slotted pieces and said “I am a Blue Jays fan” and a sign to hold up. She got the teeshirt in a smaller size. I always liked them bigger fitting. For the 5Ks I always get a large to have extra room in it and if it shrinks. As for Laurie – she is still reading other’s blogs and commenting on them while on her blogging break and only intended to take a month or so off and is now not returning to it until after the London/Ireland trip later this month.
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Yes, too many Joni. I was reeling by them to be honest. I have stopped feeding the squirrels/birds altogether now at the house, though the remaining black squirrel has come around with a plaintive look on its face. I didn’t give in. I’ve not hit anything yet, but on one street, Emmons Boulevard, there are lots of trees, a canopy over the street practically and lots of squirrels and squirrel fatalities. That’s sad about the Golden Retriever – I’ll bet you were shook up with the whole incident. I’m glad someone took it off the road and hopefully the kids didn’t see it first. I was glad my neighbor took away the body and I didn’t see it again. I am glad I complimented the chalk artist too.
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the problem is not that you are feeding them Linda,It’s cars. Cars have killed more humans and animals than any other single machine! Each night thousands of Skunks,Porcupines,Deer etc are killed by cars. So take heart that you do far more good with your actions!
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Wayne – when I go out to Lake Erie Metropark, it is out in the sticks and I see a lot of raccoons, skunks and muskrats as I near there. It turns my stomach to see them. I don’t visit from late October through November as it is deer mating season and they are chasing one another out of the park and into the street. I’d rather not see a deer getting killed, nor be on the receiving end of a deer/car ram either. My boss had a friend who was driving home from his cottage up north when a buck ran into the front of his SUV on the expressway. The head/antlers crashed through the front windshield and its head was in the front seat. The front-end damage was extensive, blood from the deer’s cuts was all over and the car was totaled. I know you are right, but I feel guilty, just like if I offer peanuts on the path and a hawk comes by to grab one of my furry friends.
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Well, one never knows the full impact of our actions Linda? We do the best we can with what we have. As long as your heart is in the right place you can never go wrong.
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Yes, follow your heart -you are 100% correct Wayne.
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I love everything about this.
Sorry about your furry friend. I feel terribly sad when I see a dead animal by the side of the road.
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Thank you Sarah. I always feel lucky when I come upon some chalk art and this time the discovery came at the right time. I felt terribly sad as well – I still do when I see the remaining black squirrel and I still have not seen Two-Tone which I find odd. So essentially that other squirrel is an orphan. When I drive out in the country, it’s not uncommon seeing dead animals. It’s sad and I know some people are speeding and wouldn’t be able to stop, nor would they.
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Miss Linda…………………..I enjoyed your “Sad, Mad, Glad” story…………………..thank you for sharing MLK’s quote…………………………………you are enlightening to me!
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Thank you Ann Marie – that was a wonderful quote and I know you love chalk art as well. It brightened my mood after my sad morning for sure.
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That is so sad Linda but it wasn’t your fault. The chalk artwork is so inspirational. That is unbelievable how little mileage you have on your car. Just remember what I always tell people, paying for repairs is cheaper than making payments. Have a great day and keep smiling!
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I tell myself that and yesterday or the day before, the one remaining squirrel came through the garden and onto the porch. I didn’t give in and felt so badly. I don’t want to encourage the trips across the street. People speed all the time, so I wish I hadn’t started. This was really creative chalk art and inspirational when I needed it most. I agree with you Diane – the other day I heard on the radio that buying a new car when the new models come out at the end of this month, expect to pay $40,000.00 for it. I was amazed at that. I got my car the end of the model year. I don’t want to be buying a new car for a long time and worth the repairs, but did all the wacky things had to happen at one time? You do the same Diane. We have a bad storm rolling in this evening. I am so ready for Fall!
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So sad about your little squirrel buddy, Linda! It certainly was not your fault. I have a sad squirrel story to share too – Bill and I were running in town the other day when I saw a dead squirrel on the lawn of a local manufacturing plant. Upon closer examination, it was a dead Mama squirrel and 4 dead babies! I wonder if they got blown out of a tall tree during our brush with Ida.
Thanks for sharing the chalk art. I love the encouragement and inspiration.
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Thanks for your vote of confidence that it was not my fault Laurie. As an animal lover, I felt just sick to see it just minutes after I’d interacted with my little pal and essentially lured it to cross the street by placing peanuts on the porch. Thankfully my neighbor took the body away. I would be sad to see the dead Mama squirrel and 4 dead babies too. You’re probably right as those winds were so strong, the entire nest lifted right out of the tree. Mother Nature is so cruel sometimes.
I took some photos of one of the hawks that are preying on the squirrels at the Park and I pray I never see one nabbed after I fed it. I had a close call one time. Anyway, I called that hawk a few choice names and it was unfazed by my presence and I got within 5-6 feet away from it. I like the chalk art too and this had great inspirational messages. There won’t be much chalk art going forward … homework will be hogging up a lot of free time.
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I wonder if that hawk is sick or hungry. It is VERY unusual that a red tail would allow you to get that close. The only hawk I have ever gotten that close to was sick. I wound up calling an animal rehabilitator I know. She captured the hawk and took it to a vet for treatment. I believe it was released into the wild eventually. (If I remember correctly).
Too bad about the homework! I bet the kids would rather play with chalk.
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Well I was able to get very close to it and when it took off, it went like a shot off that fence and circled around the area, then landed in a tree. Perhaps the wind made it stay in a perching place it felt more comfortable in.
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A sad reality of mankind and wild animals living in the same space. Personally, it feels like mankind needs to take responsibility for limiting what leads up to the interactions because the animals don’t know any better! In some Canadian cities, they have had an influx of wild rabbits. Some people fed them, some people thought that was a bad idea. When the fat and happy rabbits got to a critical mass, the coyotes moved in. The coyotes started to depopulate the rabbits, but also took out small pets too. In the city near us, bobcats moved in too. Bobcats can go over fences that coyotes can’t. Small pets were not safe in their own backyards. Coyotes and bobcats will probably move back to the country when the rabbit population is gone. Remains to be seen if people learned anything about why it is not a good idea to feed wild rabbits!
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Amazing about the rabbits Margy. We have had coyotes in the neighborhood the last few years because there is construction for new highways causing woodsy areas to be ripped out. I understand coyotes in rural areas, but not in suburban neighborhoods. They, too, were going after small dogs and warnings went up to watch your pets. I saw an interesting story on “Sixty Minutes” a few years ago about how cougars were invading neighborhoods as their wooded areas where they lived were undergoing construction. One got into a basement crawl space and was sleeping there. It never attacked the homeowner and she was pretty horrified to discover it there
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So many emotions, Linda, you’re in my thoughts. It’s nice to see the positive chalk messages mixed in as you worked through your thoughts. As you know, the 23rd was a sad day for me too, and I felt your kindness and support from afar. xoxo
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Thank you Shelley. Because I don’t have pets, I do lavish a lot of attention and love on my furry friends, so it was upsetting to see it right after I fed it. And that morning you were on my mind and your sad task plus another fellow blogger in NC, who was going to an eye specialist to have a needle inserted into her eye as she had developed macular degeneration. It was the first time for this procedure that morning. My mind was cluttered with many sad thoughts that morning.
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Aw, Linda, your heart is so beautiful – I can’t thank you enough for your support and sympathy. I’m sorry I wasn’t here to read your post that day. I hope your sadness has lessened over time. Hugs to you xoxo
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Thanks Shelley – it has lessened; thankfully it was not a family pet, but I felt guilty for being the direct cause of it.
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Aw, I don’t believe that you weren’t the direct cause of it.
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Thank you Shelley … I stopped altogether and feel horrible for doing so. I can’t stop at the Park because I don’t want to see 15-20 furry (and feathered) faces giving me looks, but I also enjoy feeding them there and taking photos of them.
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Aw…
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I guess shutting them off caused them to stop visiting altogether. I feel badly … I’m a bleeding heart as you know.
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Yes, you’re a bleeding heart – so kind and generous. They may just be eating and storing up the acorns – i.e., natural reasons not associated with you?
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That could be too. I hate seeing those hawks gliding overhead. It was more normal yesterday and today which makes me think a hawk was out and hopefully didn’t nab one of them. It was just too quiet.
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Gosh, sometimes we have those days when everything seems to spiral downwards. But the conversation you had with your neighbor was heartwarming and so honest! It was beautifully written again and got goosebumps at the end. I hope the chalk artist knows her work is admired by many!
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Yes, everything came together and it was as if I knew it was coming with that one squirrel in its mad dash across the street. I should have not started. The chalk artist DOES know about her work being featured in this blog post. I left a card with my blog site info on the day it posted on their porch. I saw the gentleman and he got the info and yes she was happy to see her chalk art!!
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I can imagine the big smile and satisfaction from the chalk artist! It’s inspirational to see your work featured and admired by others.
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Yes, I agree with you, plus to unabashedly put it out there for all to admire.
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Oh yeah!! You made that person’s day and boosted her confidence.
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A sad post, LInda. That reminded me of the time I scooped a little girl off a street. She just toodled along and had no concept of traffic I think. I jumped of my bicycle and held out my hands to the cars behind me and collected the kid. Turns out, the mum had just left her with her older brother on the playground back of the house but the gates towards the streets were open … One moment … That hunted me for days. What if I had not jumped off that second? What if the cars hadn’t stopped? …
Don’t feel guilty about the squirrel (altough I would as well). Maybe see how many made it through winter with your help. You cannot be there for all, all of the time.
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Yes, you are right about the squirrel. I would have felt badly seeing it laying in the street but felt even worse as I had just seen it two minutes before. I did feel somewhat responsible, but you are correct – I have saved many more from starvation. I feel the same way about this little girl. She was too young to out in the street. Her parents said they were in the house watching the news … Princess Diana had been killed the night before.
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