An "Ordinary" Day

As I pull out of the hospital parking lot, all the errands that need done this late afternoon are rushing around in my head. Which do I do first?  If I do such-an-such first, then the other place might be closed.  Oh my!  I'm running late.  Why was today like today?

I hate running errands after work.

I love going straight home to the comfort and solitude of my  house.  I need a  time of quiet  - of rest.  You know - hit the couch and put my feet up before I face the evening. 

A block from the hospital there he is . . . . . . 
the squirrel.

Squirrel Alert !! (Never Give Up)

Yesterday on my way to work,
I saw a squirrel trying to precariously
walk on TOP of the snow. 

I'll just say. . . . .   It was NOT going well. 
I know this may sound cruel - but I smiled. 
Well . . . OK!  I lied.  I laughed.  Out loud.

Reminded me of the saber-toothed squirrel, Scrat,  in "Ice Age". 

He is constantly putting his life in danger to hunt, obtain and protect his acorns  - for his future.


He invariably ends up in humorous or painful situations:

- struck by lightning,

- pursued by avalanches,

- stepped on by a mammoth

- repeatedly knocked unconscious.
- resuscitated just before entering
    acorn Heaven. 
- causing a volcanic eruption because of his
    method of trying to bury his acorn. 

He usually ends up losing. 

Yet !!  He never gives up.

I think that's why I love Scrat so much. 
He NEVER gives up! 
NEVER!

He fights all the EXTREME elements known to man and just keeps going. 
Undaunted in his sole task of collecting his acorns.

As I wrote in a October 18, 2009 post, while watching the squirrels in my own yard
 frantically and furiously gathering black walnuts while dodging the dogs: 

Fall 2009 - Sabotaged?

As I said about 3 weeks ago,
I love Fall !
The leaves turning colors
The crunching sound they make under my feet.
The burgundy and rust colored plumes of the
tall prairie grasses waving in the breezes.
The cold mornings
The sunny days
The birds gathering into flocks; instinctively
being drawn south.
The pelicans resting on Milford Lake; gathering strength
for the remainder of their journey to the Gulf.

The squirrels frantically furiously gathering black walnuts
in the yard; precariously dodging the dogs
in anticipation of the coming barrenness.

For some strange reason, these squirrels have reminded me of a quote by Malcolm Hancock. I don't know why, but it just came to me as I was sitting here typing; "If you're not outraged, you're not paying attention."