Natural Friends
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Now that Spring is here there are many changes outside. Gray turns to
green. Snow turns to rain. Cold turns to warmth. Stillness turns to
activity. Animals, our friends in nature, begin to appear. Sounds fill
the air. Not just the sound of a warm wind through the trees but animals
talking.
When you see an animal, what do you think about? Is it their energy, their curiosity, their freedom? Or do you just rush inside after a busy day and ignore them? Did you ever wonder what goes on in the mind of an animal? How do they see the world? What view does that bird have from high above the trees? Why do we think of some animals as pets while we think of others as problems? We need to take a new look. Recently I asked my friends at Opportunity Village to tell me their favorite animal & why. One person said, "My favorite animal is the horse. I collect horses. I have ridden horses before. I like horses because you can ride them and they are so pretty." Another told me, "Elephants are my favorite animal. I used to ride on an elephant when I first went to Wisconsin Dells with my parents for the first time. I really like elephants because they are big animals and they have long trunks and they eat lots of peanuts. I know that Dumbo is an elephant and it just makes (me) think of Dumbo." In his book, Squirrels, A Wildlife Handbook, Long says some uncommon things about this common animal: "The word squirrel...comes from the Greek syllables 'skia' meaning "shadow," and 'oura' meaning "tail." "...highly developed sense of smell...even under...snow..." "...coat is shed twice a year..." "...tail for shade,...balance, warmth, and communications." "...squirrels develop specific lanes of travel. On trunks, through the branches, and from tree to tree..." ""active nests per squirrel...about three..." "Most tree squirrels...survive for up to four or five years..." Go outside and look around. Find an animal and watch it for a while. Watch where it goes, what it does. If you take the time, it will amaze you how much you'll see. And how much you didn't see because you never really looked. Animals. They are our natural friends. Enjoy them. |
Jim Holcombe
Marion, IA