It's Been About A Decade, But I Love Squirrels.

You know, I wrote about this either by E-Update or somewhere here in my past writings, but I love squirrels...In my long runs in, around, & across cities I've called home, starting, I believe, in depth, in Kansas City, squirrels became my constant companions in these meditative dances with Source, nature, urban landscapes, and out-in-the-middle-of-nowhere's everywhere. I have been awed, moved to tears, at times, & have had to stop to laugh my a off as what other people may see as a mere varmint, to me, has been a most amazing, entertaining, hilarious, intelligent, acrobatic, & athletic friend.

Come to think of it, their kind continued the conversation when I got stuck/ended up staying down in Phoenix Metro between 2010 & 2011...the little guys (& females) I ended up calling "desert squirrels." I found out later that other people call them that, too. Desert squirrels added an additional element of hilarity since they're colored like the sand, stand up on their hind legs, are super cute in a way that Midwestern squirrels aren't, & run under & pop up from the ground, if I remember correctly.

I'm sad that, in the moment, I don't remember the worth-telling, almost mystical, experiences I've had with these little dudes...but maybe it's something of an every-handful-of-years cycle for me because in a weird mis-read of the weather Monday, I took off on a Moon Day & ended up getting drenched, toward the end. Earlier on, though, this squirrel comes up on my left, almost in two-step to my one, & almost before he did what he did, I was like, "Showboat." And he parkour'd off a square fence post in order to slightly alter his direction, literally like kicking up in my face, obviously, beating me in speed...& all I saw was the big, bushy tail waving at me. I think at least one car saw me bust out laughing.

And, before I could just call it good, still smiling about the encounter, sprinkles turned to an April shower in November, & I'm doing acrobatics to avoid rivers and ponds forming within minutes on my path.

Here's to being humbled by rockin' squirrels just tryin' to get a nut.