i haven't seen the usual assortment of squirrels dashing around the back yard. i don't think they hibernate as such, but they certainly keep a low profile at this time of year.
for a couple of days tho', as i looked out of my kitchen window to the corner of my yard where it meets the neighbour's fence, i've noticed one of the little creatures huddling beneath the bird house.
it seemed like every time i thought of him, i'd look up and there he'd be.
so still, so sad.
i wondered if he was taking some sort of shelter beneath the bird house;
too cold and weary to trot around looking for his hidden hoards of nuts under the snow.
maybe he was just hungry and had given up?
how long could he go on like this?
this morning as i looked from the window there he was again.
i squinted to see him huddled there,
and i was sad to see that he never seemed to move at all.
later on i went outside to help m.o.h. with the shovelling.
we decided to make a path of sorts approaching our shed.
it's mainly pool stuff in there which we certainly don't need right now but you never know when you might need to get in and get a tool or something.
the air was cool, but not too frigid, quite a lot of snow had fallen again, but it was soft and white and not too difficult to push aside with our shovels.
we worked silently side by side for quite a while,
pushing the heavy shovel loads and banking them either side of the path we made.
it was hard work, but it was good work.
then i remembered.
the little squirrel.
and as i remembered i looked up hoping that he'd be there still and that maybe i could make some kind of connection with the poor little guy.
and out of the corner of my eye, as i raised my head, i saw the outline of his shape.
and then,
as my head came fully up and things came into focus,
i realized that in fact he was just a post on the top of the fence.
i think it's called a finial?
do you think i need glasses?
:-)
(click on the picture to see what i saw)
