Some days when the weather isn’t cooperative, and is cold, breezy and with a heavy hint of winter in the air, a course of action might be to take a nap. This little guy was nestled in a tree nook, the wind buffeting its tail and I watched as its eyes kept closing. Doing its best to nod off even with strong wind gusts and a cold chill in the air. But tomorrow will be another day and with a tummy full from local eats, it might be good to forgot about the weather for a bit, and dream of spring, freshly dug up peanuts in a shell and a warm breeze.
Sometimes when out and about visiting places in Siouxland I neglect some other backyard visitors who stop by to say hello and enjoy some snacks at the same time. The furry little creatures occasionally stop to tell me something but mostly ignore me as long as they find treats in the usual places.
I can’t say we are on a first name basis, but the little critters scamper about and seem to delight in playing tag with one another and making a ruckus after a morning snack. And as spring approaches and the weather doesn’t have a chill in the air, I am certain I will find them about more often, basking in the sunshine and like all of us, glad winter is passing, at least for a few months.
Summer days in Siouxland just aren’t enjoyed by we humans. Visitors to a backyard looking for a morning snack enjoy the shade before the heat of the day sets in and it’s nap time.
As I watch neighborhood squirrels throughout the year it’s fun to watch their antics and for the most part play with one another in backyards. But when it comes to snack time, they are a wary bunch and chowing as fast as they can before any interruption affects their meal time. Be it friend or foe.
With fresh snow on the ground the furry visitors drop by a bit more often, sometimes sitting on the fence chattering, which I interpret as “Can’t you put out a little more for us, please, sir, another serving?” to co-opt a famous line from a favorite seasonal story.
And the forecast predicts some warmer days ahead, and possibly more snow. So backyard neighbors will probably be about again looking for any snack on a cold day, which I certainly don’t fault them for. And, what are neighbors for?
It’s nice to know that even outside one’s door nature sometimes talks to a person in Siouxland. And expresses a local side of themselves one may not often see except when a neighborhood cat passes through, peaking the critter’s ire and it in turn sharing that with the hand that leaves it peanuts from time to time. But as it’s been said, one can choose one’s family but one can choose one’s friends. And the squirrel seemed to be expressing that.
I live in the Siouxland area that encompasses a wide swatch of land in northwest Iowa, northeastern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota. The people that inhabit this area are generous folk and your basic honest, Midwestern people you like to have as neighbors. I explore the area and share observations, mostly photographic, sometimes through video, and and short text. All images and video are copyrighted material of the author.
Jerry Mennenga, Sioux City, Iowa
jerrylmennenga@yahoo.com
lostinsiouxland 