I walk through a city park on my way to and from work everyday. It’s always interesting. The park is mostly surrounded by a university, so there are students arcing footballs across the footpaths, playing guitar, engaging in a game with foam swords and cardboard shields. There is also a solid display of urban wildlife: the hawk that hangs out there pretty regularly, any number of squirrels darting frantically round. Occasionally these two worlds intersect in unexpected ways.
Most recently it was a squirrel eating a cracker. Not just any little cracker, but one of those bright orange peanut butter sandwich ones that comes in a six pack. The ones that are about the same size as a squirrels head, if not larger. I can only imagine what that squirrel was thinking . . .
Whew . . . near miss there. Why do those bikes go so fast anyway. What are they late for? Didn’t that person see me? Oh, over there, a nut. Drat . . . Sammy got it. How is he so fast? Wait, I smell something over there. No there. No up the tree. Maybe down. Where? Nut? Ack! Quick move left – a runner. No she’s going right . . . now left . . . which way do I go? Which way? Okay, back on the grass, deep breath. Geez, they are so human-ly, always darting every which way.
Now, back to that smell. It smells like nuts . . . but something else. It’s getting stronger. What’s that shiny, clear thing. There are words on it – if only I could read. Hey, the smell just got stronger. What’s this next to the crinkly, clear, wordy stuff . . . nuts! NUTS! Definitely peanuts! But . . . I mean I’m not so great with colors but this is a funny looking peanut. Weird shape too. And HUGE! Heavy too; this one’s going to take both hands. Hmm, well here goes nothing . . .
Hmmm . . . salty. Peanut-y. Crunchy too. Not bad. Not bad at all . . .but what is it?
We’re not particularly sure ourselves, little squirrel, not sure at all.
