Our Animal Friends
Since winter is now settling in, I just wanted to post a reminder to all of you to please be kind to our animal neighbors. Leave out some peanuts, seeds, other nuts or corn or leftover fruits or even bread or crackers for them this winter. We have been putting assorted food out into a feeder we made and attached to our fence near a tree some squirrels live in. Last year, we had 4 squirrels that would regularly make their rounds and share in the food items left out by us and some of our neighbors. This year, I’ve noticed we are down 2 squirrels. People don’t really care when they drive and hit a small animal, they keep on going. I think the other 2 were run over, unfortunately because I’ve seen several dead ones on my road these past few months bec. they have to forage all over to get food stores saved for the winter and many people don’t slow down or brake for animals. It totally bums me out that we humans do so much destruction to nature and don’t even think about it.
My son really likes to watch the squirrels and what they do with their finds. He’s learned alot about local wildlife just from our conversations while we watch them and enjoys feeding them.
We always have a big basket display in the fall in our house filled with mini pumpkins, gourds and Indian corn. Once we are done with that and decorate for Christmas, we cut the gourds and pumpkins in half and put it out there and they love it and eat everything. I section the corn, too so they can carry it and they are very happy.
We had a pretty cold winter in Colorado last year and there were stories of many free roaming cattle on ranches dying because they couldn’t access water or hay because of deep snow. Squirrels, birds, raccoons all of them had a hard time, too. The squirrels couldn’t access their buried food under so much snow we had for such a long time. They were very happy and ate everything we and all my neighbors all left out for them. When it was really cold and too much deep snow to trek to my fence feeder, I would just open the window and literally throw food over by the tree and sure enough, they would come out and take everything. It makes me feel good to know that I am giving back to nature in some small way. I would feed the birds, too but I have 2 cats and they would surely hunt them but the squirrels are too tough for the cats. I’ve watched them yelling at my cats when they were trying to eat and Leif and I think it’s pretty funny.
We live near a creek and a bike path and see all sorts of little animals in and along the creek. Leif thinks it’s the coolest thing to spot them on our walks and we talk about what they eat, where they live, etc. It’s nice that he gets that connection to the natural world and is learning respect and nurturing for all aspects of nature.
So, I hope this winter you all can remember your little neighbors who really appreciate any appropriate food you can toss their way when it gets really cold and snowy (or really anytime of year). Some of them have little ones to feed, too.
December 08 2007 12:12 am | Home and Leif and Mel and nature and pets and society
