Gotta Get Those Chores Done!

  It was instilled in me as a child back on the farm to rise early in the morn, jump right into chores and then kick back a bit in the heat of the day.  Even now, my day starts long before the sun rises.  As the coffee is brewing, laundry is done, cat fed, dog fed and breakfast is made.  Then, as the dog takes his hike down the hill, I go to the pier to watch the sun rise above the pines.  Twenty minutes later, it is back to the house to complete the inside chores before heading to the gardens for a few moments and then on to the major task of redoing the Little Bayou House.  Carpentry work is tiring to me but if I want it done, I need to help.  So goes the day.  Then about 1pm, when the heat of the day starts to get so stifling that it is hard to breathe, I grab my lemonade, iced herbed tea or sweet tea and head to the yard.  There, in the shade of the big black gum tree, I can find a bit of respite in the cooling bay breezes. 

  This downtime also gives me time to observe the happenings of the Bayou and surrounding wooded areas.  Critters don't seem to mind the heat as much and keep on their daily tasks.  This afternoon, a small, female gray squirrel was one busy little camper.  She was building a nest where an oak limb wrapped around a pine tree.  The nest was basically complete but obviously needed a bit of interior design work.  She would scamper up the large oak branch, gnaw off a few twigs, stuff them in her mouth then hustle back to her dwelling.  Inside, she meticulously lined the nest with strips of the leaves.  This is only one layer of the abode.  It all started with some rather large branches that were bent to form a dome.  Then, small but long twigs were woven into a thatched roof.  The sides were filled in with yet other branches.  Two doors were left.  One to be used as the main entrance and the other (a hidden door) as an escape route.  Now that the nest was sturdy  and enclosed, she gathered leaves to line the inner walls.  Each single leaf is tucked into place until the entire inner chamber is covered.  This step is much like shingling a roof but she does the entire inside of her nest. The last step is to be completed tomorrow as she will gather soft grasses to make a bed.  Here, she will give birth to her young and nurse them until they are strong enough to venture out of the nest.  For twelve weeks after giving birth, she will take total responsibility for raising her little family.

  The female squirrel does it all.  She builds the nest and cares for the young.  She, also, gathers and stores nuts, seeds and fruits to tide the little family over during the winter months.  The male...does nothing.  He will even go so far as to steal her stash of winter supplies if she is not careful.  As I watched the little pregnant squirrel build her nest, I gained a new appreciation for her.  She is one hard-working little mama unlike that deadbeat dad.  I guess I had better put out an extra helping of sunflower seeds for her enjoyment.  She deserves it.  She was working hard to get her chores done and she has a pretty important deadline looming ahead of her!