My little house on the freeway is home to many little critters that love to visit my yard. I have four long windows that make it possible for me to look out as I’m working on my blog. Some feral cats make the rounds each day. Sometimes I might even be treated to seeing a deer. For the most part, it’s squirrels. They seem to be very creative.

My husband was a great outdoorsman. He shared many stories of how animals survived and how they created little burial plots for walnuts, peanuts and other things that would sustain them through the winter months. He turned my attention to how they scrape away the foliage, brush off the mulch and dig furiously into the dirt. Then they bury the said treasure and cover it neatly with their paws. I wonder if there might be a few grave markers out there.

We named many of the visiting rodents. There was Stubby, who had lost part of his tail. Jake from State Farm, was a two toned squirrel with khaki pants and a reddish tee shirt. Flat Stanley made a point of finding a cool spot under the tree and literally flatten himself out to endure the heat. Scruffy was the one with the mohawk hairdo – straight down from top to bottom.

Halloween has come and gone bit left a plethora of carved pumpkins on display in my neighborhood. I don’t like carving pumpkins, but I love watching the squirrels make little masterpieces out of the uncarved orange orbs. These industrious little artists start small. First they try to find a soft spot where they can enter and retrieve a free meal. In the process they create the eyes and nose . Once inside, they discover that the stuff they’ve been nibbling on is a meal in itself. Three of them have gained about five pounds this morning. Their little pumpkin bellies are proof of their artistic endeavors.

The week before Halloween, a new neighbor dog came to inspect my Halloween decorations. The smaller pumpkins became a toy to play with. Because of his size, he could toss them in the air, push them across the leaves. He even carried one home for a midnight snack.

Soon the trees will be barren. The grass will turn white with snow. Temperatures will plummet and I have the satisfaction of knowing that these little critters are well fed. Seasons change just like we do. Each one brings new adventures and many wonderful blessings. All you need to do, is look out the window.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR YOUR CREATION!