Cruel and Ucky Nature

Since we moved the company to our new location, we are now in the midst of a bunch of trees.  Not just a bunch of trees but woods.  Rather pretty to look at but full of all kinds of creatures.  We have seen wild turkeys (my boss calls them the Three Musketeers, since there are three of them), a hedge hog (or badger or something small, furry and low to the ground), chipmunks, squirrels, and various kinds of birds.  Looking outside my office window, it is nice to watch these little creatures scurrying around and enjoying themselves.  But yesterday, I had two cruel and ucky things happen concerning these little creatures.

First of all, three sparrows flew into the conference room window.  One of the people I work with came and got me to come look.  We couldn’t figure out what we should do as we stood at the window and watched these three sparrows laying on the ground.  One was on its side breathing a little hard and the other two were sitting there looking a little stunned.  Our boss told us that they (the sparrows) get drunk on berries and then fly into the window.  He said they would be fine.

Can you imagine?  Three little birds are having a party.  Bird #1 (let’s call him Joe) says to Birds 2 & 3 (let’s call them Harry and Bob) “hey guys, try these berries out…they’re really good!”.  “Cool, man”, Harry & Bob reply and the three of them enjoy their little berry breakfast.  Before they know it they are feeling really buzzed.  So they decide to try to fly home to sleep it off.  They stick pretty close to the ground so that they don’t hurt themselves flying drunk.  Then WHAM, they run right into the window.  “WTF”, Bob says (actually, he says the words…I just don’t want to write the “F” word in my blog. I have my standards).  “WTF”, Bob says, “what just happened???” “I don’t know” Harry replies, “must be some kind of invisible force field” Joe doesn’t say anything because he is lying on his side and the world looks pretty strange from that angle.  After they sit there for a few hours, they finally get the courage up to try to fly home to nurse their hangovers.  Of course, Bob and Harry abandon Joe and just leave him to manage for himself. After all, he was the one who got them into this.  But eventually, he sits up and then stands up and then flies away.  And all three swear off little berries for breakfast from now on!!

That is the story of the three sparrows.  They really did fly off so they must be fine.  Hung over, but fine.

The other thing that happened yesterday was just plain ucky and happened while  I was walking out to get the mail.  As I walked along, I was looking up at the beautiful fall trees, all yellow and golden in the sunlight.  Then I stepped in something.  Actually I stepped ON something.  At first I thought it was the usual thing.  A pile of…well you know what the pile would be.  But this felt different so I picked my foot up and looked down. EW, EW, EW, YUCK!!!!  It was a dead chipmunk!  Gross, disgusting and UCKY!!!

So there is little Charlie, the Chipmunk.  Minding his own business.  Collecting nuts on a beautiful fall morning.  Thinking of his date that night with Catie, the cute chipmunk who lives across the road.  Little dangerous to go see her but well worth it.  Then, wandering onto the pavement of the driveway, some big huge vehicle runs him over.  Flattens him.  Killed in the prime of his young, chipmunk life.  And Catie will never know what happened.  Only that Charlie stood her up.  She has no idea that poor Charlie is a flattened, furry rug with bulging eyes that some poor innocent human just stepped on and became completely grossed out.

That is what happened yesterday.  Nature is fine when you are on the inside looking out.  But being out amongst it can be a little disgusting.   And cruel.  And ucky!!