Sunday, March 01, 2009

Only in Woodstock


View of backyard from bathroom. Budhist flags torn to shreds by two grey squirrels

I am living in a one-room cabin called a carriage house a few blocks south of the center of Woodstock. Here I am close enough to nature to see deer and birds. My view of the backyard, however, is from the bathroom. There is a floor to ceiling window in the small space and the toilet faces out. Here I can watch the deer and birds and I imagine I too must appear as if I am in a glass cage on view to others. I am watched as I watch.

My "Only in Woodstock" moment came when I saw two squirrels fighting over a long line of Buddhist prayer flags. Each grey squirrel was perched at the end of a log at the rear of the backyard. They simultaneously pulled on the flags in a tug of war. Two flags hung in the middle of the line, as each squirrel tried to get hold of their own flag. One squirrel dropped his end and the other squirrel rolled the flag in its front paws as if doing the hullabaloo.

I thought about looking for my camera; but I was afraid the event would not last and I would miss out. So this photo shows what the squirrels left. It is better to have seen it then to try to capture it. It is by far something I doubt will be repeated in nature again, at least to my eyes.

Woodstock is a very groovy place; even the animals here are surprising. As the bumper sticker says, "Woodstock: everyone here is not quite there."

Witnessing this event confirms for me that when the day is done; when the belly is full, squirrels want to have fun too.

Baby deer checking me out while I am answering a call to my own nature.