the importance of laughter joy & love | adopted orphaned squirrel

Yesterday, i had the pleasure of finally getting a great workout with the local (central Pennsylvania) ultimate frisbee players. It was the first true ‘heavy breathing’ in fact, at times (gasping for air ‘-) aerobic workout that I’ve had in a while. That particularly happens when it’s just 5-on-5 or 3-on-3 players (as opposed to the standard 7 on 7) because then EVERYone has to run, no choice!

The best thing, is the fact that all these people not only put focused effort and great athletic skill towards their play, but there are smiles, laughter and constant humorous commentary the entire time. That to me is the best kind of socializing!

Here are some pictures demonstrating the adaptation of the adopted orphaned squirrel I named ‘Kiki’, along with more pics of wild life in the Keiter back yard. In this picture below, Kiki is soaking up sun on his private roof while a local adult squirrel is doing his thing, hanging out upside-down at the bird feeder. ‘-))

Here are the initial pics of the orphaned squirrel’s habitat. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bu29s243dzdual4/hvsLf__12s

I had been given instructions by a local veterinarian regarding how to feed and care for this little furry animal when it had been separated too soon from its mother.

I have a progression of photos from when it was really small and I had created a little nest of towels.

To when I introduced his box to the outside near to the bird feeder where adult squirrels hang out, literally, to eat.

The really cool thing, is that he spontaneously discovered on his own this little high rise bird house, which still had remnants of twigs and a nest, very similar to those of squirrels.

Here are later pics, after the squirrel moved in on his own, to his new residence. https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u7aqpbh5bzdaubq/oixSRCJvMf#/

Kiki has been living there ever since. In fact, whereas the other local squirrels live in nests and tents, this little guy has his own private high-rise condominium; protecting him from the hail and thunder storms ‘-))

I’ve proceeded to still feed him, yet deliberately with less frequency, to let him learn how to forage.

I’ve had to adapt to where he feels comfortable feeding, which sometimes becomes my hand.

Clearly, he has a perfect vantage point from his roof to see what the locals do; when not foraging for seeds on the ground under the bird feeder, they climb and hang upside-down to extract their favorites, sunflower seeds.

I also had the extreme pleasure of hanging out with 3 kittens yesterday; Ash, Smokey and Molly. Siblings, but each with very distinct looks and personalities. Watching them attentively for a few hours just had me beaming with smiles and my heart extending out to them. They are more entertaining than any ‘home entertainment system’. These kittens amuse themselves with simply every inanimate object they encounter; a rug, broom, match box, pen. They are simply ‘taken over’ and immersed in the spirit of interacting with, and ‘animating’ whatever object that draws their attention.

We really can learn a lot about love by observing animals – playful dogs and cats in particular; about their spirit of joy and capacity to be ‘in the moment’ and simply play!

Oh, i might as well include a link of pictures of emerging spring that I’ve taken over a period of time, and labeled in a sequence, from earlier-to-later progression.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/aqazws4c6f88qbc/Fu2107mVGr