A Walk Around the Park...

I looked at my watch tonight and it said 6pm. I realized I had not taken my walk... again. I missed Saturday, Sunday, and it appeared today as well. I've spent too much energy into making this walk a habit, and promised myself I would not become lazy about it, so.... donning my hoody jacket, I opened the door to take my "morning" walk in the evening.

Whosh.... That was a stiff "breeze". I turned around for a bit more protection against the elements. So after putting on my stocking cap and mittens, I set off again. I decided I didn't care if I looked kinda geeky. I was cold...

I took my usual route. Only, this time of day the surroundings are different. Kids are playing in their yards, lots of teens are out too. Most were wearing long shorts, I guess I probably did look geeky, all bundled up.

I walk to a park and take 3 laps around it. There were teenage boys at the basketball hoops, playing, being buddies, talking nice to each other. It was nice to see and hear.

There is a duck pond next to this complex and a footpath that takes me over a bridge. On my way back, while crossing the bridge, I passed some teenage girls and boys. These didn't seem to be such buddies. I think they may have been drinking... definitely using very foul language. Such a contrast from what I had just seen in the park. Why do kids think they have to use such language? I was not impressed.

Just as I was coming to the final corner I see something strange... It looks like a squirrel, but the head is wrong. I get closer and realize it is a squirrel carrying another squirrel, wrapped around it's neck. The second one was smaller, probably a "teenager". The "parent" squirrel would run a few feet, then stop to rest. As it rested, the head of the "teen" would lay on the ground, not moving. I think it was dead, or maybe it was just helping the "parent" by not moving around. The "parent" squirrel continued to run and rest, but it stopped to rest in the middle of the street. So I moved towards it, to encourage it to keep going and get out of the street. When it reached the other side it scurried up a tree. The smaller squirrel didn't fall off, so I hope it was just hanging on and not dead.

The "parent" squirrel gave a great deal to bring the "teen" to safety. I wonder what the parents of the teens on the bridge were like? Would they be willing to carry their teens on their backs to safety? Those teens looked like they needed to be carried for a while.