Earning His Meal

Pam has a couple of bird-feeders out on the back deck. She loves looking at the doves, cardinals, finches, and other assorted birds who make their way to our back yard.

And she can't stand the squirrels. Neither can Kobi the Beagle. He goes nuts when he sees a squirrel out back. When one is on the deck trying to get to the bird seed, we'll open the patio door as quickly as possible and let Kobi have at it. Man, you should see the squirrels scamper when the beagle is on the loose.

It's great sport.

People do all kinds of things to keep squirrels out of their bird feeders. The seed is for the birds, not the squirrels.

A couple of weeks ago, on the day of the (hopefully) last snow of the year, I looked out back and there was a squirrel, hanging upside down on the bird feeder, his body contorted. My first reaction was to call Kobi, but instead I watched this guy.

I have to admit, I kind of admired him. It's not easy climbing up a metal pole on a cold day, then finding a way to grab hold of something and hanging upside down, all the while not knowing if the beagle was going to show up.

I mean, this guy had to work to get his meal.

The birds, they don't do a thing. Just land, eat, fly away. They aren't even that concerned about Kobi, and won't be until beagles learn to fly. But work for their meal? Naw.

The squirrel, he took risks and put real effort to get his seeds.

So I left him alone and let him eat in peace. I figured he had earned it.

But don't tell Pam.