 Buck: Quiet presence Browses in shaded garden. Silent companion. |  The animals know How to blend one with Nature. Why can't we learn too? |
 Doe lies peacefully. Welcome sight after A hard day. |  Daily visitor: Jay sits on the post waiting For his peanut treat. |
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| Urban Wildlife Humans need Nature. We may have built cities with skycrapers and paved over much of the Earth, but we are forever seeking out Nature in our lives. Parks are built in cities and are well-visited. We plant gardens and greet the wildlife in our yards. In turn, the wildlife has adapted to human civilization and uses us to its own advantage. We have tamed much of the wildlife, so that they are no longer wild but rather urban pets. Many people put out bird feeders, so they can watch the finches and sparrows every morning. We put out peanuts for the blue jay and walnuts or corn for the squirrels. They return the favor with their amusing antics. I have had a blue jay that would knock on the window to be fed. The current one just sits on the railing post and waits. One day, a crow watched the jay and decided to try that as well. It did not get a peanut and didn’t try the trick again. Another jay would enter through the open window to find the peanut bag on its own. As has the squirrel. Those humans just take too long to feed them! The deer and the turkeys are a quieter presence. They come into the yard to feed on whatever the garden offers and maybe to take a sip of water. One dry day, I saw the entire flock of hens gathered around my little fountain to take a communal drink. The deer will sometimes grace me with their presence for a few hours rest. They will not let me approach but will allow me to move around the garden freely. They watch the back gate and will immediately notice if I leave it open. There are more enticing plants in the backyard, to which they have no access. Both the deer and the turkeys use the paved roads for travel. They seem to appreciate the wide, smooth paths that humans created for them. Then there are the night animals. Some residents have patios where they can see the night animals and feed them. Raccoons are fond of marshmallows, I am told. We used to feed them the leftover crab shells. In my current house, I cannot see them but I do see the evidence of their presence in the morning. The raccoon likes to use the fountain as a latrine, the skunk digs up the lawn and leaves a faint lingering odor, and several times I have found what appears to be fox scat on the lawn. Research has shown that humans fare better psychologically and physically when they are in contact with Nature. We have always known that intuitively and seek out Nature wherever we are, whether it be in a big city, a suburban neighborhood, or in the rural towns. The more adaptable of the wildlife has, in turn, adopted us humans and uses us to its own advantage. A mutually rewarding relationship. -MW | The Wilds Wilderness is not here To be tamed for recreation Or to be claimed for profit! Wildlife is not here To be killed for sport Or to be trapped for gain! Don't despoil and spoil, Live and leave well alone! -JM An Epigram a Day: Prey is predator and predator is prey. That's life's way and it is likely to stay. In our earth's ecology, humans are a deadly cancer. To struggle is to be alive. Not life but human expectation is absurd. Animals are animals and so are humans. Of all animals, human beings are the best and the worst. Rats in the garden will quickly be rats in the house. -JM  Weekly Piccolism: Where's my peanut? |