Bushy Tail – The Gray SquirrelFall 2010 by Bill Banaszewski
Every year, my wife’s extended family comes to our place for a
holiday celebration. The younger members of the tribe quickly
get bored with the indoor festivities and convince good ol’
Uncle Bill to head outside for some winter fun. For the past
several years, however, the weather has been anything but
winter-like. So, instead of snowball fights, we have hiked into
the woods for a wildlife adventure. Two years ago, after I
promised we could see all kinds of animals, we returned from our
adventure, and Sam – then 3 years old – was asked what he saw.
He emphatically replied, “Nothin’!” This past year, I was
determined to produce. However, with youngsters ranging in age
from 4 to 10, we sounded like a herd of elephants tromping
through the woods, even though I stressed the importance of
walking quietly “like Indians.” After 15 minutes, the questions
started: “Where are the fox, turkey and deer, Uncle Bill?” Just
as I was about to offer a litany of excus