the things we do

i look at these spruce cones and wonder at the patience and dexterity of the squirrels who have been nibbling on them. all that effort, chewing through the woody scales, just to get to those small nutritious seeds.  i suppose we humans do the same thing, delicately picking the shells off of tiny crayfish or shrimp just for one small bite of sweet tail meat. or effortfully shucking oysters for one fleeting gulp of briny goodness. we say it’s worth it. i am sure the squirrels do too.

squirrel eaten norway spruce cones with winged seeds