Sometimes you feel like a nut ...

... sometimes you don’t.

Frosty weather still prevails here in Southeast Michigan, and it was only 23 degrees with a real feel of 12 degrees, when I departed on my walk this morning. By the time I got to Council Point Park, my lips were numb, my eyes were watering and my nose was running from the cold and blustery wind. I hoped I didn’t run into anyone else on the trail, and, luckily I was the only walker once again. I sure knew my squirrel pals wouldn’t care how I looked, that is ... if they came around today.

So, who doesn’t remember that catchy jingle for Almond Joy candy bars back in the day? The commercial was a toe-tapping tune that started out with the words “sometimes you feel like a nut ... sometimes you don’t.” The jingle left a perpetual ear worm whenever you heard it ... to refresh your memory, here is that commercial circa 1977: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JSIRo9DjBA

That little ditty was on my mind this morning upon my arrival at Council Point Park.

While I lack the brilliant mind of the renowned scientist and genius Stephen Hocking, who passed away earlier today, this morning I had a revelation. It goes like this:

On Monday, the sky was gray and gloomy looking and we had a blustery 25 degrees. There were no squirrels on the perimeter path for the daily meet-and-greet that has become our morning ritual.

Yesterday, we had the same cold and windy weather, and again it was 25 degrees, however ... a pale sun was up in the sky, bathing the Park in a soft light. Though it was just as cold as Monday, a passel of squirrels came rushing over to see me. My thought at first, was they were a little fickle. But this has happened before – one day they’re all over me and the next day, they don’t bother to come down from their nests.

Fast forward to today ... for mid-March, it felt a little brutal out there at 23 degrees with a wind chill of 12, and the coldest day of the last three, but, as I started on the trail, those squirrels came scrambling down from their respective trees, a streaming pack of peanut pals, with Parker out front, all racing toward me.

My scientific observations tell me that it has to be the sun that helps lure them out of their respective nests and to ground level. It was a vivid blue sky and a brilliant sun this morning. Perhaps these furry creatures lack enthusiasm and energy on the cold and gray days, much like many of us who live in a four-season climate do. After all, we are all God’s creatures, so why should the non-human species be any different?

It’s good to be curious about how things work and why things happen sometimes.

Meanwhile, I’ve decided until more Spring-like weather arrives, I’ll classify these extra-sunny days as “good shadow days” ... today was definitely one of those.

I’ll leave you with this good advice from a genius:

“Remember to look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. And however difficult life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. It matters that you don’t just give up.” – Stephen Hawking

You can catch up on my blog posts before I started blogging at Patch in August 2013 by going here: http://lindaschaubblog.net/