It was a blustery and cold winter day a few years ago when I awakened early one morning and sleepily ventured down to my kitchen. With an appreciation for my warm and comforting home, I brewed a fresh pot of coffee and gathered my morning edition of the Concord Monitor. A ritual I have repeated often, it allows me to feel comforted by my routine, enjoy some quiet time and plan my adventures for the day.
This particular morning, I had a distant thought that I was being watched. The sun was just rising and the day was cold. As the sun rose, I glanced up from my newspaper and saw a gray squirrel on my back porch. He sat contently this cold winter morning and I assumed he would be running off quickly.
As I turned my newspaper to the next page, I glanced to the back porch once again and found my new friend still staring at me through the glass. I thought it a bit odd but certainly felt somewhat intrigued. Wondering what this little squirrel was doing on such a cold morning, I put down my coffee and newspaper and went to the pantry for a bowl of peanuts. Perhaps he was hungry or lost or something.
I opened the back door and there he sat. He didn’t attempt to flee and certainly didn’t appear to be the least bit concerned with this adult a few feet distance. I reached into my bowl of shelled peanuts and handed him one. He gently took the salted peanut in his two paws and ran for the forest. He was alone, not traveling in some sort of squirrel gang, so I threw the entire bowl of peanuts into the backyard and departed for the day without another thought of my little friend.
Toward evening, I returned home and glanced into the backyard. The scattered peanuts were gone — apparently my little squirrel was hungry. The sun set and I busied myself with a project without further thought.
The very next morning, I followed the same routine, this time turning on the back porch light to see if my little squirrel friend might be on the back porch again. Yes, he was waiting for me and, yes, I did feed him a bowl of salted peanuts once again. This was quickly becoming part of my morning routine: brew my coffee, read the Concord Monitor and feed my squirrel.
I ventured to the hardware store and asked the clerk if he had squirrel food, carefully explaining it was for my squirrel and not wanting to be perceived as some nut. The clerk said he had just the product, called critter crunch. He explained the types of animals that would benefit from this critter crunch, with the squirrel being at the top of the list. I purchased a five-pound bag as well as another five pounds of salted peanuts for my squirrel. I was looking forward to helping this little guy make it through the winter.
As the mornings passed, the routine continued. One morning, my grandchildren were standing with me in the kitchen and enjoying the squirrel looking in the back window. They giggled and enjoyed the squirrel antics and asked me if he had a name. Without missing a beat, I replied to them. Yes, of course he has a name, everyone has a name. His name is George.
I continued to feed George every morning. In fact, I still do years later. It was not long after my initial introduction to George that I realized he had a family too, just like me. First there was George and now I find myself feeding him as well as his wife and children. I think I’m also feeding his cousins and perhaps his grandchildren too. Most mornings, I find at least 10 gray squirrels in my backyard, with George always taking the lead.
One morning I started thinking about the history of squirrels and thought perhaps there were other people that also enjoyed them as much as I did. I decided to do a little research on the gray squirrels in Concord without much expectation. But I was indeed surprised to discover many squirrel stories here in Concord.
In the 1940s, Concord’s Park and Recreation Department sought entertaining ideas for the children enjoying Whites Park during the summer months. After countless suggestions, one person told the administrator he thought they should purchase some gray squirrels and place them in a large case for the children to feed and enjoy. The city did just that, purchasing over a dozen gray squirrels and placed them in a protective cage.
It was an outstanding event to bring your children to White Park to feed the squirrels during the summer months. But when the summer ended, the people working at the park called city hall to ask them where they should put the squirrels during the winter months. A quick-thinking mayor responded with the most logical route … let them go, of course!
Over a dozen squirrels found their freedom at White Park that fall day. With the great escape behind them, the squirrels quickly settled into the many oak and maple trees within the park. They gathered their acorns and built their many nests, known as dreys.
As I researched deeper, I found many episodes right here in Concord dating back a century. People would find abandoned baby squirrels and nurse them to adulthood. These squirrels grew very comfortable with the people that raised them and remained as their loyal pets. The more I researched, the more I enjoyed the history of the gray squirrels in Concord.
As I walk through White Park this March morning, I look toward the large trees in search of squirrels. There are many, and no doubt the descendants of the squirrels that were released in the park back in the 1940s.
I enjoy my family of squirrels living in my backyard as well as those living down at White Park. When I travel for a few days, I am always certain to leave a pile of salted peanuts in my yard for George and his family. My next venture into squirrel management will be the placement of squirrel houses in the forest behind my house. I have found much entertainment and enjoy being the brunt of friendly squirrel jokes within my family.
But there is a lesson to be learned at the end of the day. We need to take time to embrace our children with interesting facts and adventures to foster a positive childhood. We need to live alongside nature and support wildlife when we can because every living creature needs help sometimes. We also need to let go of the stress and anxiety that lives within each of us. Take a moment to relax and reflect. Feed the squirrels. You will be glad you did.