National Squirrel Appreciation Day.

National Squirrel Appreciation Day.

It does seem like the daftest excuse for a National Appreciation Day but this is perfectly true. I've checked my sources and it is National Squirrel Appreciation Day, those sneaky and quick witted creatures who always look as if they're operating undercover with a hidden agenda. Squirrels are lightning fast on their feet and look as though they could probably give Usain Bolt a run for his money but that's never likely to happen since the now all time great sprinter Bolt has now retired. Still, it's a fond thought.

But now is the time to celebrate the lifestyle and existence of the grey or brown  squirrel, whose everyday life seems to be wholly dependent on the accumulation and consumption of as many nuts they can gobble up as quickly as possible. You're never entirely sure what to make of a creature who spends most of its time permanently looking up at you as if slightly wary of the human race and suspicious of your every move. At times it looks as if they're terrified of an all out war on them where the only course of action is to either scamper for their life or just get out of the neighbourhood.

Squirrels are quite obviously mischievous, covert, cheeky and audacious. They leap across parklands with so much subtlety and cunning that it is nigh on impossible to track them or find out what it is  they believe is so irresistible. They scurry up walls and over fences with the kind of dashing flair that only squirrels are capable of performing.

 They jump out of communal bins with a sparkling agility that only they can muster. They hide in corners, forever shifty and scheming, foraging for more food quite naturally and then giving up the chase because night may be falling and you never know who might be around. They dart out of bushes and trees with extraordinary speed and must feel, in their heart of hearts, this may be the only place that might offer blissful sanctuary when all else fails.

Then there are the crafty breed of squirrels who just wait for the right moment to plot some ingenious way out of the undergrowth in the fervent hope of  seeking out a warm bed for the night.Their eyes, as wide as saucers, are forever staring and peering just looking to see whether the coast is clear. You see a squirrel's  intentions are always honourable and they're just looking for a decent night's supper at the Savoy. Now here they might encounter a problem because squirrels aren't welcome at swanky five star hotels.

But seriously, you never know what the average squirrel may be thinking. Presumably, there are extrovert and introvert squirrels, wise and all knowing squirrels, squirrels who are holding back the inner pain, emotional squirrels who just can't control their tears and just tireless squirrels who simply approach life with an infectious zest for living.

So there are you folks. It's time to take our hats off to our friendly squirrel always restless, bursting with energy, always pursuing some elusive goal, persistently flying up drain pipes at the rate of knots and climbing up trees with the very distinctive air of the hunter predator. Now it is that the squirrel finds time to weigh up its options. Do they make a decisive run for it, escape into the wilderness where nobody can possibly find them again or just lie low in case there are just a few hungry animals ready and waiting to pounce?

A squirrel's life it seems is very much the classic case of the survival of the fittest, where only the strongest flourish. Spare a thought indeed for your community minded squirrel who may just be going about their business always seeming to keep itself to itself but never deterred when their backs are against the wall. Of course they're nosy and inquisitive because that's what they probably do best, fiercely protective of their food and always on the lookout for something deeply appetising. This is our personal tribute to the squirrel since we may have taken you for granted.