Old Timer

Chapter Twenty-one

The early spring of 1997 began to show hints that a drought was lurking.  Clouds filled the sky, but they brought no rain.  The earth seemed to be saying, “Remember me.  I am the one who gives you everything you need.”  I had the feeling that we were in for a withholding from nature. 

The summer brought a dreary landscape.  April showers never came and our pear trees yielded no white blossoms.  The ground hogs explored the ground beneath the pear trees, but there was no fruit to be found.   

Drought conditions often meant that surprise visitors showed up in my yard.  In June of 1997, a pitiful looking squirrel began visiting our yard.  He was old and debilitated.  The squirrel’s head and ears were covered with red, inflamed skin.  He was very thin, and he was almost blind.  I wondered how he was still alive.  In his quest for food and water, he had been guided to my yard.

                
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I began to build rapport with the elder squirrel, and I named him Old Timer.  He had an unusually trusting disposition. When I threw out nuts for the animals, Old Timer had a very hard time seeing where the food landed.  When I called his name, he would come to me and allow me to place the food under his nose. 

One afternoon I was pulling into our long driveway, and I saw a squirrel perched at the edge of the pavement.  He was standing on his hind legs, squinting at my car.  When I got out of my car I saw that it was Old Timer.  He had learned to recognize my car.  He then followed me to the carport, and he patiently waited for me to get him some nuts. 

When Old Timer could not locate me in the yard, he would resort to coming around to the sliding glass door in the living room.  I often found him sitting on the ledge and straining to see into the house.  Old Timer looked so sad as he sat peering into our living room.  I dashed out to the carport and scooped up some seeds for him.      

The miserable summer crept along.  On the days when there was dangerous heat, I put out water all day for the birds and animals.  I had little hope that Old Timer could survive this heat and humidity.  Like all the other animals, he frequented the birdbaths for water.   

By July, Old Timer started disappearing for days at a time. As I gazed at the front lawn, I was convinced that I would never see him again.  Just when I had given up, Old Timer would surprise me and come for food when I called his name. 

It was late August when we were blessed with refreshing rains. The rain felt so exhilarating and life giving after the long period of heat.  All of nature was celebrating in this great oasis.

During the drought, all the animals had retreated into inactivity during the day. Now my yard was alive with birds singing, and the squirrels chasing one another and playing.

 
The day after we received the rain the air was cooler, and there was a wonderful breeze. I was looking at the back yard, and I saw what I thought was Old Timer climbing to the top of the oak tree.  I ran outside and was shocked to see that Old Timer was undertaking this great adventure.

 I nervously stood and watched as the old squirrel diligently made his way up to the top of the tree.  Because he was almost blind, he crawled up the tree very slowly. He could not run and jump like the younger, healthier squirrels.   

Old Timer made it to the top of the tree, and he began climbing onto a tree limb.  He sat there for a moment as if to congratulate himself on his accomplishment. After his brief recuperation, he carefully made his way back down the long tree trunk. He strutted away from the tree, and acted as though there really had been nothing to it.

The break in the weather had clearly invigorated Old Timer. Life for the old squirrel had not been fun in a long time, but the cool weather inspired him.  

The day after his great climb was the last I was to ever see of Old Timer. There was a clear blue sky and temperatures were still cool.   Late in the morning, I put out some squirrel treat. Several squirrels, including Old Timer, came to eat under the maple tree.  Black Matriarch Squirrel showed up and she wasted no time commandeering the food. 

Suddenly Black Matriarch Squirrel chased Old Timer away from the food area. She was very fast, and Old Timer did his best to run ahead of her. My last memory of Old Timer was seeing him be chased around the back of the old pony barn, with Black Matriarch Squirrel ready to pounce him. He disappeared behind the barn.

The climb up the oak tree the day before, combined with being chased, must have over taxed his heart. When I watched Old Timer climb the tree, I felt that he knew he was about to die. There was a conviction in that squirrel that said, “I am going to make it to the top of this tree, even if it kills me!”

As the days passed, Old Timer never returned. I grieved and I missed seeing the old guy. I felt that his final wish had been granted.