Something new every day

Yesterday was so gorgeous (again--a person could get used to this weather, although Mother Nature is having second thoughts right now) that the spouse and I took another walk along the river and perched for a while on a favorite bench. While there, we noticed squirrels perched out on really tiny branches of trees hanging out, seeming awfully close to the water. Of course, we had no binoculars or camera with us, so it took a few moments of observation to be sure what the little rodents were doing.

They were eating the new leaf or flower buds on whatever this tree was. It had heavy, furrowed bark and so was definitely not a sycamore, but the branches were much too high up (and much too far down the bank for those of us less agile than squirrels to get very close, anyway) for us to get a good look. The squirrels' activity, though, was unmistakable, as they were nibbling their way from branch to branch.

I had no idea that the furry little seed-snitchers were also fond of fresh greens. The cliché was right: it is indeed possible to learn something new every day.