I do volunteer work at a food bank, and there is always a large
quantity of pastries and other “sweets” that are turned into compost because
the policy of this particular food bank is to encourage its clients not to have
diets with high sugar content foods.
There is a cost associated with the compost because the surplus
pastries have to be taken to another location for that purpose. In my small way, I am helping with this issue
of the pastries, and have provided sustenance to all creatures, great and
small.
It turns out that squirrels, blue jays, crows, magpies, and raccoons,
love sweet things. So, every day, once
in the early morning, and then again in late afternoon, we put out pieces of
pies, cakes, cookies, and other such goodies, that were graciously provided by
the food bank. Everything goes into a
wooden box about three feet wide, and five feet long. Almost as soon as the food is put out, the
masses descend on it, and pick out their favorites. Some of the visitors will eat right in the
box, while others will carry a piece back to the nearby trees.
In a world where humans have such trouble getting along with others
with “look different” than them, I find it interesting that these creatures of
all shapes, sizes, and colors, eat right alongside each other in the box, and
near it, with rarely any conflicts. How
is it that these creatures have figured out how to get along, when we humans
cannot seem to do so? Alas, that is a
topic for a long conversation.
Suffice to say that our back patio is the gathering place every day,
twice a day, for these creatures. It is
a source of much amusement to watch the massive nibbling that takes place in
“the box.” We are keeping them fed,
although we sometimes wonder if they get too much sugar…..
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