August, 2021
Another happy day here at Dungeness. I spent part of the day at the group camp, as did my friends. But again, today too, we also walked along trails, along the edge of the bluff, and through the woods. (Click on photos to enlarge them.)
Above, another tree that seemed maybe damaged and stressed, but those lower curving limbs didn’t seem to be cut, although some lower limbs had obviously been removed. Maybe the tree had been damaged by winter storms that came in from the Pacific Ocean, in through the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and so more huge limbs/trunks grew up from ground level. The tree above was but a few feet from the bluff that was often seriously storm-battered by the Pacific Ocean. Some portions of the tree had obviously been cut, but not right at the base of the curved limbs. If any of you Readers know what causes this, please let us know.
And then there is the photo below. When I looked at this photo back at home, it took me long time to figure out why I had taken the photo. I always have something in mind with a photo. What was it here? Hmmm, weird, nothing seemed apparent.
But finally I figured it out. Look at the lowest branch on the left side of tree, right up next to the trunk of the tree. There’s a small black and orange person there.
I think it’s a Red-bellied Tree Squirrel. Please correct me if I’m wrong about the ID of this squirrel. But whatever she is/was, she sure was busy eating her lunch!
She finished that portion of her meal, took one look at me, and scampered down the trunk of the tree … towards me!
At the bottom of the tree, she scurried out on the ground a few feet from the tree, and just a few feet away from me. I was amazed that she stayed so close. I was surprised partly because I was there, so close, but also because she was right on the edge of that group campsite. Even though most of the campers in the group site had gone home by now, still there had recently been lots of human activity nearby. But she seemed ok with all of that.
She picked up a seed cone that had fallen from one of the evergreen trees and started munching away. Look at the size of the seed cone in the photo below … it’s as big as her head!
Then I took this video of her (below). She didn’t eat the entire seed cone; she pulled off each “leaf” and ate the base of the leaf, then threw away the empty leaf. Watch the number of leaves that she tosses away in front of her after she eats the base/core of the leaf. It was rather like eating artichoke “leaves” for us … you eat the meat at the center, then toss the remainder of the leaf. And watch how she uses her hands and fingers in the video below. I suspect she’ll soon be applying for work as a diesel engine mechanic, or a professional quilter, or a professional pianist.
Later this same afternoon, the group camp emptied out at the end of their stay, and we small group of friends were about the only ones still around. One of us pulled out a metal detector from her kit … cool! And so we explored that huge group campground area (now empty of tenters). We were looking for money, treasures, valuable things!
If memory serves, we found 2 or 3 pennies, and we found LOTS of very old metal tent pegs partially buried in the ground. We joked a lot about how valuable those old metal tent pegs must be.
We had fun, and that’s what meant the most to us.
We three travel trailers of friends would be staying here tonight, and then all of tomorrow too, and then yet another night. So who knows what other adventures and treasures we will find tomorrow. Stay tuned, we might just hit the motherload!
An additional photo here. Blog reader Shawn in Santa Fe noticed the angry face in the very bottom of the tree … in the tree that’s in the photos at the top of this blog post. I hadn’t seen the face, but it sure is there, now that Shawn mentions it. It’s great. 🙂 Thanks Shawn. Maybe the tree is really angry about beaten about by winter storms! I would be. Or maybe it doesn’t like us tourists … eek.
Love this. Diesel engine mechanic indeed. Who knows, maybe so??? 🙂
Indeed. Why not? 🙂
Me too. Those little squirrel fingers are fantastic. I hear a Chopin etude in that squirrel’s future. I like how Ann treats and talks about animals.
We humans are just mammals after all, we are animals too.
So, you made me go and listen to a number of Chopin etudes, Sesapa. Lovely. Thanks. 🙂
Love the little squirrel and your story!!! Big hugs 💕
Hugs back. 🙂
I have an old heavy metal detector. I’ve found quite a bit of cash (coins) in dirt/gravel parking lots. Haven’t gotten rich yet tho. 🙂
Campsites evidently don’t produce much money. But I like the parking lot idea, Joe. I’ll share the idea.
Ann, that squirrel is a Douglas Squirrel. It looks a great deal like a Red Bellied Tree Squirrel doesn’t it? But it’s a Douglas. No doubt. 🙂 She sure trusted you. That was so cool. Great photos.
Janey
Thank you, Janey! I love my readers. 🙂 A Douglas Squirrel it is.
The little squirrel is probably used to all the people activity at the campground, and maybe even has received a treat or two which has made her bold around you. She’s cute!
Ah, I forgot about the fact that maybe humans have been leaving treats, either on purpose or accidently, and thereby making that little squirrel actually seek out places where humans are. Good thought. 🙂
Those are really wierd branches, so big coming out of the bottom of the tree. I hope someone can tell us about them. Great squirrel story. I suspect that squirrel was so happy to get rid of all those people in that group site that she didn’t care a whit that you were close by. Hope you get rich with that metal detector, a new truck, a new camper, send all of us money too ok. 🙂
Ok, the check’s in the mail Tim. Ha! 🙂
What a super squirrel story … ha, the Super Squirrel Story SSS.
I’d bet that tree at the top of your post was knocked down at some point, MANY times, and grew new “trunks” each time. In the second photo, do you see the mean angry face at the bottom of the tree? I saw that right off! I bet that tree is really tired of all that weather beating it up and all the resulting destruction. Ann, you see so many faces in things, I’m surprised you didn’t see this one. That tree is not happy!
I’m with Tim, hope you get rich and send all of us money … lol!
Oh, good thought about how those thick branches/trunks came to be. It’s the best explanation I’ve heard.
No, I hadn’t seen that angry face! Oh, it’s really cool. I’m going to go back and edit the photo so the angry face shows, and then add that photo to the blog. Thanks Shawn! Sharp eyes. 🙂 Yep, check’s in the mail.