Thursday, February 28, 2008

Resourceful Nature

In the cold winter months in the mountains, all animals need a place where they can be warm and comfortable. We humans need this, so do our pets and livestock, and also the wild creatures amongst which we live. We build fires in our wood stoves or merely turn up the propane or electric heater in our homes. We keep our small pets inside with us and make sure that any outside pets and livestock have adequate shelter and heat. We trust the wild animals to take care of themselves. After all that’s how nature intended it to be. It always intrigues me when I discover how resourceful and crafty some of these wild creatures can be at this task.

A couple of days ago my close friend/partner Bob, sent me this photo of a nest he found under the hood of his Toyota Camry. He said that when he raised the hood he was greeted by a very fat pack rat that had decided that this space was a good place to build her nest. They stared at each other for a moment until she scampered away. The nest has been removed now, as its location really was not suitable for either rat or human when the car was to be driven. I was impressed at the hefty twigs and the cushy carpet threads that she used to weave this rather large nest. Nature truly is amazing to me. Every day.



Toyota Rat's Nest


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3 comments:

Hardware Bob said...

I was just looking outdoors, feeling the sunshine on my face, and thinking about how amazing nature can be now that the sun has finally arrived. And, you say it so elegantly. Great photo.

Danni said...

How interesting! I can't say I would have been so calm about meeting eyes with a rat, though! :-)
Love the photo caption: Toyota Rat's Nest. Very funny!

Farmer Jen said...

Hi Bob,
You crack me up! You are complimenting me on the photo that you took!

Hi Danni,
Apparently this pack rat preferred Toyotas. Bob tells me that the green rug fibers are likely from the carpeting in his other Toyota, a Landcruiser.