THE LEAP

What I wrote a few days ago – it's already obsolete. I had been wondering, pen poised, how to proceed. Not just me but the whole world, changing a lot, and fast.

Humans, plants, animals, insects, fish, corral reefs, seas, lakes, oceans even the earth itself is alive and breathes. And now unavoidably we share climate change. No one is exempt.

What we'll do about it is highly arguable. But in one obvious respect, we're all on the same earth. Some of us have been listening with radio telescopes for news from somewhere else in the universe, presuming that amongst the countless stars and other planets we are not alone. But so far nothing.

What are the odds? Maybe other societies at about our stage of development have self-extinguished.

If it's still possible, before we snuff ourselves out, we need a better idea. What we do or not might be informed by co-operation, an appreciation for each other, and the only living planet we have so far discovered.

Might as well begin with baby squirrel's unexpected leap. To fully appreciate it, you have to know a little about our cat Frankie, and about how things have been here in the backyard. Frankie, as I've mentioned before, likes to lurk. He stalks birds. I've told him that squirrel is my friend, but he typically pays little attention. He is top cat, and merely tolerates humans, and being fed, and hardly ever purrs, seldom deigning to grace a lap with his august presence.

Squirrel and I both sit near the bird feeder and have become accustomed to each other. If Susan comes through the patio door, squirrel scampers off. But when no one else is around, squirrel sits on the fence and listens when I say something.

The leap ~

So baby squirrel is eating seeds, king amongst smaller doves, robins and finches, even though not having yet grown a flourishing full blown tail. And squirrel is about one third the size of Frankie, who is in stealth mode, slowly inching towards the base of the feeder. To my amazement, I see two squirrel paws grip the front edge of the feeder, Frankie looking dubious for the first time ever, and --

Well, Frankie never expected a squirrel would jump down on him.

To say the least, this serendipity, coincidence, or choose some other nonscientific style, gave me sort of a description. There is some sort of equilibrium now. Frankie washes a paw. Squirrel is back on the fence. In the midst of fires and floods and gathering disasters, I scribble. This yard has no real boundaries.

It's a quiet joy. The sun sinks below the horizon. To learn more about our thermonuclear neighbor, a recently launched orbital satellite will observe it at close range. We have much to learn.