Black Squirrel, NUTS!

So I am at the park the other day (Saturday) watching my daughter play, sitting on a bench in the shade of a chestnut tree, when all of a sudden half-masticated chestnuts start dropping upon me and - almost immediately - begin staining my hands and scalp with green spots. What's up with that? So I move down the bench a few feet, and again, mushy chestnuts dropping from the sky! So I move to the end of the bench, and again, mushy chestnuts from the sky, dropping all over me. What the?!?

So I move to the next bench, "outta reach" of the chestnut tree -- and the intentional civilian bombings ceased.

Now are squirrels nuts, or what? What about the just war theory? Pre-emptive strikes!?

Well, to my delight, as evening came on, the black little furry monster from upstairs came down to forage. And spontaneously, a group of 5 or 6 kids started chasing the little bugger all over the park, and it couldn't shake them. They were throwing sticks and stones at it and screaming. When the apparent father (a Torontonian at that!) started encouraging these kids, I was delighted. And the squirrel seemed to be having a grand old time. As they returned to the play area, I remarked to the man: "And thus, homo sapiens initiated the first ritualistic hunt for the elusive black ground squirrel. Scholars believe that fox-hunting began in a similar way." To my surprise (he was, after all, a Torontonian), he responded: "And whenever children start playing with sticks, a ritual killing ensues. God they're having fun!"

All of which reminded me that El D said basically the same thing to me, some many, many years ago.