Friday, May 10, 2013

gliding

 Last night as I was making dinner, my husband was outside taking down a dead oak next to our driveway.  It had been dead for a few years and was starting to drop limbs, so it was time for it to go.  When he dropped it with the chainsaw it shattered in to pieces, it was that dead.  When it hit, shredded bark material was littered on the ground.  He wasn't immediately sure of what it was but then a little flying squirrel crawled out of the remains of the tree and began to look around.

A nest.  A flying squirrel's nest.

My youngest boy came running in the house shouting "Mom!  A sugar glider!  With BABIES!"
 I grabbed my camera and approached my brood, who was standing stock still about 15 feet away from the downed tree.  We watched as the momma flying squirrel picked up one of her tiny fuzzy babies in her mouth and walked over to the nearest pine, seemingly unsure of what she was doing.
 
Suddenly she was off, running up the tree, this giant tree well over 60' tall, with that baby in her mouth.  I wondered aloud if she had another nest in that tree but she kept running, fast as can be, to the very top of the tree and without hesitating...leapt.
 
We watched as she glided through the air some 100 feet across the driveway to the trees on the other side of the barn, with the baby in her mouth.  It was awesome.  And by that I don't mean in the flip way of speaking like when we talk about shoes or sandwiches, I mean I was quite literally awestruck.  And a little teary-eyed.

There was still one little baby on the ground so I pushed some of the bedding material over him to help keep him warm and pushed part of the hollow log over him to block the wind in the hope that his momma would come for him too.  And when I checked on him this morning it looked like she had.

A wonderful day to all of you.  Glide on.



15 comments:

MagaMerlina said...

Lisa you live in the real fantasyland!! What an incredible awesome experience!

Debbie Lannerd said...

You are very blessed to have witnessed that... I rehabbed an orphan grey squirrel and I never felt closer to god and nature than when I was taking care of her...

peawink said...

Wow, what a beautiful Mother's day story, I've got goosebumps! Wishing you a wonderful Sunday!! xox from Belgium

Lore Art said...

Thats great! In the middle of the story I was worried, like: 'oh poor baby-squirells, would they take care of them or what?'. But I'm glad that mummy came back :)

Betz White said...

That is amazing. Happy Mother's Day to you and that sweet mama squirrel.

Unknown said...

Lisa, I am so glad this story - amazing - has had a happy ending, with all the FS's safe. Best wishes, sus

Brizel Handcrafts said...

YAY !!!

Michelle said...

Oh, I DO hope she was able to rescue #2! I wonder if momma acted unsure at first because of shock and/or trauma from the fall.

Marilyn said...

love happy ending stories...such a clever mummy...long may they all fly!!!

srsaeaa@gmail.com said...

Oh, that *is* a wonderful Mother's Day story. Ummm . . . may I be the first to suggest you consider writing a little book for children about it and use some of your felted creations to illustrate it?

Sandies' Patch said...

Aaawwww! So glad the Babes where rescued!
Bet hubby feels a bit sorry? He wasn't to know of course!

Valerianna said...

That is truly amazing! So glad they weren't hurt. I once rescued a flying squirrel, had the gift of spending a whole afternoon holding him or her tightly to keep warm until the rescue folks were home. I can't remember how I came to have it, I think the cat might have brought it home. I didn't know how to find the momma to return it, that was sad.

pam ehlers stec said...

Such a sweet and lovely story! I discovered a mama bunny and her five tiny babies in my basement window well this afternoon and I am absolutely enchanted. Of course I want to keep them and love them forever but will settle for watching them from my basement until they are old enough to hop away.

StaroftheEast said...

Awesome indeed!

k said...

completely awe-inspiring! i understand why the tree had to go, but i do hope mama was able to find another nest space for her little ones.

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