The sweetest thing

As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

The story: My sister, Pat, discovered this precious little creature after Lexi, her Toy Rat Terrier, came and got Pat to show it to her. Let me remind you, I said "Rat" Terrier (who has also lived up to her name.) The tiny newborn squirrel was in a load of trouble. He had not only fallen out of his nest, he was being swarmed by sweat bees and screaming for his life.

As Pat picked him up he clung desperately with all fours to her thumb.

It became apparent he had not been stung and the little guy finally settled down and fell asleep, while Pat worried about what to do. The bees' nest was right next to the staghorn fern containing the squirrel's nest. The bees were surrounding the nest and momma was having a fit, obviously also worried about the risk to her other babies. As Pat puzzled over what to do about the rescued baby, the other babies' and their momma's predicament, the momma took matters into her own "paws.' She took one of her babies in her mouth and headed up and over and through the trees, jumping perilously from limb to limb with her tiny parcel dangerously dangling in her teeth, and relocated her baby to an abandoned nest.

That gave Pat an idea. She made a nest for the rescued baby with a paper bag (with the perfectly coordinated color of gift shredding), gently placed the sleeping ity-bity in it, put it in the nook of a nearby tree, and hoped for the best. Her efforts were rewarded when after relocating the last baby from the nest, momma came back to investigate, found her fallen baby unharmed and quickly carried him off to their new home.

I love happy endings.