August 9th: The need for a challenge

It's a little after 9 a.m., and as I'm making some coffee there's a knock on the window. Squirrel is out there, but it seems weird. I left plenty of food outside for him last night.

I open the door, and step onto the porch. "Good morning Squirrel. What's up?"

"Al, I'm worried about you. Yesterday you're looking all serious, then you tell me you might be leaving, and then you just walk off without saying goodbye. I worried all night about you. And by the way, do you always get up this late?"

"Actually, 9 a.m. is a little early for me these days. I've been trying to relax, but that's part of the problem. I think I'm over-relaxed. I think the sled dogs got to me."

"Huh?"

"The sled dogs down in Seward. I took my mom and aunt to see them last week, and they love to work, and I mean they love it. They pull and pull, and they nip at their neighbor's feet if they think they aren't pulling hard enough. Of course they get a little warm in the summer, and they have to take a break. But once they cool off and catch their breath a little bit they're ready to get right back to work. They start barking and jumping up and down, and they're ready to go back to work pulling the sled. I think that's what's happened to me, I've caught my breath. The sun has been shining, the days have been beautiful, but I'm not enjoying it lately, there's something missing."

"What's that?"

"Work, I think. Or at least some sort of challenge. Look at you, for instance. You have the cats and dogs, always ready to kill you at a moment's notice, so you always have a challenge. But I'm up here relaxing, and there are no challenges, at least not until the winter comes along."

"Um, I actually wouldn't mind it if the cats and dogs weren't always trying to eat me."

"Yeah, I guess that's a bad example. But you know what I mean, don't you? You do like looking for food, and working on your house, that sort of thing, right?"

"Oh, that stuff, yeah, sure. There's something special about working on your home, making little improvements here and there, adding a few twigs or leaves for comfort. And I hate to say it, but yes, the challenge of finding food is fun too, that's why I don't eat here all the time."

"Well, I think that's what I miss. I can do without the fancy restaurants, all the people, and all the traffic, but I do miss the challenge of accomplishing things."

"Hey, you wanna go find some food with me?" Squirrel says, standing up and pointing out to the field. "I think there are some nuts over that way a little, and the berry bush is really blooming."

"No thanks" I say, laughing a little. "Right now the coffee pot is all the challenge I need."

"All right" Squirrel says, "Let's talk a little more later though, I'm still worried about you." And with that, Squirrel ran off into the forest.