Barking up the wrong tree

Observer: Estella Yee
Date: 10-14
Location: Northeast of Sparks, entrance to Botanical Gardens
Time: 943-959
Weather: 53˚, sunny

I won’t have you think I’m obsessed with the Botanical Gardens. I just happen to pass by the area daily between classes and it just happens to have some sort of interesting event occur at those times. Today was no exception. A bench was tucked in a corner of the verdant growth, with 6-foot high ferns cradling the wood. I found reddish spore to line the undersides of the leaves in a perfectly organized fashion, two rows running down each leaflet. Several trees had opposite, odd pinnate, and ovate leaves. They were of a light green hue and had serrated edges. The trunk supporting the growth was slender and smooth tan-brown. I was originally drawn to the spot by bird calls and hoping to identify them, I instead encountered a vicious eastern grey squirrel. I was stopped by a series of hoarse barks intermittently with squeaky door=like sounds. As it made its noises, before each cry, I noted that its abdomen inflated with air. It seems that most humans take in air through their chest, making their shoulders lift up and down due to the action. However, as taught by yoga instructors and voice instructors, it seems that the correct way was the method with the squirrel was exhibiting; breathing deeper into the center of the body rather than shallow breaths through the chest. Anyways, the squirrel went on to bark for another few minutes, at which point I wondered if it was mainly due to my presence. It was didn’t seem to feel threatened otherwise it would have issued the high-pitched squeak that I heard near the front of Eaton. It almost seemed territorial or perhaps protective of its home. When it left and jumped onto a nearby branch, I felt the impact as surely as I saw the branch curve and support the extra weight. It was with a different sense that I heard the chalkboard scratching sound made by a tree scratching on the brick wall of Sparks. With each gust of wind, it seemed to almost protest against the obstruction and cried out in annoyance with a harsh grating scratch.