The legend of Stumpy grows

Bill Speer
An overnight heavy dew and thick fog greeted me the other morning.
Leaves are turning on the trees.
The morning glories and marigolds have been replaced at my house with mums and pumpkins.
Autumn is in the air.
And squirrels are working overtime, including Stumpy, the super squirrel who achieved overnight star status this spring from a column I wrote.
I’m always amazed at how a column can speak to some readers. I would have to say that of the columns I have shared in this space thus far this year, Stumpy elicited perhaps the most comments and affection.
Stumpy sightings are important in my household. The grandkids always ask about him, and friends and neighbors want to ensure this short-tailed squirrel is healthy and happy.
Mind you, I’m not one who is going to stop him and take his pulse to gauge his health status, but from all observations he looks just fine and acts just like the other squirrels in the neighborhood.
Which is to say they are acting a bit nutty, as in they seem to scurry all day long from tree to tree squirreling away nuts and other tasty morsels for the winter. Their activity level seems to be in overdrive in recent weeks.
As I sat the other day on the front porch watching them it reminded me of the chores I still need to accomplish before winter weather sets in.
Let’s see, there are the lawn chairs that need put away, the last of the flower plants moved indoors, water hoses taken off the outside spigots, leaves raked, anti-freeze levels checked and windows winterized.
If I was smart and followed the squirrels’ example, I would have hopped to those chores right away. Instead, as I walked around the house and surveyed the situation I thought nah, let’s wait a few more days and instead bask in this 70-degree gift from the heavens.
Of course, the next day the sky was overcast with drizzle and temperatures were back in the low 60s.
I think the squirrels are on to something. I looked at the Old Farmer’s Almanac, and it said this part of the country can expect colder than normal winter weather with potentially above-normal snowfall in the months ahead.
The cold weather is expected to be especially chilly from late December through mid-February.
After finishing this column in another paragraph or two I am going to head outside and tackle some of those chores I mentioned above.
After all, that weather prediction sounds quite frosty and chilly.
Then again, isn’t that what winter is supposed to be anyway?
Stumpy seems to think so.