Squirrels defy gravity, most of the time

During my life of almost nine decades I have always been fascinated by Mother Nature, her birds, bees animals and plant life.

One of my favorite sayings is “you are never too smart and never too old to learn.” Recently while visiting my daughter, Sandy Vicarel, in Boardman, I witnessed three coal-black squirrels at play in her backyard. I never knew black squirrels existed.

They were having a great time scampering up a tree.

About a year ago in Canfield I saw a lone gray squirrel, also completely new and strange to me.

Almost daily during my 26 years of retirement, I observe several regular brown squirrels racing around my back-yard and burying acorns.

A rare fault

Speaking of burying, in 53 years at my Youngstown home I recall burying just two of these guys. They had apparently fallen from the top of the telephone pole in front of my home and hit the sidewalk.

They perform amazing feats of daring. They tear up and down trees and telephone poles lickety-split. Their energy level is boundless. Their breathtaking high wire acts occur at the tops of the tallest trees. Sometimes they scoot out to the very smallest twig-like branches, hanging on for dear life. Fortunately, I have always seen them make it from one branch to the next.

I don’t recall seeing too many squirrels growing up on the East Side during the Great Depression. I guess they became squirrel stew.

Still etched in my mind is a sight from 80 years ago when I was eight and saw one of the older boys chasing a squirrel down Himrod Avenue. It shot up a telephone pole to the top. The boy shimmied up after him without the aid of climbing spikes, and brought the squirrel down in his clutches. It was a combination human and animal daredevil act.

Michael Lacivita, a Youngstown retiree, is a member of the Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and Ohio Veterans Hall of Fame.