By Mike Johnson
Our woodpile is its own ecosystem.
Chipmunks, prairie dogs, squirrels, rabbits and many species of birds frequent its internal and external features.
Of course, we share a daily offering of birdseed and peanuts, spread around many feeding stations.
This must amaze the animals.
The Magic Woodpile regenerates food automatically, every morning, requiring no effort at all.
Their activity provides us constant entertainment.
This morning, I witnessed a microcosm of animal society that is a mirror of human society.
A tiny sparrow was minding his own business, nibbling on some seed on a single log, stacked on hundreds of other logs.
Suddenly, a larger bird landed on his log, forcing the sparrow to fly off.
Now that bird took over the abandoned seed pile.
For about five seconds.
Then a large Clark Nutcraker swooped in, causing the medium-sized bird to flee.
The same bully-ballet ensues with small chipmunks, larger prairie dogs and faster, aggressive squirrels.
Nature is a bitch.
Survival of the fittest.
Or at least, biggest and pushiest.
This has trained the creatures to eat fast.
They never know when they’ll be chased off by crowds of other animals.
Why do they put up with it?
Clearly, they’d survived on other food sources long before discovering that woodpile.
Is food more important than freedom, self-sufficiency and peace?
Ease, convenience and habit forge the chains that bind us to frustrating situations.
Until we wake up, look around, demand better, and decide to find a better way.
As a retired, revenue-wrangling recluse, I smile, shake my head, and say a prayer of thanks that I left the woodpile decades ago.
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