15 Comments
User's avatar
rena's avatar

What a wonderful read 🌻🐿

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Thank you Rena. That sunflower just keeps giving--seeds and stories.

Expand full comment
Rosalind's avatar

A wonderful essay and reflection.

The squirrels never give up, do they! they are certainly pests in my garden...

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

No they don't give up--barely give an inch. Whenever I try to shoo them away, they go higher or what feels like a safe distance, turn and laugh or scold.

Expand full comment
Marisol Muñoz-Kiehne's avatar

Squirrel, sunflower.

Grow, give delight, carry on.

We must carry on.

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

They both have given me welcome delight and diversion, as do you poem responses. Each time I know you have taken it all in to create such vivid summaries. Thank you Marisol for the way you enrich each posting with your own art. And as you say, then we must 'carry' on.

Expand full comment
Nicola Miller's avatar

I'm listening, and this was a thought-provoking delight to 'listen to'. My front garden might even reap the benefits! I loved the imagery triggered by reading the story. Thank you.

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Thank you Nicola, for reading and for this response to let me know you have been listening and taking it in. Sometimes I record the posts, maybe I should be more consistent about it. I have never had such a vivid drama play out in my front yard and since we have sidewalks we get many walkers. I have been out weeding a lot the last month and so many people tell me about their experience of this remarkable sunflower.

Expand full comment
Wifa Hasan's avatar

Love your 'wonderful' work – So graciously. Just as ever, Leslie!✨️♥️🌻

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Dear Wifa, your generous responses always make me smile. You are so kind.

Expand full comment
Barbara Shaidnagle's avatar

Funniest thing I ever saw was when in college between 1970-72. I was walking on campus and heard a racket. Turns out to be a dog barking at a squirrel and the squirrel giving it right back. This went on for several minutes and still adi continued on my way..

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Thanks for mentioning the racket they make, I was amused that WB Yeats called it laughter. Yes they do have a little chuckle, but often as you describe, it is a racket, loud and fierce or a furious scolding.

Expand full comment
Richard Donnelly's avatar

I like em but where I live they are everywhere, and now you see dead ones everywhere. That's the flip side of nature. Self correction

Expand full comment
Richard Donnelly's avatar

Not to be a downer. Here's an upper: The dog doesn't understand why I'm pulling her away from a carcass. "But this one I can get!" : )

Expand full comment
Leslie Rasmussen's avatar

Ew yes--no doggie, you have to catch them fresh and good luck.

Expand full comment