Bedtime Teatime

A pink-mouthed yawn stretched open as the little squirrel sat in her cozy nest high above the soft needled carpet below. Her home in the Ponderosa pine tree provided everything she needed to survive and thrive. She was twenty feet above ground snugly tucked into her drey lined with moss, feathers, and bark. Outside was a chilly night but in her nest the Abert’s squirrel, with her tasseled ears always alert for danger, was busily nibbling on a pine nut from her small cache of the day’s forage. It was comforting to wake up at night, sniff the clear cold air and recognize the scent of a delicious bit of bark or pine twigs placed just a few inches away.

One bright day, Abby, the Abert squirrel decided to climb a little higher up the big pine to her water cache. It was a crevice between the main trunk and an old lightning struck branch that had become hollow. In the hollow, whenever it rained, water would gather and Abby always had a basin to place some pine needles that could soak and become a delicious tea. Abby particularly loved to have some tea right before bed as a soothing drink in her tummy. She discovered making this tea quite by accident.

One day, as she cavorted up in the tree she called home, a goshawk- one of her mortal enemies- swooped in and landed on the branch below. Abby sat perfectly still, only her tiny nose twitching and sniffing the danger might have given her away. A goshawk has excellent eyesight and this one was looking for prey. Abby sat motionless for many minutes, as did the goshawk which sat like a statue, only swiveling its head side to side with sharp eyes searching the ground in hopes of spotting something good to swoop down upon. After an unbearably long time Abby noticed the hawk getting sleepy. Heavy-lidded blinks turned into eyes closed as the bird proceeded to take a nap on its comfortable perch. At this opportunity Abby was able to silently steal away up higher and deeper into the dense branches and needles of the crown. It is there that she found the hollow crevice created by a lightning strike and decided to hide. As Abby approached the crevice a bright reflection of herself appeared in the water that had gathered there. It had a lovely aroma of spicy needles and sweet sap. The trapped water had created a teapot of sorts which could brew ponderosa pine needle tea. Abby had a drink of the tea and once again began the descent to her nest since the goshawk had awoken and flown off. Abby’s crevice teapot brought her back for many servings of the delicious liquid- until she discovered it had dried up during the dry heat of summer.She was disappointed when after climbing up for a refreshing drink before bed, the natural little tea brewer was empty. Never wasting a good meal, Abby ate some of the needles that had soaked and softened into a sort of pudding. They were tasty even after more days without any moisture had turned them crispy and dry. In time the crevice was cleaned out from Abby’s nighttime nibbles. It didn’t stay empty for long when,one afternoon, after a few days of heat the high clouds built up into dark clouds that darkened the sky. Soon the rain poured down. Abby rested in the shelter of her nest watching the rain fall as lightning filled the sky in bright bursts and loud thunder followed. She was very afraid of the loud noises and burrowed down into the safety and comfort of her dry bed.

After the storm subsided the pine needles dripped fresh droplets of water and the air filled with the aromatic scents of wet bark and the damp ground cover of the carpet below. Abby’s keen olfactory sense twitched and tasted the smell of pooled water. Knowing the basin had filled again, Abby followed her nose to the climb up to her crevice, replete with rainwater and fresh pine needles blown in by the storm. Sniffing in delight she stopped to take a short bath by herself by using her front paws and tongue to lick and smooth her damp fur. As her teapot brewed a fresh batch of tea, Abby chittered a happy little song to herself as she anticipated the blissful taste of her bedtime beverage.

Pine and wind

Water and sap

These are the tea I brew

Before my bedtime nap

Chu chu chu

Chee chee chee

I’m so happy I discovered you!

Her joyful singing attracted the attention of her neighbor, Airy another Abert squirrel. Curious about what was the cause of his neighbor breaking out into song, he scurried down to the ground then leaped across the way to Abby working on the ground. She was busy using her incisors to nibble a wound into the bark of the giant tree that would bring the tasty sap to the surface. She turned to greet Airy with a flick of her tail and then went back to work.

<What was that song you were singing?>he asked as he followed her as she made her way around the base of the tree creating some new cuts to drip out the sweet sap.

<It’s my tea song> she replied. Her little nose twitched, her ears perked back checking for any unfriendly sounds. She stopped and began to chew on a dry and gummy drop of sap left from an old wound. Airy joined her and together they licked and nibbled the sweet treat away.

<Would you like to have some tea with me?> Abby asked. Airy was one of her favorite neighbors,and they sometimes shared a meal, though she spent most of her time alone.

<I guess so; what is tea?> he wondered aloud.

<It is something I discovered and it’s lovely- a real delight> she replied and then dashed off up her tree.

<Come on!> she called after Airy who sat below still wondering what she meant.

She didn’t have to call twice as Airy twitched his tail and wiggled his nose as he bounded up the tree after Abby. Airy loved the way Abby smelled and he always enjoyed sharing a meal with her. Sometimes on very cold nights when he felt shivery, he quietly crept into her nest and curled up next to her warm little body, being careful to not startle her awake.

Up they climbed to the crown. The shimmering water had taken on a pale golden hue from the fresh pine needles brewing in it.

<Ahhh! Do you smell that?> Abby asked. <Take a taste- it’s delicious!>

He could smell the pleasantly spicy mix and did not hesitate to taste it.

With a sigh of contentment he said< That is yummy!>

And so, many a bedtime found the two friendly squirrels together at the teapot crevice. Abby taught Airy her song and they would sing and chatter together creating new variations each time:

Chee Chee Chee

Chu Chu Chu

We’re so glad we discovered you!

Bedtime teatime with a good friend

It is the best to a happy day’s end!

The two sat side by side looking at the bright full moon for a long moment and then descended the old Ponderosa Pine quietly to creep into Abby’s cozy nest for a good night’s sleep nestled snugly together.