Don't feed the Squirrels

Come to Manning park. See deer bounding through meadows and bears eating berries. Slide the slopes and trails in the winter and hike them in the summer. Camp and enjoy nature. Or just stop at the rest stop for half an hour while your kids toss bits of bread -- bread they have finagled from other tourists eating their lunches -- to the ground squirrels and birds. Everyone knows we shouldn't feed wild life but these aren't real wild life. They are like the monkeys in Japan who demand food from passing tourists and will actually go into their cars to look for it. These squirrels and birds are as domesticated as any pet. Probably more so than some cats. My daughter actually managed to pet one of the squirrels. No mean feat after my son had spent the better part of half an hour chasing every squirrel he could find. And then he wondered why they wouldn't eat out of his hand. Doy. As the children get older the stops get longer. I imagine the trip to Grandma's house may be a two day affair some day. Lets hope that is a long time in the future.