A Tale of Two Squirrels

"A Mouse Tale" happened back in March.

And I kid you not that six weeks later, I witnessed this on the streets of Pasadena, too.

I was out for my Sunday morning walk through Pasadena - a weekly ritual of mine. I was coming up to the corner of Del Mar and Los Robles, about five blocks down from my apartment complex. I was waiting to cross over Los Robles to head three blocks to my Starbucks and then the final two to my apartment with my morning coffee.

As I was waiting for the light to change, I saw ahead of me down Del Mar, on the other side of Los Robles, two squirrels in the grass looking for the opportunity to cross Del Mar. They were not at the cross walk like the mouse from my previous story. They were preparing to jaywalk.

So, the coast was clear from both directions and the first squirrel took off. It did not wait for the second squirrel to decide anything - it ran and made it.

Meanwhile, the second squirrel almost left with the first squirrel but ended up hemming-and-hawing over it all. One foot down off the curb, pulls it back up. Down, up. Down and go! By the time he decided to go, a car was coming down Del Mar on the far side of the street - right where the second squirrel was headed. He kept going. Stopped in the center lane...briefly. Then made a run for it. You've never seen a squirrel run. He made it just in time.

But I think, lucky for Squirrel No. 2, the car saw him indecisively wonder where to go next in the street and slowed down.

Or was it the red light the car had that slowed it down? The light changed and the car continued on. I crossed and wondered, "What is it about Pasadena rodents that make them take on the streets like that?"