Time to Celebrate

I hope you will all join me in celebration! I will be doing my part tomorrow morning.

It's Squirrel Day. Really

By Mike Brownlee
WORLD-HERALD NEWS SERVICE

COUNCIL BLUFFS — Today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day.

To celebrate, residents are encouraged to nibble food furiously, climb trees and appear to be scared of everything. Well, not really.

But it really is a day to celebrate an animal whose black incarnation is celebrated by Council Bluffs

“We certainly appreciate squirrels, every day,” said Kathy Fiscus, director of leisure marketing for the Council Bluffs Area Chamber of Commerce.

Fiscus mentioned Chipper, the black squirrel that serves as the official mascot of the city.

“That’s our way of embracing the black squirrel. It’s a way to introduce some natural history to children in a fun and positive way,” Fiscus said.

Christy Hargrove, a wildlife rehabilitator in Asheville, N.C., established National Squirrel Appreciation Day in 2001, according to holidayinsights.com. “Celebration of the event itself is up to the individual or group,” she said, “anything from putting out extra food for the squirrels to learning something new about the species.”

Today also is National Hugging Day, though a combination of the two holidays is not advised.

I will be hugging them - as will Tess and Gonzo. If you get a chance to celebrate, let me know!

Thanks Kathy for sharing the link!