Saturday, Sept. 24

It’s not that I’m angry, I’m just feeling unsettled. All of the sudden you were back. And by you, I mean the entire student body of Linfield, and then some. Campus feels crowded and that makes me miss the summer months. I don’t even particularly love the summer season, I just consider it more peaceful. There’s more time to wander around, unphased and undisturbed by bipedal individuals. 

But just like that, the fall semester was underway. So much so, it’s now more than four weeks in and I’m still trying to readjust to campus life. Last year felt easier. People were more distant, almost scared to make eye contact. At least that’s how it appeared to me as I made my campus rounds and dodged in and out of the Dillin tent. 

The only positive of campus life regaining an almost full swing, at least I’m perceiving it as positive at the moment, is less attention on me. It seems students are less on edge and less curious about the squirrels now that more campus activities are allowed. I’m noticed more casually these days, kind of overlooked like an insect on a tree. While I think I like it, sometimes I still feel myself yearning for more attention. We’ll see how long this lasts.

Tuesday, Sept. 28

I promise I’m trying. Especially now that fall is upon us I will be trying extra hard to be welcoming. Oh hey, freshmen! I have always loved the first season change on campus. Every year without fail students will line up outside of Starbucks pretending to think of what to order, when it’s obvious they’re only after anything pumpkin spice flavored. Typically, this works out in my favor.

The pumpkin scent that rolls out of Starbucks fuels my enjoyment of fall; the transition from warm to rain would otherwise be filled with resentment. My favorite scenario is when students decide to order the pumpkin loaf and dig in once they exit the building. These crumbs will always keep me coming back. The only downside to fall is the fashion. For goodness sake, leave the turtle necks and scarves at home! It’s way too often that they catch the crumbs before anything good can make it to the ground. 

I still reminisce on last fall when someone walked out of Starbucks with a cake pop in hand. I think in an overeager effort to devour the treat, only one bite in and the rest of the cake slipped off the stick. Frozen and dumbfounded by their error, I was able to swoop in and inhale the remains. My mouth waters just thinking about it. Sometimes it’s a really rewarding life as a squirrel on a college campus… sometimes.

~a Linfield squirrel