Yesterday, after enduring a long, cold, gray winter, we were rewarded with the first sunny and warm day of the new season. Walking home amidst throngs of cheerful college students, clad in shorts and T-shirts, there was a sense of relief in the air. Then, at the next intersection, someone did not turn quick enough and the blare of a car horn shattered the serenity. Impatience is, unfortunately, a common human trait and, as a consequence, we endure a great deal of self-imposed stress.
Wildlife, on the other hand, living by instinct and not capable of anticipating the future, are not crippled by impatience. While they do respond to the solar cycle, they are not governed by the minutes and seconds of human time. Indeed, they rely on patience for their own survival, a key to successful stalking and foraging.
Here in Missouri, human patience will be tested once again as two spring-like days yield to cold rain and snow over the coming weekend. While we grumble and resort to watching college basketball, our wild neighbors will go about their daily routine, oblivious of the fickle spring weather. After all, they have no choice.
Wildlife, on the other hand, living by instinct and not capable of anticipating the future, are not crippled by impatience. While they do respond to the solar cycle, they are not governed by the minutes and seconds of human time. Indeed, they rely on patience for their own survival, a key to successful stalking and foraging.
Here in Missouri, human patience will be tested once again as two spring-like days yield to cold rain and snow over the coming weekend. While we grumble and resort to watching college basketball, our wild neighbors will go about their daily routine, oblivious of the fickle spring weather. After all, they have no choice.
