how you know your neighbor needs some time with the buddha.

this handsome devil hangs out in our yard.

the cats climb on him and lounge in his hands.

the boybarians play baseball and he has a front row seat.

he has an old plum tree overhead, and afternoon son.

he seems happy.

and every once in awhile when one of the boybarians is having a hard time with listening or being kind or being overly sensitive or controlling their anger or whatever else will plague a boy and turn him into a quivering lump of emotions i will tell them to go sit in front of the buddha and just be silent. to just sit and look at the buddha and find some calm.

SO this fine sunny morning the lord of the ring and i were enjoying a few moments on the front porch when we heard a squirrel start his squirrel song in a tree not far away but not on our part of the property.

now, if you haven't heard a squirrel singing a squirrel song it's a repetitive and high pitched chirping and it's annoying. i think they do it for mating purposes? since i'm not a squirrel expert i don't really know why they do it i just know they do it and i just think it's part of living in the world. even if it can be an annoying part. especially if you're trying to sleep.

but, you put a pillow over your head or get up for the morning and call it good. or if you're sitting on the porch enjoying the morning you say

"oh pipe down!"

"get a room!"

and other corny phrases.

which is what the lord of the ring and i were doing. and the squirrel ignored us and continued his song and we continued our chat.

then

BOOM!

and the song was silenced.

yep, the neighbor shot the squirrel.

maybe he was tired and trying to sleep? maybe he had a migraine? maybe he just doesn't have a sense of humor and can't joke about the annoyance or just ignore it?

whatever it is, he's an ass.

and CLEARLY could use some time with the buddha.

x.