Gliding through the Night

As a fresher in the woods of Selim Hill, I keep discovering new and fascinating angles. One evening, just as the sun was setting, I saw some movement on the high on the treetops. There it went again, which bird was it, it seemed to kind of almost jump from tree to tree. The activity continued for a good ten minutes. Later, I found out these were flying squirrels. What I did not know then is that it is not easy to spot a flying squirrel. They are very well camouflaged and our night vision is not as good as theirs.

There is so much exotica in the whole idea of the flying squirrels. It’s as if little spirits come out every night, frolic and cavort, then disappear at dawn. They’re a reminder that all sorts of things happen when we’re not around to witness them. Even if we rarely see gliding mammals in the wild, it's nice to know they're still out there, patrolling primeval woods as they did long before our own species existed.

Living at Second Chance House teaches you to co-exist and be tolerant of other creatures (something the city makes you forget). Flying Squirrels are like trapeze artists that are swinging from branch to branch under the starry skies and floodlight of the moon. They land with a thud on our tin roof, followed by a scurrying and patterned tap dance. These animals are extremely active and almost never travel alone.

It is a challenge falling asleep with all the noise around. However, the activity stops in an hour or two, and soon there is peace.

Flying Squirrels can manoeuver with amazing dexterity while in the air. The ground is another story. Their loose folds of skin make the squirrels ungainly on earth. They flop around clumsily, easy prey for raccoons, foxes and feral cats. A constant reminder that each one of us has his/her personal strength. The sad part is that we are constantly evaluating the ability of the fish to climb a tree.

Humans have long sought to replicate the flying squirrel's gliding abilities. Flying squirrels don’t have their own means of propulsion, like a bird or bat, but glide using a furry membrane called the patagium that connects at their wrists down to their ankles. When they leap from a tree and spread their limbs, this flap of loose skin forms a square and acts like a hang glider. Imagine, if you were stuck in a traffic jam during peak hours and you could whip out your cape and just swing from tree to tree and reach your destination.

Squirrels as a species are diurnal, however the flying squirrels are nocturnal. A little like humans, don’t you think? Dorje Teas is for the for those who drink by day and for those who drink at night. We have many different types of flavoured teas for all the different human sub species.

Write to me at Editor@Dorjeteas.com

To see our range of flavoured teas, click on https://dorjeteas.com/collections/wellness-range