Gray Squirrel

Saw this little guy down by the Gorge. I was surprised since he was pretty far afield from tall trees. Might explain though why I've been finding black walnuts strewn along my mowed paths. The Grove is an island of tall basswood trees located at a vulnerable erosion area in between fields. Basswood are great but not extremely long lived (Well, for a tree that is. They average around a 100 years). Dad and Uncle Walter decided some time ago to supplement the grove w/ rows of black walnut trees which are now prodigiously producing nuts. Since my brothers made new paths for me which go from the grove and eventually end up by the woods, I think the squirrels from the forest are using them as a superhighway between the "food mart" and their home.  If the squirrel is scared by a predator on the way back to the woods, they drop the nut and take off for cover.    Never occurred to me that the squirrels might use my paths to get to the grove.