By KAREN MADORIN
Embarrassing as it is to confess, I don’t wash my car as often as I should, especially since I frequently travel long distances in buggy areas. We recently returned from a week-long trek through insect-filled territory with predictable results. Squashed bugs covered the front of the car.
From my perspective, this meant more work. I needed to gather scrub rags and detergent in order to apply serious elbow grease. From a couple of little birds’ perspectives, our grill offered gourmet delights. Looking out the window the other day, I spied two sparrows working diligently at something around the slatted metal. Upon closer inspection, these opportunists were cleaning up dried bugs. I’d delivered a feast to their doorstep.
Lately newspapers are full of articles of other examples of opportunistic feeders. Swimmers and surfers off an American beach recently discovered this the hard way. As they splashed and kicked, hungry sharks zeroed in on their movement and noise. Since bait fish usually occupy those waters, the sharks apparently thought the movement signaled dinner time. I can imagine the surprise on the parts of both the swimmers and the sharks. Neither expected that encounter. While a couple of the swimmers required surgery, thankfully, no one died in that case of mistaken identity.
Sharks are not the only creatures showing up for unexpected meal encounters. We once visited an area in Wyoming that suffered an early freeze followed by summer drought. As a result, bears that typically hang out in berry patches and the like in the mountains, showed up at Fido’s back-door dog dish.
One lady told me her sister left her back door open while she did chores. As she carried boxes from one area to another, her dog started barking frantically. Curious, she visited the dining room to see what inspired the noise. Imagine finding a bear cub had wandered into the kitchen to investigate dining options. Thank goodness she frightened him out of the house with wild gestures and screeches before his mom came looking for him.
Around the same time, in southern Colorado, a bear wandered into a bottling plant where it discovered the raspberry-flavored ice tea vat. Mental picture triggered dozens of potential ice tea commercials. It reminded me of vintage Coca Cola ads starring a big, white polar bear. This bear story offered a case of life imitating art.
Wild animals aren’t the only creatures to take advantage of perfect opportunities. I’ve never known a dog to miss a chance to clean up under a toddler. Any dog worth its keep knows where to find the good stuff. I once watched a lab snatch ice cream off a little girl’s cone as the distracted tyke waved her cone around. Its owner struggled to scold the messy-faced pooch for doing what came naturally.
On the note of letting a food thief off easily, it’s getting close to the weekend and car wash time. Can I justify another postp