01 March 2008

Fat city



And now, let us celebrate corpulence.

Our prime embodiment of Rodentian Avoirdupois, pictured here, is named Sumo. She appeared on our property in 1995 and was the first squirrel I had seen who possessed no neck. She was able-bodied, agile, and large in every way - including appetite. She is pictured here on a platform feeder where she would often enjoy a 12-course meal much in the style of Henry VIII.

Her lack of a well-defined neck in no way hampered her from bending down and touching her toes, and then touching any food strewn about those toes.

It is winter, and the temperatures have suddenly reaffirmed the season this week, and so I have been thinking lately about Sumo - an icon among all squirrels for her nice reserve of "fuel to burn." In December of that year, we humans struggled along with oil heat, gas heat or perhaps wood in some stoves and fireplaces, but Sumo efficiently burned her 9 kilocalories per gram of fat, a rather clean-burning (if not lean-burning) engine.

Sumo visited us steadily for not quite a year before moving on or otherwise taking leave of us. I miss her in a big way....which is of course, the only way one could possibly miss a squirrel like her.

7 comments:

Lone Grey Squirrel said...

I know a squirrel that will be a match to your Sumo. I called him Buddha Bur. He was the only squirrel that I saw that sat on his behind because he was so fat and he was still a youngster too when I knew him.

Kat Mortensen said...

My Orson could take your Sumo any day of the week. Ha ha!
Kat

Kat Mortensen said...

With one paw behind his fat backside even. Good thing this ain't Sparta though, cuz his grande cojones would seriously get in the way.
Orson (kat)

squirrelmama said...

Uh-oh, between Buddha Bur and Orson and Sumo, it looks like we are all gearing up for an international competition known as THE BATTLE OF THE BIG BUTTS! I wonder if any satellite channels will pick this up?

Damama T said...

They do get a hold on your heart, don't they.

Kat Mortensen said...

I'm not sure about picking it up, but (pun intended) there's bound to be some interference.
Kat

squirrelmama said...

Perhaps we will need a camera with a wide-angle lens! :-)