News from the front porch for Feb. 16-22

Finches, doves, chickadees, cardinals and other birds are frequenting the feeders around the porch these days. We also have some fat squirrels that love to jump on the feeders and clear the birds out. Squirrels seem to be fearless when it comes to bird feeders. Did you know there is a ground squirrel in California that is so courageous it fights rattlesnakes?

When an adult ground squirrel finds a rattlesnake, it begins to taunt it. The squirrel dashes into striking range, whips its tail about, bites the snake's tail and kicks sand on it. While a rattlesnake can strike with lightning speed, the little ground squirrel is even faster and well able to dart out of the way. Even if it was bitten, the venom cannot kill it since these squirrels have proteins in their blood that detoxify the poison. Frustrated snakes have been known to simply retreat when faced with this treatment.

Researchers have learned that the squirrel's bag of tricks is even deeper. Rattlesnakes can see heat as infrared light. When the ground squirrel is taunting the rattlesnake, it sends additional blood to its tail, causing it to heat up, producing an infrared image for the snake, further confusing it. Interestingly enough, when the ground squirrel taunts a gopher snake, which cannot detect the infrared, it does not heat its tail. It is so amazing that God in his infinite mercy would create the ground squirrel with everything it needs to fight a rattlesnake and win.

God also provides everything we need to fight our adversary and win. When we feel hemmed in with trials, God promises to make us more than conquerors. It takes refocusing from the problems to him. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all." Psalm 34:19

Dianne Brady is an author and speaker and can be reached at gracekeeper97@yahoo.com.