Squirrel-ché # 7

“You’re up a creek without a squirrel.”

Once considered to be master guides, squirrels were often asked to accompany travelers on long expeditions, especially in uncharted territories. During these early days of discovery, if a journeyman went missing during his travels or became lost then it was most likely because he’d neglected to enlist the services of a squirrel. Those who had the forethought to bring a squirrel along on their journey were usually richly rewarded, and our history provides us with numerous examples of this, although the recognition to the squirrel is suspiciously missing from all accounts. For instance, the great squirrel who is responsible for many of the discoveries of the Lewis and Clark expedition has yet to be credited. Alas, the squirrel has so often been under-appreciated and if we truly knew the debt we owed them then paddles wouldn’t get acknowledgment for their victories.