Description
9:30 am • Two Whistle Pigs hang out on their deck, eating from the forest floor before venturing back into their underground homes. The sun isn’t too hot yet, and the flowers taste fresh, with just a bit of dew on them to help hydrate these critters’ wet whistles. It is a calm morning so these critters are quiet but they have a shrill whistle ready to go if they detect any sign of predators. Until then they will eat the fresh bounty provided by the spring rains and propagated by the pollinators to give them extra energy for tunnel construction and young Whistle Pig rearing.
Whistlepigs (aka Groundhogs) are considered a nuisance by many humans because their underground homes inconvenience human dwellings and farms. They also eat flowers and fruits that humans may want to keep for themselves. Since they are common it is easy for humans to take their presence for granted and see them as pests. This is always an easy association to make when things get in humans’ way but I like to look at life with a bit more of a balanced perspective. Sure, Whistle Pigs can be a pain, but they are also incredible and fascinating. I haven’t ever had a chance to chat with a Whistle Pig but I always imagine if I did they might respond to my thoughts on their existence with a quick (and maybe shrill) “Sure, you humans can be a pain, but you also can be incredible and fascinating.” And I imagine they might follow up with a compliment; “and you sure can grow some delicious flowers.”
Featured flora and fauna • Whistle Pigs, Black-eyed Susan, Red Clover, Phlox, Sessile-leaf Bellwort, Clouded Sulphur Butterfly, Downy Yellow Violet
14” x 11” Acrylic on Canvas ©2022
