By Vladimir Brezina
The Daily Post’s Photo Challenge this week is Happy. And Ailsa’s Travel-Themed Photo Challenge is Animals. So…
Zhuangzi and Huizi were strolling along the bridge over the Hao River. Zhuangzi said, “The minnows swim about so freely, following the openings wherever they take them. Such is the happiness of fish.”
Huizi said, “You are not a fish, so whence do you know the happiness of fish?”
Zhuangzi said, “You are not I, so whence do you know I don’t know the happiness of fish?”
Huizi said, “I am not you, to be sure, so I don’t know what it is to be you. But by the same token, since you are certainly not a fish, my point about your inability to know the happiness of fish stands intact.”
Zhuangzi said, “Let’s go back to the starting point. You said, ‘Whence do you know the happiness of fish?’ Since your question was premised on your knowing that I know it, I must have known it from here, up above the Hao River.”
I don’t know about fish, but these squirrels sure look happy to me…
A second interpretation of “Animals” is here.
Vladimir Brezina (RIP) 
Johna Till Johnson
Wind Against Current 
Oh! To watch a tree full of squirrels racing through the branches and round and round the trunks is worth every moment spent in rapt attention!
Yes, these are happy animals!
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You have understood! ;-)
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I can do little else except watch and smile until they finally dash through the treetops to another hide-n-go-seek spot!
z
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Squirrels are funny animals that love to play chase, dig holes and plant seeds only to dig them up. Wonderful photos. Great post to cover Happy and Travel theme: Animals. ;)
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Yes, they are much more interesting than fish…
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Love squirrels. Can watch them forever. When I lived in Bridgeport I used to feed them so they wouldn’t dig up the gardens. It worked but one of them figured out the doggie door and where I kept the peanuts. Still love them lil buggers. Thanks for sharing :-)
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You are most welcome, Vicki!
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Pingback: Travel Theme: Animals | a hectic life
Creative combination of the photo themes! ~ Kat
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Thanks, Kat! :-)
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Excellent job, both the writing and combining two photo challenges in one.
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They just seemed to come together naturally…
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Love it, Vlad. That top squirrel looks like a bit of a philosopher himself. Brilliant series of ‘how many squirrels can fit in a tree’ :)
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He looks like a wiseguy ;-)
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I had a little Chihuahua once who loved to play chase with the squirrels in the back yard. I think the squirrels thought they were Chihuahuas, and were happy; or maybe the Chihuahua thought he was a squirrel and was happy :) Love your photos.
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That’s cute… thanks, Angeline!
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I love your happiness of a fish story…and the images are pretty darn good too
:)
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A classic story… thanks, Jo!
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Surely fish are happy, but most definitely, those adorable squirrels. :-) Love the story.
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Thanks, Angelia!
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Squirrels! I don’t care what anybody says, I like them.
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I think most people do… :-)
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You haven’t met some of the vegetable gardeners I know…
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:-)
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What a life – eat and play
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It gets tough in winter, though… especially if half the time they can’t remember where they buried their nuts and seeds…
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: HAPPY « iñigo boy
Those squirrels have the most adorable faces. A happy life they have, for sure. :)
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I am sure they have…
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy! | Mirth and Motivation
We don’t have squirrels in Australia, but we were lucky enough to encounter them during our two northern hemisphere trips (UK in 2006 and Canada last year). They are truly fascinating and joyful animals. Great post!
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They are happy… ;-)
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This is indeed a wondrous combination of the photo challenges this week. I can sense the squirrels’ glee. :)
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I watched them for hours, it seemed like, chasing each other around and up and down that tree…
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I’m happy to send most of my squirrel population to you. I adore all of nature. But I have to gird myself to tolerate their antics that daily try to raid the bird feeders. I’ve resorted to giving them leftovers. Seems to keep them jolly. Nice photos.
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:-) Thanks!
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy « What's (in) the picture?
Great set of photos, Vlad, and I love the fish story :-)
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It’s a classic… although it was hard to find a translation I liked.
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy and Travel Theme: Animals | Travel. Garden. Eat.
They are so cute! And I love how you’ve combined two photo challenges :)
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The photo challenges are proliferating… have to do something about it! ;-)
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Nice combination! I adore squirrels – have a red one in my garden.
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Only gray ones here in NYC. (There are some black ones, but they are apparently just color variants of the grays.)
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This is the first photo collection of squirrels that I’ve seen. Thanks for the new experience ;)
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You are most welcome!
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Pingback: Animal Expressions | Wind Against Current
Great cocktail of Challenge !
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Thank you—glad you like it! :-)
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My husband and I once watched a couple of (we think) male squirrels chase a (we think) female squirrel up and down the trees in our yard for a good 45 minutes…fascinating!
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Yes, one can watch them for hours :-)
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four on one tree -never seen!
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Yes, it’s pretty rare. There was actually an even larger group of them, combining and recombining over multiple trees, but four was the most I managed to get into one shot…
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy « Pictures for Froghopper
That last shot looks like they need a traffic cop! Great photos!
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Thanks!! :-)
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I love your squirrel photos!! Funny, I am about to submit my animal post and it is on one thirsty camera shy squirrel!! LoL!!
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Many people submitted squirrel photos—they are such happy animals! Looking forward to yours!
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Squirrels are very happy looking with lightning speed reactions–truly inspirational for sure!!
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Pingback: Weekly Photo Challenge: Happy « Authentic Photography
Amazing! The way they scale that tree and their looks – they are incredibly cute! How can some people harm them?
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Round here, people are pretty happy to see them. Of course, it’s not their nuts the squirrels are eating…
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Hehe I’d hope so! We have some of them here as well but only in the leavy suburbs – apparently the like attacking some people! Woohoo, bring it on!
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I haven’t heard of any squirrel attacks here, but we do have swans attacking, and in at least one case capsizing, local kayakers :-)
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Swans attacking? Right, safer to steer clear of all the animals, just in case they decide to eat you.
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I don’t think the swans want to eat you, but they can be very aggressively territorial and they have a mean temper. Here‘s a recent case where the swan actually won a fight to the death with a kayaker…
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That is really scary!
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Happy, indeed :)
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Yes! :-)
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