Things that Go Thump in the Night

Halloween always makes me think about things that go thump in the night. At my house there has been a lot of night thumping. Not ghosts, and such, but an onslaught of oak trees relieving themselves of their fruit. I’m not sure how they drop in such a forceful way, nor how they are slung so far from the trees. They hit roofs, windows, doors, and decks, with thunderous sounds that brings up visions of assault rifles. My dog is having a nervous breakdown while constantly trying to guard the house.

I have not seen a single squirrel gathering the acorns. You would think they would be squirreling about, happy to store them for winter. With no little varmints in sight, I wonder if it’s because of the force they are falling. Maybe they are smart and plan to wait until they stop falling from the trees. Or it could be they think the sky is falling like Chicken Little, and are staying out of the way.

My poor car has been attacked as well. Acorns come raining down on it like oversized hailstones on a tin roof, and no matter where I park it, the stately oaks seem to find it. I have read that in a good year, one tree can produce thousands of acorns, and this is a good year. Although more than 100 species of birds and animals include acorns in their diets, with gray squirrels, blue jays, black bears, chipmunks, ruffed grouse, and deer mice making it their main food source, I’m not seeing a mad rush to harvest the acorns. I will just be glad when they stop falling. I am tired of hearing things that go bump in the night.