Squirrel in Bluebird House – Photo © by Jim Ruppel 2026

Looks like this little guy has found his safe place, a sanctuary in the bluebird house. What a strange place to land. Must be something there that makes him feel warm and cozy. 

Isn’t that what we seek? That one place where we can settle in, let it all go – ahhhh, and feels just right. I love that and I have had places like that over the years. It changes depending on where you live and what’s going on in your life.  

When I was little, I remember a huge hedge on the front corner of our house. Dad used to trim it like a hedge, but as it grew, he let it grow tall until it grew up to the roof. I found an opening close to the house where I could squeeze in, crawl inside where it widened, and sit on the dirt in a clear space. I would sit there and watch cars go by, people talking, coming and going – all the activity in the neighborhood and no one could see me. I had my own special hiding place that I kept secret. It was just mine – my sanctuary. I can still feel the glee and giggles as I remember having that secret little place for my very own as a kid.  

As I got a little older (around 10), I was allowed to explore the neighborhood on my bike or hike around. There was another place I used to go that felt like my own little spot. Sometimes after dinner, I would go outside when it got dark and just hang out in the backyard and look at the stars. And other times I would follow the sidewalk, up a hill and out of our neighborhood. It was a little hike to follow the paved road that wound up and around the neighborhood.  

The road was the entry way in and out with an elementary school at the top. I would walk up there after dark and sit in the grass in the back of the school and look out east at the distant skyline. Everything was lit up, and you could see the highways, little cars, Philadelphia International Airport and the little planes flying in and out.  If you listened closely in the quiet darkness, you could hear the faint busy hum of cars and planes. It was mesmerizing and dreamy. I just wanted to stay there all night.  

Then, as I got older and in my preteen and teenage years, there was the ocean at my grandparents in Virginia. I would go to the beach at the end of town a couple of blocks away and just keep walking and walking, it seemed like forever. With the smell of the salty air, sound of seagulls and the sand, I could lose myself in the flow and rhythm of the ocean as I walked in my own little world.  

The further I walked along the beach, the more remote it got, and the shoreline got closer to the ocean. There were all sorts of shells in the sand and remains of horseshoe crabs that had washed up on the shore. All waiting to be discovered and explored. It felt good and comforting and was another happy place. 

Then when I married and moved out west to Colorado, everything was so different – the sky, the smells and wide-open spaces in every direction. The trees and earth were different – pines, aspens and rocky terrain. And, for over 50 years in the places that we’ve lived here, I’ve found my happy spots and sanctuaries too. 

Right now, it’s in our backyard up in the mountains. We sit out every day and in the evening after dinner and watch the birds, critters and all the subtle changes in the neighborhood. Tonight, there was a momma deer and her baby, and she stayed in the yard while her little guy watched from outside the fence. Then, she laid down while a bunny hopped up close to her and scampered off. A small buck passed through and scared two other bunnies playing around in the high grass.  

It’s our sanctuary and sometimes we just sit there and not say a word for a long time, just lost in our thoughts and feelings watching the world as it goes on around us. It feels safe and warm, like we’re wrapped in a blanket and a sense of “All is well”. 

So, this little guy, discovering and exploring, seems to be happy and comfortable in the spot he has found – his happy place – the bluebird house for now.  

Squirrel Invading the Bluebird House – Photo © by Jim Ruppel 2026

Maybe you have spots and safe places like that you like to call your sanctuary, a back porch or a coffee nook with a big window. I hope so, and that you visit them often and just rest and soak in all the energy that is there. It’s your happy place – your spot. 

Pat from the ‘ol kitchen table