good morning jacob

f l o r i d a

Imagine an animal that grew leaves in place of hair.  

This cow wouldn't need to eat food to give it energy. 

How many leaves do you think it would take 

to maintain its body temperature, enabling it 

to move about while powering its heart, brain 

and other organs?  

I suspect a large shrub growing from its back 

would be necessary to meet its needs - 

one too heavy to carry around.  Which is the point of 
being an animal.  No roots.  Legs.

This squirrel would starve eating like a cow because

grass is a poor source of energy.  Our tree rodent here

has just cashed in with a tasty power ball clenched

in its teeth. Rocky runs on premium and gets terrible mileage.
What's with the high burn rate?  Why is it built to wear out

after three to five years?  Maybe because in nature 

as a squirrel you'd be lucky to last two.  
Durability is no longer relevant once you are dead.

Nature's solar cells.

Revolutionary - like inventing the wheel.

Life develops a means of converting 

a photon of light into one sugar molecule.

Or should I say carbon.

Chemical energy.

Life harnesses the sun's power and puts 

it to its own uses.  Things like building 
new infrastructure along with meeting 
constant maintenance and transport needs.
Then there is creating provision for 
life's continuation.

Dragonflies love feeding off a fresh slab of insect.

They'd rather starve than eat grass.  

But you know how the food chain goes.  Something 

eats the dragonfly which, in turn, ate one of its pond neighbors which ate something else and so on.

Until we get to the leaves which nabbed 

the photon's power in the first place.

That chemical ball of energy has by now 
been recreated in several life forms before 
finding its current home in our red dragonfly.

Form follows function.

Grabbing a bite to eat.

Aerodynamics.

Do you think they enjoy sunsets?
Ever hear of a bird spending the day sightseeing?
Hunger pang wins over love of beauty among
the living.  Feelings are what we observe 
as instinct in other animals.  Their impact
ranges from suggestion to dictate that must
instantly be obeyed.  From curious to panic!

love
dad

©  Tom Taylor

coldValentine