By Bob Gaydos

The rare black squirrel.

The last time I saw a black squirrel (which is actually the first time I ever saw a black squirrel), was just about a year ago. Well, I just saw another one, this time much closer to home.

These are one-in-10,000 animals in their species and are regarded in many cultures as magic or wise, in others as an omen of trust, preparation and foresight.

All that collecting of nuts before the winter comes (as it does to the mid-Hudson area of New York), I’m guessing.

Combining the squirrel’s magical powers and nut-collecting nature, last fall I went looking to connect the magical dots and collect other nuts.

I found JD Vance. He was on TV bragging about how he and Trump had made up a story about Haitians in   Springfield, Ohio, stealing and eating their neighbors’ cats and dogs. Bragging.

The story naturally created an atmosphere of fear and tension in Springfield, with all kinds of accusations being tossed about, meetings canceled, bomb threats made to hospitals, schools, even City Hall.

Vance said they did it because people were ignoring the message Trump and Vance were offering as candidates for president and vice president of the United States. Basically, that immigrants were doing awful things here in America and had to be gotten rid of.

Apparently it worked. No dogs or cats were actually ever eaten in Springfield, Ohio, but Trump and Vance were elected and you know the rest.

And both are still nuts.

This past Saturday, when some 7 million Americans (or more) were peacefully gathering in the streets of towns and cities across the country, our dynamic leadership duo came up with a brilliant idea to have the US Navy fire live missiles from the Pacific Ocean over highways into California to land at Camp Pendleton, a Marine training base, supposedly to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the US Marines. Which, by the way, was not last Saturday.

Trump did not close any highways as a safety precaution for the firing of the missiles, which was actually a heavy-handed, obvious attempt to try to frighten any people planning to participate in No Kings demonstrations in California.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, being of sound mind, shut down a 17-mile portion of the usually busy highway over which the missiles were scheduled to be fired.

The only ones who would be present on the highway in mid-afternoon (Pacific Time) with the missiles flying overhead would be Vance  and his motorcade, since he was to offer some words of congratulations to the Marines.

Well, as fate and black squirrels would have it, one of the live missiles exploded prematurely, raining down shrapnel on the vehicles in Vance’s motorcade. The California Highway Patrol reported that one of its vehicles was hit by the shrapnel.

I feel compelled to note that I saw the squirrel (a young one I think) on the East Coast at pretty much the same time the missiles were flying on the West Coast. I also have a witness who was with me in the car at the time.

The message here? Pay attention when you see a black squirrel to what else is going on around you.

Also, Donald Trump and JD Vance are frightened, soulless creatures who have no business being anywhere near the ultimate seat of power in this country and will do anything to remain there.

The peaceful No Kings Day gatherings demonstrated that more Americans are finally starting to connect the dots. Meanwhile, I’m going to keep my eye out for that black squirrel that moved into my neighborhood.