
Mariposa's only daily updated online newspaper
Mountain Shadows
By Guest Editorial Writer James Heth
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Teamwork The other day while sitting out on our deck I noticed five ants marching single file along one of the boards. When they came to the crack between the boards they stopped and waved their antennas at each other and held them out over the crack which is about ¾ of an inch wide. Then they touched their antennas and scurried about in a circle. Finally three of them turned and scampered back over the board towards wherever they had come from. The other two crept back to the edge and waved their antennas out over the empty space. I settled back and turned a page in my book. After a while the three came back dragging a blade of grass behind them. The other two quickly ran over and began tugging on the grass blade until they had it over by the edge of the crack between the boards. After a bit of jostling about they shoved the grass blade across the open space and one of them gingerly walked across. Once there he/she waited until one by one the others followed. He/she had stretched out over the grass blade allowing each of the others to walk over him for the last steps to the other side. Once all five were across they quickly pulled the grass blade over and then marched across the board to the next crack and repeated the process only this time they left the grass blade in place. Several hours later when I looked the blade was gone and there was no sign of the ants. I could not help but wonder as to what kind of a world we would have if we worked together like the ants do?
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Sunday September 2, 2007