Oct 22.

10/22/2025 10:46. Correspondence 65

I had motivation today. I have been very busy. Very very busy. I got nearly everything done. Nearly everything. 

I reach for profound things to say in this moment, but they elude my tired brain. 

Instead I will share some creative writing, a draft of a script for an upsoming project. I hope you enjoy. 

Goodnight freinds, 

Calvin Landreth

[A still shot of an inviting cottage, hidden in a forest of grass. The title appears in a nostalgic font. We slowly start to make our way inside (Mr. Rogers' neighborhood style), and we eventually settle on an image of a familiar living room, with a kindly pillbug sitting in an armchair to the right of an old projector screen. The pillbug is busy working on a wind-up squirrel (or other silly hobby). 

HUMPHERY:

And I do believe one more turn will do it. (he fiddles a moment more with his toy) And there. (he sets it down, and it scurries off-screen. He looks up and notices us). Ohhh, hello, lovely people. I have not seen your face before; you must be new around here. Well, let me introduce myself. My name is Humphery, and welcome to my humble cottage. I am just an old fart of a Pillbug, or “Armadillidiidae” if you please, who enjoys company and a listening ear. My favorite thing to do is share the wonderful and often overlooked side of nature. Here at the University of South Carolina, there are so many more beautiful critters that deserve to be appreciated. Oh, I’m getting ahead of myself. Please make yourself comfortable. 

*Beat* 

A beautiful day it is. The autumn season is upon us now, in all its nostalgic wonder and mysticism. Autumn is a romantic season. I think we all have memories attached to the falling leaves. The summer heat starts meandering down into a noticeable chill, where we then find comfort snuggling up to loved ones. Sigh, it’s a beautiful time of year.

Now, while our activity and motivation might wane with the shrinking days, I have some friends whose activity swells during these transitional months: Squirrels! Now, let's begin our lesson. 

The projector kicks on, showing biological diagrams of squirrels, and Humphery clears his throat 

Squirrels, being of the “sciuridae” family in the “Rodentia order, are a collection of 268 species of rodents that range from ground squirrels, flying squirrels, chipmunks, prairie dogs, and marmots. While that is an awful large amount of critters, today we will be focusing on squirrels seen around campus, mainly the Eastern Gray squirrel! Dear viewer, if you have not seen one of these delightful creatures, it’s easy to do so: Step 1. Go outside. Step 2. Look around. It is as simple as that. The Eastern Gray squirrel’s scientific name is “Sciurus Carolinensis”, a name literally meaning “Squirrel of Carolina”. If USC ever needs a new mascot, the eastern grey squirrel seems to me like a great candidate, but I digress. These squirrels find themself’s in so many eastern city parks and communities because of their ability to mesh with humans so well. They are passive, independent, and resourceful. It also helps that they are quite cute. The phenomenon of squirrels on campus is one seen around the country, to the point where they have become ingrained in campus culture. What would your daily walk to class be without seeing one of these little guys? They are hardy creatures with a love of food. They scavenge for nuts, seeds, berries, and even tree bark. They practice what’s known as scatter-hording, where they collect and store food in many small locations for later recovery. They will often forget where all their food caches are and end up planting flowers and trees. What helpful critters! They do not hibernate, but work hard to bulk up during autumn to stay warm and healthy through winter.