El Squirrelo

He has been perched on the dashboard for near two years now. It is not at all like my dad to like stuffed animals or charms or paraphranalia at all, especcialy on the dashboard. Except for the randomness of it, it is completely out of character for him to even notice the little beast. In fact, Dad despises the rodents in general, as the tally card on the side of the fridge, entitled GRANDPA BOOG'S OKLAHOMA GOPHER COUNT indicates (#83 has been selected for a cruel fate). And the pile of discarded "Squirrel proof bird-feeders" in the barn attests to the frustration this species has caused him. But this guy has squirreled his way into Dad's heart somehow.
Once, when we were cleaning out the car we put him back in J.P's toy box where we thought he'd be more happy, but Dad soon found him and replaced him. He existence there, and his special place in Dad's heart, is a mystery to us. Sam and I were sitting in the car the other day trying to come up with a plausible squirrel theory. If I didn't know better I would like to imagine the thing is a posthumous gift from some old friend or a relic or the childhood toy of the pope or some famous person. It is not an antique nor collector item, nor of any value whatever. But apparently the thing is far from worthless to Dad.
Mystery: unsolved.