Bear There!!

Well, I can't believe I'm able to post from my Iphone, but it looks like I can do this.. Thanks to those auto-upgrades in software that announce themselves whenever I plug it in to sync it w/ my computer! But you signed on to read about nature not technology right?

Well, today I saw something that, if I were to be completely honest, I've often feared. And at the same time, it's something I never thought would ever really happen.

While our intention today was to drive down from our B&B in New Market, VA, through the lower part of the Shenandoah Valley and back up by way of the scenic road that runs along the very top of the blue ridge mountains. We got behind schedule, distracted by the grave of Robert E. Lee, Washington college, and walking the grounds of VMI (cadets in uniform can have that effect, speaking for myself *insert giggle*). It was almost sunset by the time we drove up to the National Park's gate, and paid our $15. With that came a brochure which I glanced at, my attention being caught by the caution about bears and deer. Though it was more about not feeding them so they can stay wild than about our SAFETY, a little chill ran through me... Though fleeting, I vividly pictured a bear attacking my side of the car, pulling me by the arm clean through the window, and a humiliating snippet of video shot by a tourits playing ad nauseum on the news for all the world to see. A terrible end in all ways. (BTW, this is my imagination WITHOUT the aid of caffiene or chocolate!).

Within seconds that mental romp was forgotten as I turned my attention to the gorgeous scenery. I mean all sorts of people hike and camp in the woods and few ever come across a bear. I got lost in the panoramic views and the foilage, which looked all the more afire for the last golden rays of the sun. And suddenly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world (um, which it actually Is, city girl), I saw 2 black bears out the window on my side!

And It was so amazing to actually BE seeing them, there was only a sense of wonder, not anxiety. I imagined I'd have been more likely to jump on my husband lap, this blocking his view as well as the wheel and we'd crash into a tree or something. Instead I said, " stop, I see 2 bears!!". He did a U-turn on a dime and scooted back to the spot where I fumbled with the movie camera. If I can figure it out I will post it here once home. It ends up that there was a cub as well. The bear looked right at us for a timeless few moments and only for a nano second, in the very back of my consciousness, did I consider the aforementioned horror scene. It was just too amazing to grok that I was seeing the animal that-- let's face it-- brings up that Lind of fear on most of us. But in it's natural setting it was quite an honor to have a glimpse. I work with exotic animals regularly but to really see these bears living in the forest on their own left me struck with wonder and awe.

Animals do have such power over us! More on this later. My index finger may need a cast...

Time Wasters

I have such a good story for the next post. I wrote it three nights ago on my tiny iPhone keypad, using one finger... But since I'd pre-loaded the baby duck photo, the giraffe video and the picture below, that story had to wait its turn. So please check back in a day or so! In the mean time, this post is part of the continuing series of Adventures that occurred on our honeymoon. By virtue of spending 3 wks in New Zealand and an additional week (too short) in Australia, I collected a plethora of adventures in nature, ranging from the usual to the outrageous and extreme.

Today's mention fits into the category of the former, though having never spent time with goats, let alone ones names Ringo and Lilly, I personally found nothing usual about it!

This is on the rolling 40 acre homestead of my friends who moved from LA about 6 years before, to live out their dream of a simple, good life. They found this land with a house they've since rennovated - mostly with their own hands. While these two goats are theirs and they hope to have more animals, for now they lease out much of it for sheep to graze (a great way to mow and fertilize the land while bringing in a bit of cash). They mulch, they built and grow most of their own fruits and vegetables and make most of their own furniture. He's a volunteer fireman and edits arthouse movie trailers, she started a theater co., helped wheelchair bound kids experience freedom by learning to ride horses, writes,sews and goes into nearby Auckland to see plays. They're great cooks and have made lots of friends to keep them busy, as if the things I've listed aren't enough!

All of this is to explain the title of this post. These goats are so amusing that my friends feel they spend far too much time being distracted from their many chores by them. Hence their nickname -- time wasters! They come right over to you at the fence like this and won't let you go. They want treats, pats on the head, their ears scratched. That's Ringo in the foreground with a look that says, " Drop the camera and give me BETTER attention!" I admit it took a little getting used to their eyes- the pupils are horizontal rather than vertical, which gives off a kind of alien vibe.

They are leash trained so they can come out of their pen to enjoy long walks. Perhaps the funniest part is when they may wantto go faster or stray off the path and told no. They express themselves by delivering a nice little headbutt to the behind of whomever's holding that leash. Once our friends finally free themselves from these two hooligans and indeed get back to work Lilly and Ringo can be seen settling in atop the tin roof of their shelter (as goats love to climb) perhaps to keep an eye on their masters, or better yet, coerce them into coming back.

Though I have much yet to write on our adventures in New Zealand, there are a few others to be found under that label on the right of this page

A Moment for Giraffe Appreciation

I loaded a few things before I left so I could post them while away if I could get to a computer. I took a little video of this one year old baby girl last weekend while I took my friends and their kids to a special feeding. There's no great story behind it, just my way of inviting you to join me in my appreciation of these sweet beasts. There is one point she raises her head and my camera tilts way up... Reminds you how tall she is and how much taller she's destined to be-- her daddy's almost 18 feet high!

Fuzzy Wuzzy

A lone baby duckling was turned in to the wildlife rehab the other day. This one was as fuzzy to the touch as it looks.

I wish you could have seen his little feet. The top half were burnt orange and the bottom half -- closest to his legs -- was a nice mahogany brown, just like his fuzzy head. I have no idea what kind of duck he'll grow up to be.

I've never held a baby duck before. But he was relaxed and settled quickly into my palm. I would have loved to hold him for longer, as he has no mother or brothers and sisters for company or, more importantly, to keep him warm. But though it's a privilege to be able to get this close to wild animals, if we really care about them getting a chance to live the life they were born for, it's best to not "imprint" our human selves on them. Though we mean well, they risk becoming too tame to go back and live where they can be free. I only took him out to clean his tank. After this 5 second picture, I put him back in, among the large water bowl and soft clean tee shirt I tenderly prepared for him, with a bit of chick feed sprinkled on one part of the ground. Later I balled up a thick piece of fleece and put that in with him too, hoping it might seem a little like a nice, cozy brother.

What's best for this little one is to be with other ducklings, to learn by watching them how to be a duck. It's a little tricky for babies born this late in the season. Most others are several weeks older, but if there is this one, there are others on some kind rehabber's land somewhere and I'm sure next time I go back, I will hear that he's gone somewhere to grow big, handsome and strong.

Black Squirrel Update

If you were to click here and here you will see how this frisky little girl looked just four weeks ago...   Of the nearly 1200 orphaned squirrels that got turned into the Wildlife Rehab after hurricane Ike, only two were black -- a boy and a girl - though we don't think they were siblings. Though there were several I fell in love with, you really couldn't tell who was who in the end. Besides the few whose problems set them apart -- one had no tail, another a slack jaw, still another had totally overgrown teeth and one poor male had an ouch on a very sensitive part of his anatomy --with all the rotating due to feedings and cage cleanings, the only ones you could know for sure past a few days were the two gorgeous blackies. 

There is only this one now -- the girl.  The boy has been gone for over a week, and my guess is that he went home with one of the people who have land near plenty of trees who are trained and licensed to ease them into the wild over a period of many weeks. He was always bigger, looked older -- another reason we figured they weren't sibs.  

After giving her 6 cc's of Esbilac for breakfast today (in addition to nuts and fruits and water in the cage), I decided to take a quick movie. I'm about to go out of town for 9 days and figure when I get back in there she too may be gone.  What cracks me up is that at the end, she's checking out the camera then clearly sees a squirrel in the lens and gives a start (or is poised in attack mode!) If you missed that, hit play again. 

And just so you can see how big the little Fox/Red that's in the tank with her is going to get around this time next year, check out this squirrel I gave a pecan to tonight in the park.  

I understand that squirrels get a winter coat and eat as much as they can to survive an anticipated food shortage.  But what's with these Texan squirrels? It's not 95 degrees with 100% humidity anymore, but it's still fairly warm here. It can get down to 35 for a few nights ... but not until January.  But suddenly all the wild squirrels look like mini Michelin Men. 

Seen through my adoring eyes there's only more to love.

A Rat It Is Not!

I think we need to shift what the word rodent conjurs up when we hear it. We think of oogly, disease carrying, filthy RATS, with sharp teeth and long wet tails, scurrying around when we least expect it, scaring the shyte out of us.

BUT-- those adorable little squirrels I've been posting about are rodents. Some people refer to them as tree rats. Harsh! Insensitive! Other rodents like the nutria, while not exactly as cuddly, and beavers, a bit more cute, have been casually called water rats. Defamation!

Who doesn't smile at the playful little chipmunk? Well, they are rodents too.

And so is this little being below. I'd never seen one before, and I'm wondering if you ever have. Usually she is curled up in a ball asleep, so this is a rare daytime clip of her in action... well, she seems like she first plays dead then springs back, literally.

She has floppy ears like a bunny, big eyes with long lashes like a giraffe, teeth like a beaver and a tail like a fox. And she hops like a kangaroo (though she doesn't come with the pocket).

It's a SpringHaas (or spring hare). Who knew?!?

This mammal is quite common in the Savannahs of South and East Africa, the desert region. And this soft, fuzzy gal IS considered a rodent, most closely related to squirrels, gophers and beavers.

Springhaas are nocturnal, so they only come to life at night, by literally leaping from the underground burrows in which they sleep. And lively they are, digging holes in dirt and hopping from plant to plant for their bulbs and roots. Their ability to hop 6 feet at a time aids them well in avoiding predators.

Next time you hear the word rodent, you no longer have to think of something icky. Think instead of these crazy little guys, Chip and Dale or Rocky the Flying Squirrel, or even of Baxter, the Nutria. Okay, with Baxter, I may be pushing it...

Gotcha

These are fruit bats, hangin' out. There's an exhibit where we keep all the boys together. Though your first reaction might be to shiver, if you focus just on their faces you'd think they looked a lot like little dogs. They have dark smooth fur, cute little ears, a nicely shaped snout and a warm wet nose, just like Fido. If you double click on this photo it will blow up so you can see what I mean. (If you don't do it now, I guarantee you will by the end of this post).

And like that squirrel I wrote about (click here to see), they are quite obviously well equipped. Who knew?

I'm not saying I know what it means, but look closely at this picture. What the heck is the guy on the right doing, putting his little hand in his pal's crotch?  Apparently finding something to be quite amusing. I'd call it cackling even.  He's clearly cackling, wouldn't you say?     

And is that other guy smiling, just a little bit?

Cat Nap

Before being able to work with animals was ever a possibility in my consciousness, let alone getting close to the big cats, I went to New Zealand on my honeymoon and saw a billboard in the middle of nowhere that read: PET A LION CUB. There was a picture of it's irresistable, furry face and a big arrow pointing down the deserted highway. I had to restrain myself from bouncing up and down in my seat and pointing as if I were two years old again. Instead I managed to say "Let's go" in my adult voice to my husband. And we did.

We found a small private zoo of sorts, very green and tropical, with short paths to a few exhibits. We made a beeline to the cat cages and there we found not one but a pair of sleepy kitties. Lots of folks came up being loud and taking pictures, who had no more interest than to see them and leave. We hung around so long, chatting with the keeper about their care and purring to the babies, that she let us touch them on their faces instead of just on their paws. Guess she knew true animal lovers when she saw them.

I just loved the way these big kitty feet were pushing against the fence while he snoozed.

As usual, you can click on any photo and it will enlarge. The first one is worth seeing the cat's face better!

Respect for ALL Life... In Theory, at least

Probably doesn't look like much, but this is a special plant.  I found it the morning that hurricane Ike had blown through. It was still raining and the wind was pretty strong yet, but I was driving around and saw this lone plant, laying on it's side in the middle of a parking lot, completely ripped from the dirt. It looked scared and lonely. Oddly, there were not other plants like it anywhere to be seen.  

What can I say? I'm clearly a giant sap, and felt compelled to scoop it up to take it home. I am also a total black thumb, but even my hideous skills were a better bet than lying with naked roots, waiting to get run over.  

It had no flowers at the time, and since I left it in my car accidentally overnight, it was fairly withered when I realized what I'd done and ran to retrieve it (it was a very disorienting time. That's my excuse and I'm stickin' to it). However late, I potted and watered it, talking lovingly to it as I patted the fresh, nutrient rich soil around it as if I were tucking a child into it's crib. I tell you it perked up within hours, and the next morning there were signs of sprouting tiny new buds-to-be. Oh joy.

Four days of scorching heat later I realized I hadn't watered it since and ran out to find those same hopeful leaves brown and the buds tragically shrunken in the dawn of life. Aghast at my own ADD, I cursed and bemoaned my horrible mothering, as my dear husband reassured me it would come to life again if I just watered it a lot.  Which HE did over the next few days, as he likes to save things too (and in this case he was saving the plant I saved from me). A few days ago I put it in the sun, and pinched off all it's dead leaves.  Two days later, voila!  It is bursting with tiny fucsia blossoms and fresh green leaves. Double click the pic 

If you don't think there's a power greater than yourself, I submit this as exhibit A!

Purpose

I just can't resist bringing my camera every few feedings to preserve what this experience has been like for me. Looking down at these little guys in the palm of my hand, I'm compelled to try to record it somehow. I want to be able to look back at this and remember it when I'm in my rocking chair. 

The movies do more for the sake of posterity than just pictures, but so far I'm not sure I've been able to capture just how utterly adorable they are. It doesn't help that I'm trying to take those movies while feeding them one drop at a time and supporting their little bodies with the other hand -- You can see the black line of the plunger eek its way down the syringe I'm holding. But I think this one below got close to it. 

His little paws kneading my palm just slayed me! I love his fuzzy forearms and how he blinks contentedly as his belly gets full.



I've noticed that unlike with other things I do, the hours fly by. I'm never really tired or want to take a break, or even get hungry. I am completely focused, in the moment. I don't think of anything else. And when I'm away from them, I can't wait to get back (it's kind of like being in love).

Part of it is because when you have squiggling little lives in your hands, all of whom have a different eating style, and some of whom are sick and need special patience and attention, you have to be focused. But it has a special essence, this kind of focus. I take it as a sign that this is really something right for me to be doing in this life.

The Other Man

I said in a post you can find here that I had a wicked lovefest going on with a male lion before I fell for my big, hunky giraffe guy.  I figured you'd like to see him, now that you've seen the G.  It certainly will convince you, if you ever had any doubt, of my very, very good taste.  I mean, look at that face!  And that three toned mane -- reddish blonde that turns first to chestnut, then into dark, mahogany brown. He's the only lion I've seen whose mane continues all the way down his chest and abdomen... it's a testosterone trifecta.  

He's ALL Man-Cat.  Look and weep gals and guys. You either want him or want to be him.

A Surprise

I was, guess what, feeding squirrels this morning and a woman who had come in to volunteer several times when I was also there asked me, "Have you seen us feeding the squirrels on the web?"  I had no idea what she was talking about. I vaguely remember a reporter there -- I know the squirrels were on GMA a few days ago and in the Sunday NY Times as well as the Houston Chronicle, etc... Guess it really is a story of interest.

Anyway, it's on the local public radio station's website, KUHF. Guess they did a piece on NPR and did a companion article on the website with pictures. If you just click here you should find the article. I'm the gal in the black tee and jeans.

And this is a good excuse to show a pic of the little black Fox squirrel from a few posts back who now has his eyes open!