Worth Going Out For... a baby elephant

The weather has been gorgeous this week, and it's even been chilly in the mornings. After a hideous, humid, mostly triple-digit summer (about half the year here), it's a welcome relief. I have spent very little time out doors due to how incredibly uncomfortable it has been and because my allergies have made life a struggle, and what I'm allergic to seems to be the outdoors. That's right, the entire outdoors (and most living things, lol)

This has been a dilemma to say the least for someone who gets so much joy and calm from being in nature. I haven't ridden a bike, been in the pool, taken a walk, or visited the park for most of the year -- things I had been doing almost every day.

So when it began to feel like East Coast Fall outside, I took my sneezing, coughing, short-of-breath self for all of the above and more. This morning's activity was particularly wonderful thing to do in the cool air and sunshine... see Tupelo, our absolutely adorable new Asian elephant baby, take her first steps out into a protected area of the yard with her mom to meet the herd. She was only 3 days old.

Particularly cute was to see her older half brother, Baylor, just born 5 months ago touch her trunk with his. Until now, he was the littlest one. Born at 390 lbs, Baylor was still 90 pounds bigger than little Tupelo.

Check out the Houston Zoo's blog post to see a movie of her nursing for the first time!

And on the day I am speaking of, our talented videographers got a shot of her getting so sleepy after nursing she has to take a little nap. Warning: exceedingly cute baby feet...

Looking for a Wonderful Way to Pass the Time?

Someone sent me this link to a blog about a squirrel that made a nest right on their windowsill. The pictures are amazing and so are the stories. For all my time in raising baby squirrels I've wondered how the mom does it... how often and how long they nurse, and when -- and how-- she starts teaching them how to be squirrels, so I could follow suit.

Here's a picture from the blog, which also has videos, of the mama sleeping with her three kits on her belly.

I have to share this with you, it's just too great to not be seen: http://www.thesquirrelinourwindow.com/

My favorite book is named something very similar... I wondered if the blog was done by the same author but it's not. The book is called Squirels at My Window, by Grace Spruch. Short of having my own squirrel babies to look after, nothing brings a sense of peace and burst-my -heart- joy like reading the chapters of this book. A pure delight to read, and I highly recommend it.

photo credit to Kenneth Feldman and Michelle Dortignac from The Squirrel in My Window blog.