An Egret I'm Callin' Charles

It took me a long time to figure out what was going on with Curious Charles.

He is a lone egret at the lake in the park. When I fed the ducks and geese he'd fly from out of nowhere and land to the side of the action. Charlie stays at a respectable distance, but slowly inches closer, taking one tentative step at the time.

I thought, he knows when there's food and comes around to get his share, just like the squirrels, the nutrias, the turtle and the grackles, starlings and bluejays. So I'd throw some his way, but he never went for it. He would tilt his head and turn his curious eye, but it always went uneaten.

One day I went home and read that egrets only eat fish. So while I didn't ever throw bread to him again, he always made his way over. I figured he just must be a bird who likes a party.

On the edge of the lake where the water is shallow, if you throw food in, it can disappear before the ducks, who are quick, can get to them. On a clear day, like the one in the mini-movie below, I finally made out that it was because little blue-green fish would fiercely attack the morsels like a pack of piranhas and gobble it into non-existence.

Suddenly I realized that the Curious Charles comes over because the fish are such easy prey when I feed the ducks... which makes me his wingman, so to speak. SMART CHARLIE! Never a dull moment in the animal kindgom.

The beginning of this video was about coaxing a baby nutria swimming in the shallows to come closer. But keep your eyes to the right-- you'll see Charlie, who has just flown over, wading as he always does.

This was the day I actually saw him catch three fish. He would tilt his head at a comical angle to best use the one eye on the side of his head closest to the water. (See the little dimples in the water made by the fish devouring bread?)

And with his pointy yellow beak he quickly skewered the fishie (I just could not get that part!!!). He'd raise it up, with it's little tail still flapping, get in position and flick it off his beak into the air. Charlie'd catch it in his mouth and in one gulp, it'd be gone. If you forget about the poor fish for a moment, I can tell you it's almost like watching a cartoon, as you can see the exact outline of the fish's body slide down Charlie's long, ultra slim white neck. He could join Cirque du Soleil with such talent.

I tried for about an hour this day to catch him snagging his lunch but it was too hard to keep feeding the increasing brood of birds, balance my movie camera and frame Charlie at the right moment. Stay tuned, as I eventually hope to get it.

Sweet Success

In the valley that exists above the higher peaks of the Colorado Rockies, 10,000 feet above sea level, there is little that grows but some frightening looking pine trees, dessert weedy types of grass and minimal wild flowers. As to animals, we see occasional herds of wild antelope and hear wolves howling at night, and I'm sure there are bears (whom I never hope to meet). And while I expect see the occasional raptor, every morning this last trip I was quite surprised to see  hummingbirds whizzing over our porch to the cluster of trees just in front of us when we were out there enjoying our breakfast.

Though we were only going to be there for 5 days, I ran out and bought an el cheapo plastic feeder and asked the locals how to make the stuff to fill it (1 part sugar to 2 parts water, cooked up in a pot so the sugar dissolves, cool, fill feeder).

I hung it out front just before the sun set and could not believe my eyes when first thing in the morning I heard that very unique little whirring sound of their wings outside my window.  Since they're there and gone in a heartbeat, I grabbed my camera and with a mix of stealth and haste I got this shot through the dewy window. The bird was gone before before I could get a better angle.  

Later that day my husband balanced on a ladder while dilligently waterproofing on the back wall of the cabin.  I'd gone into town so I didn't see it but he told me that the hummingbirds flew back several times that day. One of them, attracted to the red on his cap, not only came up to his face, but landed on his bill. Delighted, he stayed as still as he could til the bird flew away. He said it was surreal. I wish I had gotten a picture of THAT!

They say it takes a long time for animals to find your feeders... not in this case! We were so thrilled to have such easy success with these elusive birds we can hardly wait to go back up again.

Hijinks

Boy I want this guy looking out in my neighborhood. He certainly is alert (cracks me up when he looks up and back). Perhaps there is a Starbucks in Meerkat world and he's had a grande.

Predators are not much of a threat to these guys at the zoo but even so, these Meerkats don't get lazy. It's in the genes. What does freak them out is when they see a rogue balloon floating by. I wonder if that's their version of a UFO. Anyway, while the sentry is on the lookout, the others in the family are busy doing industrious Meerkat things.




But they've been known to conk out right in the midst of their work, as if they were narcoleptic! And anyone who's watched Meerkat Manor on Animal Planet probably knows they sleep in the funniest positions...

Speckled Bears

Have you ever heard of a speckled bear? I hadn't before I started to work with the carnivore keepers at the zoo. I just thought there were bear bears. Big and scary, grizzly, black or brown perhaps, but speckled? You can see from the pictures below why they are called this.



...well, that's a guess on my part. We have a pair of speck bears and while I was taking some VIP zoo members on a morning tour that included the bears, they seemed quite in the mood for posing. I was amazed at how these pics I snapped turned out. Don't professional photogs wait all day to capture poses like these?


Maybe they're hoping I'll send them on to Tyra Banks or some other model mogul. I think they'd readily take their pay in fresh salmon!

Every day I'm at the zoo or the Wildlife Rehab Center or even the park, I discover the lovability of an animal that might not have seemed so appealing before. That is why zoos exist and why injured and rescued animals, who can't be returned to the wild, do such an important job as ambassadors to people like me. Here's a great example.

What do you think of when you think PORCUPINE?

Perhaps the word OUCH comes to mind. Nuisance? Or maybe nothing much comes up at all. Well, watch this and you'll never think of nothing again!




If only these videos didn't translate so small on blogger! I hope you can see that his keeper starts the video by stroking his head... in fact, this guy's quills aren't prickly at all if you pet him from the head back (though I'd only try it on a a tame one who knows you). They're plenty sharp if he raises them in a certain way, which he does if scared or threatened. And like the nice lady says, it IS a myth that they shoot their quills -- Someone took too much purple pyramid and made that one up.

This species spends most of their time in trees around North and South America. They eat some fruit but mostly bark and stems, which helps to keep their teeth filed and in good shape. They can weigh between 12-35 pounds and live about 5-7 years in the wild, but much longer in captivity.

And, just like the squirrels I have come to adore (a love I hope to have encouraged in you too), porcupines are also rodents! The R-word and all it's squeamish connotations is quickly dissolving isn't it?

Who knew he'd be so talented and oh so fuzzy of face and paws? And how gently he holds his keepers hand to eat from it. Porcupines take their time and that's something we could all do a little more of.

If you aren't won over yet, our little pal will just have to charm you by saying goodbye and thanks for considering him. He's just decided to do it, for now, with his back to you.


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MUCH Better Than TV!

These are two otters -- brother and sister -- that I had the pleasure of spending some time observing for the zoo. You can tell them apart because one has a cute little black "beauty mark" on her furry nose.

They share their habitat with a deep pond of catfish, a special kind of squirrel and a colorful bird -- recreating the combination of animals that would be commonly found together in the wild. Now this mischievous pair had been crawling over separating rocks to the to the edge of catfish pond, having fun watching and even swatting them. This was proving to be distressing to the fish, even though they are as big as the otters, or even bigger. The study was to gather information to assist the keepers in stopping this behavior and apparently they succeeded.

These naughty otters now stay in their own little pond and the catfish are at peace. Mostly these two sleep curled up with each other in a nice, cozy log. But when they swim, they're an endless source of amusement. Can you imagine just how horrible a job it was (NOT!) to sit and watch these antics for hours at a time? Enjoy!

PS: Best to watch with your volume OFF! When you try to get footage in a zoo the kids and crowds aren't the best accompaniment to the pictures.

Even in Virginia

I have my eyes peeled for squirrels. It used to only be ducks and geese, and now squirrels too.  

I fed squirrels by hand in the park for 2 years, but got more attached to the ducks and geese because I could tell them apart and had repetitive relationships with them.  I've probably fed the same squirrels here and there but it's nearly impossible to tell them apart, or get to know where they actually live (where they sleep and call home within the forest), the latter being obvious with the waterfowl.

But after Hurricane Ike, I got to know so much about them and bonded with so many during various stages of their growth that I am now hooked.  So now I always have a few nuts in my pocket or purse. My dear Husband is the soul of patience if I stop to hand them out.  I actually think he likes seeing them come up too and sometimes he feeds them too.  

If they're not so used to people, it varies in difficulty to get their attention, or once gotten, to get them to come close.  Just like people, some are more aware than others of what's going on around them. Some are shy, some are skittish, some are bold, and a few are fearless.  If you have to toss them a nut, after they've eaten it and see you're offering more, they are more likely to come closer, and eventually take it from your fingers. But the ones for whom this is not a regular practice can be so jumpy, I've learned it's best to still toss it the inch or two to them to avoid getting accidentally scratched or nipped in the process.  

This is a little guy I made friends with on the campus of the University of Virginia, the college conceived, built and governed by Thomas Jefferson (You can see the red brick and white painted trim behind the squirrel).  I figured squirrels there were used to people, as students criss cross under the many trees on their stately lawns.  In Virginia I saw no Fox Squirrels (calmer by nature), only Greys.  It always takes me somewhere when I am one on one with an animal. It's like the whole rest of the world evaporates and I am immersed completely in the NOW.  It's my way of meditating.

Gobble Gobble?

We saw a rather odd sight as we were leaving our Bed and Breakfast in the tiny, historic town of New Market -- best known for an important Civil War battle that took place on their fields using young cadets (age 15-17) who marched 70 miles to get there from the VA Military Institute in Lexington.

With our minds on such events, we were completely jolted out of it to see the above in front of us in traffic. It took a second, and before I could snap another shot the truck had turned out of sight. We realized that this is how chickens are transported.... and now that I blow it up as I did below, I think from the shape of their heads and necks that they might actually be turkeys?


What do you think? You can click on tha tpic to enlarge it and see what I mean. Are there white-feathered turkeys? And where is there throat waddle? Are these females? Or are they a kind of common chicken who never develops the neck and head plumage? Must do some research.

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!

Adventures of Another Kind

I said I'd occasionally break to add tales of our month long honeymoon in New Zealand and Australia where we had many many many adventures in nature. We marveled when driving through the 2 islands that are NZ how fantastical the landscape was. It's not that Lord of the Rings was filmed there and so it now looks that way to me -- the movie was filmed there because the place holds a kind of magic everywhere you look. I almost felt like I saw faeries in the forests and gargoyles in the rocky desert mountains.

Here's a perfect example:
We were driving along in an area so lush and green crayola crayons super pack doesn't even make the color, and we saw three miniature horses. Maybe this is a known breed, but I've never seen anything like it before.

I was fully prepared to witness little hobbits pop out from under some mushrooms, jump on their back and ride away.

Confidential

I have been posting something on one of my 3 blogs daily through the summer and am so glad to have readers! It's such a great motivation. I've slacked a little as this week has been busy -- and every spare moment I'd spent blogging has been devoted to nursing the oprhaned squirrels instead. They need the time now, and it will be short term. Plus it's something I may never get to experience again.

You see, I have a little secret: apparently my biology is not well suited for this solar system. I'm terribly allergic to almost everything! That includes almost every cuddly animal, many plants, some foods (one fatally), and much of what travels in the air. Yet as you can see, I am a huge animal lover and this has been a cross to bear in this life.

Suddenly I seem to be able to be with animals and you're reading about it all right here. Maybe if I was able to have a dog or a cat (or, more likely, 2, 4 or 100) at home, I would never have gotten as involved with such exotics or in such unusual ways as I have. But I figure something about being in The Park, being at The Zoo has allowed me to at least get by. I assume it's the open air. Whatever it is, I don't know if it will last, but I'm feeling the abundance and very grateful.

It dawned on me after another night of feeding baby squirrels... I don't seem to be suffering any repercussions of being in an enclosed space with them for 5-8 hours straight, getting little scratches by them or holding them near my face and neck. Normally I would pay for for hours or a few days. My eyes don't stream with tears, swell up or become red, I am not wheezing or covered in hives or headed to the ER.

For those of you who have animals at home, can you imagine not being able to pet them, or be inside anywhere with them, let alone sleep with them, or have them on your lap or even at your feet??? I can actually put my cheek to the soft, warm, furry bodies and not break out in welts or struggle to breathe. I tell you it's heaven! I'm beyond overjoyed!

It Started as a Harmless Walk in the Park

Hopefully this little video will tell you why I was so interested in squirrels in the first place. 

When I first walked in our park, I was astonished that these wild critters could be coaxed to take nuts from my hand. And I marveled at how gentle they were in doing it. We all know squirrels are crazed bundles of energy, and if they skittishly approach, you figure they'll bite your finger off. But these approached gingerly, taking a moment to nose what I've got, and then very very lightly removed it from my fingers with their mouth (no teeth involved). Often they put a trusting padded paw on my finger to hoist themselves up (no claws involved), then skampered up a tree to sit on a limb and munch, flipping the morsel around in their hands until it was all gone. Their head would pop up, they'd eye me, and come back for more. 

Yesterday after working 7AM-12:30PM at the Zoo as a Keeper Aid in the tiger house, I drove straight to the Wildlife Rehab Center and fed squirrel babies til 4:00PM. The first job is like an exotic version of Cinderella, the second, pure joy. Both are exhilarating, but also quite tiring.

So, near sunset, with temperatures pleasant, I decided to take a walk in the park looking for tranquility and rejuvenation.  Now that I know more about squirrels, I saw those in the park with new eyes. I could tell the difference between Red/Fox's and Grays and could see some females were pregnant or nursing. You think squirrels are small, but when you've been handling their babies for a while, the adults seem big by comparison.

Anyway, I was in a tree grove when a chubby Red came up to me. How did he know I had a bag of almonds in my pocket?  While it you'd think I'd had my fill of feedings for the day, I found myself sitting down on the kiddie train tracks to give him something. Utter pandemonium ensued. Amazingly, I got it all on tape. 

***As a side note, motivated by vanity, I confess there are few things that reveal the fragility of one's sense of self more than listening to your own voice recorded. This seems universal, as I know many people who've heard their themselves and gasped, "Do I really sound like THAT?" I realize you'll be hearing my commentary all through it and for those of you who don't know me from Adam, I can't imagine what you'll think of me. I may need those who do know me well to vouch for the fact that just a short two years ago I was a very sophisticated career girl. Motivated by artistry, I'd say it only adds to the circus you're about to see. ***

Please, press play...

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Squirrel Mania!

Made you smile, didn't it? This is not a professional actor and this pic was not posed! She was doing this all on her own and I happened to have my camera in hand.

She's a red squirrel, which is easy to tell by the reddish fur on her belly and the underside of her little legs and arms. I've heard reds also called Fox Squirrels. I guess they vary in color from red to black to gray depending on the part of the country they're from.

Here is one of the two black Fox babies I fed.

With their square heads and noses they look like newborn black lab puppies to me.

Guess the more common squirrel in this area are called Grays. That would explain why 99% of the close to 1000 orphans at the Wildlife Rehab are Grays. These Foxes are a rare treat.

The Fox babies are fuzzier on their heads, and when you hold them you can tell their fur is thicker and softer. Grays have white undersides and when mature their hairs are tipped in a grayish color.

In the wild adults feed twice a day --mornings and early evenings -- are quiet in midday. I think they turn in early, as when I walk the park where they are abundant I never see any if it's nearing sunset. Anyone who's watched a squirrel for long knows how these high energy critters are a source of endless amusement.

They build nests high in the tree branches or den inside hollow trees. Once I learned that I began craning my neck as far back as I could, squinting at the oak branches and sure enough, here and there I could see decent sized hammocks made of leaves, bark and grass.

They mate in spring and fall and the babies take 40-45 days to gestate. Usually 2 or 4 babies are born --naked, blind and helpless. They stay in the nest, nursing for about 6 weeks, during which time their eyes open and their teeth develop enough to try solid food. They stay with the family for about a month learning to forage and are almost full adults by 6 months. By 12 months they're having babies of their own.

I think we need to have a caption contest for that first picture. Care to try your hand in the comments?

Beyond Adorable!

Since my post from 9/18 found here about helping feed  700 + orphaned baby squirrels, I have not been able to stop thinking about them!!!  There are just so many mouths and I knew volunteers would have to get back to work this week. There are only so many staff at the wildlife rehab center and they are exhausted.  Yet the babies still need to be fed several times a day for the next two months before being eased back into the wild!

So, I've been going in as often as I can. The hours fly by and it's nearly impossible to tear myself away.  Others say they feel the same. Today I got through breakfast with all the tiniest babies in the incubators then did all the ones in ICU and did a second round with them all before I had to go.  The older ones are easier to feed as they have their eyes open, know what to do and have the motor skills to do it.  They're also robust and don't need all the tender prodding and patient attention that the weaker ones do.  Yet the latter need the help so badly, I gravitate to them if I have a choice.  

It's terribly akward to keep a syringe in the mouth of a wiggly critter while controlling the plunger so it only dispenses a drop of milk at a time. To add taking movies of yourself with a digital still camera is insane, as my attractively craned neck attests. I wish I weren't in this but I can at least capture some of the experience this way... 

Below is the same little fella, sitting in my hand, relaxed and happy after eating his fill.  (there's sound with this one)

Can you see why I go back for more of that?  

About 699 more, lol....

___________________________________________________________________

ADDITION:  Someone suggested I post info in case anyone would like to make a donation.  Great idea, thanks!  I know they're a new center and going into debt over this and would welcome any amount, even $5!

You can send a check to:
Wildlife Rehab and Education
7007 Katy Road 
Houston, TX 77024

713-861-9453

Their website -- http://wrande.org -- has a pay pal link but apparently it only works right now if you use Internet Explorer. Click on "What Can I do to Help". It leads to cash donations. Find in the paragraph where it says something like "Adopt an Ambassador click here" and it should take you to PayPal. You should get a thank you note for small sums and tax deductible letter for $25 or more.

And Now for A Moment of Levity

I took this on a walk before Hurricane Ike hit, but you can hear the wind had kicked up and see it whipping the water....  The best part is seeing their feet paddling to keep them in position.  

 sorry the color isn't so great... I'll get better on this.

A Dim Bulb Perhaps, But a Gentleman

I mentioned here that Nutrias, while actually a rodent, were endearing and that I was going to prove it. Here I present my third installment to make my case. I am certain this will seal the deal with you, dear reader.  And if not, I hope it at least amuses you.

Notice the attractive orange teeth, that give the impression the guy is squinting even when he's not. The fact that they can't find the food when it's dropped RIGHT ON THEIR OWN HAND, centimeters from their mouth is why I think they either can't see well or are not so bright or both.

Now doesn't that kinda make you have a soft spot for him?

I have had a dear old friend who in the comments in the last nutria post suggested I name him Baxter.  Done!  I think it's quite perfect don't you?  Now there are several Nutrias in the little lake I visit -- about 4-5 grown ups and at least 2-6 young ones.  In the case I can always refer to them as "the Baxters" which I think works wonderfully well. 

Mother's Day

 *you can double click this picture to see the little fella much bigger and it's worth it* 

I now know there was a reason I canceled my trip to New York. I was scheduled to fly out this morning. I just didn't feel like leaving home so soon and for almost a week after such a major disaster. Though I usually get energized and restored in NYC, when I walked through all I had planned there in my mind, it just didn't sit right.

I rose at 7 AM thinking I had the luxury of the entire day free and the list of  things to catch up on was long. I sat down at the computer to put a dent in all the e-mails asking if we were OK and was looking forward to putting the house back into shape. But the first thing I saw an urgent message saying that the Wildlife Rehab and Education Center had seven hundred baby squirrels who needed nursing.  That's right -- 700! 

Squirrels have their broods in both fall and spring but their nice cozy nests sit high in the tree tops. Hurricane Ike ravaged those, flinging babies far and wide. I don't know if the parents lived or lost them or were too traumatized but people started to bring the babies in from all corners (along with a stray pelican, turtles, raptors, a baby duck, a few possums and an egret with a broken wing... so far). The WR&E expects another 2-300 more before the weekend ends.  They range in age from a day or so old up to 6-8 weeks and all of them need to be fed antibiotics and warm milk formula by droppers 4 times a day. There were about 2 dozen in intensive care and many more, like the little weenie below, were in incubators.

I raced over there and worked from 8 AM til almost 4 PM then went home briefly and returned with my husband to help til 8:30 tonight. The babies were all adorable. Each had different temperaments which they displayed in their eating styles. Some were fussy, some ravenous, some curious in-between sips, some wiggly and full of life, some vulnerable and shaking. Some held onto the syringe with their little claw paws, some looked me right in the eyes and several got sleepy as their tummies filled up, their lids growing heavy as their suckling slowed to a stop. With each CC that went down a little throat, there was the truly satisfying feeling that we were one step closer to saving that precious life. It was indeed a day well spent.

Here's one little cutie who I wanted to take home.  There were so many to feed I didn't feel I had the luxury of cuddling and comforting them much. But I hung onto this little girl who curled up in my pink washcloth against my chest as long as I could.

I've enormous respect for the people who run these organizations. They themselves have just gone through this hurricane and are putting in 12, 16, 18 hour days, only to get home after an hours drive to feed their own horses, ducks, goats, cats and dogs, fall into bed, get up in 5 hours and drive back in to do it all again... when gas is scarce to boot. And most still don't have power once they get home. No fridge, no lights! No complaints though either.

Imagine: 700-1000 helpless babies x four feedings for at least 2 months every day before the oldest among them can be reintroduced to the wild!!  These folks all do it all out of a sense of responsibility for the helpless and sheer love.

They all deserve a medal.

I'm in Love!

Again. Used to be with Jonathan, the Zoo's very handsome lion, and though I'm still sweet on him, for the last 8 months or so I've been charmed away by the big, tall male giraffe. I've a huge crush on him and it seems like my affections are returned. In fact, I've been positively encouraged by him, I'm convinced of it. He pays me a lot of attention when I'm on the sidewalk, bats his huge brown eyes at me, and follows me until he can't see anymore (and at his height, that's a long way). Though in reality he's probably interested in a lot of folks, I'm in denial and am quite sure WE have a special relationship. Today was further proof of it.

The zoo was in dire need of help after the hurricane, so I went to pitch in for a few hours. There is just so much to do at home and so many others to help, but I'd been especially worried about the giraffes at 3 and 4 am when that storm was RAGING, wondering how they were getting through it. Their only shelter is a tall but narrow wooden house -- all they really need most of the time. But with 100 MPH winds, I could not imagine how they'd fare. I was so glad to see all five of them were there, with no injuries, happily watching their crew of humans tidying up their back yard.
I ended up helping rake and clear their habitat since I couldn't find anyone in carnivores. It did my heart good to be near them. Once I got close enough, my new boyfriend put his big face down to mine and got nose to nose with me. He stayed there breathing through his soft nostrils. His keeper, thinking I might be unnerved, said he might just want to smell me but I knew different.

He licked me and kept his face there for so long I felt forced to tear myself away so I would not look like I was slacking. I moved along, but he kept finding me. He's irresistible! I had to pet his face and coo to him. Around the fifth time I finally risked being totally unprofessional and whipped out my camera, handed it to someone and asked for a quick shot. I knew it would be a once in a lifetime pic. And this is what they got.He's pressing into my cheek and knocking my glasses askew, but clearly he loves me... for who I am, not how I look on clean up day! And I love him!

Fuzzy Thoughts Post-Ike

I've been trying to compose something with pictures about Thursday, my first day back as a Carnivore Keeper Aid but the truth is, after Ike I'm just not that witty or even very articulate. Please forgive poor grammar til my head gets clearer.

I know people have been worried about how the animals fared. I am too. They gave us an emergency website and phone number for updates but the phone has been on a fast busy for two days. The last post on the site was on Friday at 9:45 PM, saying the zoo was now locked with a ride out crew inside, with plenty of food and supplies for the animals and their people for several days.

I'm a four minute drive from the zoo and it was killing me to not be able to help the morning after. But I totally understand. In emergencies, volunteers must abide by the same rules as the general public, which is to steer clear and let the staff do their jobs. Husband and I did drive around it to see what we could see. There was a city crew working on a giant oak that had crashed through of the two entry gates and saw at least one side gate was destroyed. I don't know what the inside looks like but it was a mess on the outside. But the entire city looks like that.

On Thursday I got to help with hurricane prep for the cats and maned wolves. I'm certain the animals are fine if their safety is to be judged by the quality of the staff who stayed and the high level of care and concern on the part of the zoo execs themselves. They're impressive and their priorities are in the right place. I'm completely proud to be a tiny part of it.

As I mentioned on my other blog at 4 AM when we were getting the worst of it, I was thinking about the giraffes, wondering how they were possibly handling that wind. Can't imagine they could stand up through it, especially the babies. Their center of gravity is too high to not be knocked over. On our drive I was surprised to see that the tall wooden giraffe house looked fine, though there were several trees broken in half over the roof and on either side. Maybe they just got inside, actually curled up and sat up on the ground and the keeper closed the doors. If I remember right there are two separate "rooms" with a small keeper office in-between. What I don't know is if the keeper could stay with them but I'm sure she wouldn't want to be anywhere else. Do you mildly sedate some animals for their own safety?

I also wondered about the cats -- I knew they'd be safe, but can you picture what it was like to be the one or two keepers in there with so many wild animal who at their very core are deeply in sync with nature, so sensitive and able to pick up on things we don't? Were the cats pacing in their cages, snapping their tails or alert and poised for whatever they were sensing? Were they roaring or mewing or eerily quiet as the winds raged around their walls?

Those folks must be paired with really great people who don't mind riding out the city's biggest hurricane ever without their partner there. But all people love their animals, and the zoo staff are no different.

When I have more information, it will be posted here.

Needed: Prayers and A Little Luck

Today will be my first day back in weeks to the zoo in my role as a Keeper Aid in Carnivores. If all goes well I will be doing it just about every Thursday morning, as originally planned. My first day was quite awhile ago, so what happened?

I waited, hoped, prayed (I confess it was more I like begged and pleaded) to be able to get this opportunity and two days after my posts about it, I injured my shoulder... BADLY. I had to cancel what I had lined up with the supervisor, and drag my broken body into physical therapy -- for adjustments, shots in the muscle to aid healing, being taped up, starting an at home regimen of ice, heat and stretching, and began several bi-weekly appointments to get me right.

I - - a full fledged grown up -- cried like a baby at the thought that they'd think I was a flake before they got to see how hyper-responsible, hard working, dedicated and well, just how invaluable I would be to their department! I was afraid they'd discover I am not the spring chicken I look like, and banish me to being a greeter at the front door... or make me don an actual chicken outfit with sandwich boards advertising keeper chats or something. Yes, I sobbed and wailed while driving, tears falling off my chin onto the wheel, my vision alarmingly blurred while trying to get home in rush hour traffic with a thousand lanes converging at once, getting lost on highways I still don't know well enough.

But a month has passed, and I've been feeling pretty good so if you have a moment, I need any good vibes you've got to send to me today. Both fingers crossed, I'll come home relatively unscathed, and can go on do it again next Thursday, and the next and the next.

Fox Glacier in New Zealand

If I HAD to pick the activity I thought was most memorable in New Zealand, it was climbing Fox glacier. We were dropped on it by helicopter, and even from that height it was hard to tell it's size. I remember thinking, OK, it's big, but it's not THAT huge. Then the pilot pointed out barely discernable black flecks on the surface below us... and it was the party they were picking up when we got out. I realized we would be that small in comparison too once that copter flew away, and humbly corrected my erroneous perspective.

I can't possibly describe how enormous it was. However magnificent it looks in my pictures, they appear too small on the blog to translate. So expand these in your mind's eye, and then know it's only a fraction of what it really was.

This is what it looked like to be standing on the thing, ready to take a step. They gave us walking poles with a little prong at the end, and funny boots with ice spikes that we secured with seemingly flimsy 1 " leather straps. This was going to be what held us as we walked along crevices like this -- the

difference between life and death! Clearly I lived to tell the tale.

We were lucky to catch a day with bright sun, otherwise we heard we'd have been icy, wet, freezing.

The snow was grey-white marbled with streaks of dirt made from the rock it was crushing below as it moved (yes, it was moving, though so slow you could never tell). I don't know that I gave much thought to what being on a glacier would be like, but everywhere we went there were surprises -- like sky blue translucent ice caves or little streams of clear, cold, clean, glistening water.

We hiked around, did some slippy slide stuff where it was safe to by invitation of our guide, took pictures and marveled at this rare excursion, knowing as we did that it would forever be at the top of our once-in-a-life time list.

Nature in All Her Forms

You probably know from your own adventures in nature that it's not all about animal encounters. There are many things Husband and I did on our honeymoon that would qualify. We went to New Zealand for 3 weeks last November, and since we were that far over, hopped to Australia for an additional, skimpy, but better than nothing week. Not nearly enough time in either place, but we managed to do an amazing variety of things.

It fascinated me that you can experience all four seasons and just about every topography that exists in the world all on the two humble islands that make New Zealand. And we did. There were beaches of every kind, endless forest, desert-like areas, hills and alps, waterfalls, glaciers and fijords to name a few. 

There were also encounters with Dolphins, miniature horses, and birds both new and familiar (In fact, wherever I go it seems I find ducks -- or they find me-- who will eat out of my hand).

In our short stay in Australia we went to the Great Barrier Reef, saw bats flying overhead in the middle of the city at Sydney's great Hyde Park, and went to Steve Irwin's Australian Zoo.  

We also climbed the Bridge in Sydney Harbor.  Maybe it wasn't made by Mother Nature but it sure felt adventurous.

I thought I'd sprinkle in some of those tales. Tune in tomorrow.

Love and Marriage

Mr and Mrs. Goose. Always together, these two teach me so much about partnership. They compromise well. When he wants to go, she follows. At times, it's she that walks or swims away and he's right behind her, no matter what.

Now, I've seen her ready to move on while he's still busy and it takes her awhile of talking to him and, let's face it, finally poking him with her beak to get him to see the wisdom of her way (amusing that I've never seen this in the reverse). But ultimately he honors and obeys. Once I saw him make her wait to the point that she gave up. After loudly squaking her discontent, she raised her proud, elegant head, got into the water and headed toward home, suddenly silent. He didn't let her get far.

Guess they never go to bed angry.

They're equal rights geese on the whole, as most of the time they're side by side in all endeavors. But Mr. Goose seems quite chivalrous too. While she often positions herself just a little behind him like this, I think it's the way he protects her, rather than that she's subserviently trailing behind. When they eat he gobbles what's offered as she fends for her own bites. But if other geese or ducks or their least favorite intruder, the nutria, are around, he stops to fight them off while she continues to eat. He respects her very much, and she is confident in her position with him. She doesn't take him for granted, but is certain what kind of behavior she expects from her man. That feminine strength is something I admire.

Like most males, he needs to take an occasional bachelor's stroll, his alone time to hang with the elements. She must be off where they make their home, resting or attending to things, since I've never seen them with goslings. And that's another thing -- whether or not they can have babies, which is why you'd think nature brought them together, they remain committed for life, choosing each other over the inherent drive to propagate.

They obviously haven't let themselves go. I think he's a hunk and she is so very pretty. While their markings are almost identical, she's smaller than him in just the right way, and has a smoother, more rounded head. Her eyes are more almond shaped and look like they're lined in a sweep of black, giving Angelina Jolie a fair run.

I'm not sure how they act if one or the other is ill, but when she disappeared for 6 weeks this summer, he was gone for most of that time. Maybe she was on a nest and he stayed close by, or if she flew off for some reason, he went with or after her. But since that wonderful day I first saw them both again, they've been there each time I've gone to visit, never far apart.

They are a pair, and in watching them, you can learn quite a bit about what that really takes. In marriage, life isn't lived soley on your terms anymore, and that can be quite an adjustment in this world of independent living.

Striving to be a little more like them might just make the swim a whole lot smoother.

Bambi

Last week we had the enchanting experience of driving past a large family of deer close to the road while driving in Larimer County, Colorado.

While seeing deer is nothing new to many, I still find happening upon them to be much like seeing fairies dancing on the lawn. These darling beings usually leap out of sight before the cortex can send the image to the brain. I often have to ask myself, did I really see them or did I imagine it?

To get them to stay, you have to be terribly still, which I didn't quite achieve as evidenced by my camerawork. I was just so nervous to record something before they darted off and I only had a little digital pix camera, zoomed in as far as it would go. But it brings the moment back, and that is what matters.

My father was a great white hunter. I tried to respect that he came from a different place with all this stuff, but after he'd shot his share of EVERYTHING, I asked him once, and only once, if he could just say he had enough of deer. In his sensitive manner, he looked at his little girl and replied, without missing a beat, "Don't give me that Bambi shit".

S'wonderful, in't?

Enjoy this snippet of these sweet creatures with their soft, floppy ears. In the first shot you can see a buck with his horns in the upper right walking across the screen, and later there are two babies, which you can tell by the while spots on their back. Just like Bambi...

(Forgive my horrid editing. It's my first try using imovie editing without instructions and it's so OBVIOUS. Just wanted to get the post up. Hey, nowhere to go but up with these skills!)

If This Were Shakespeare, Methinks He'd Be The Court Jester

I mentioned here that when Nutrias swim up when I'm feeding the crew at the park, it upsets the apple cart entirely. While the geese are the biggest and the law seems to be that all the rest stand back til they're done, not so when Nutrias try to join in.  Maybe it's because they're oblivious to the pecking order. Here's Mr. Goose taking a stand. The Nurita remains nonplussed, too busy wiggling his whiskers to feel out where the bread is (lower right corner) to grok he's being challenged by the King of Everything.

The funniest thing is that these little fellas are either so dim-sighted or dimwitted (or both) that they're clueless to such advances and their complete non reaction stumps their opponent. As such, it totally deflates the situation; the geese simply give up and swim on their way, and the ducks fan out in their wake. It'd make Ghandi proud.

  

Best Ever Department

On Saturday, my stepson heads back to college for his final semester. I wanted to do something as a family that he'd remember all his life, so I arranged for us to feed giraffe's at the zoo. This is a normal sized viewing window in their little wooden house. This handsome man is parked beside it so you can really see how tall they are.

There's a family of five living there, one male and two females, each of whom have a baby.

In the wild they'd be grazing tree tops round the clock, but at the zoo, they get fed just fine. So they end up licking fence posts or the edges of their shelter in their spare time. But one female got creative and instead grooms the mane of the youngest of the group... and she does it every day.

Here he sports his little mohawk, while his mother and hairdressing auntie look on.

It's completely surreal to be close to them, with their velvety noses, funny ears sticking out, their Cindy Lou Hoo horns and enormous doe eyes. As I mentioned here, they're curious and attentive and are VERY INTERESTED in Y-O-U.

From up near the clouds that adorable face glide straight down like a crane on that long, long neck. They've got 7 vertebrae just like us -- but each one measures the height of our head alone. Around something this big, all your instincts kick on... yet their sweet, harmless nature had my nervous system stumped. To be able to stand up close to this towering presence sends a shiver of delight though your being.

As their soft, fuzzy lips take a slice of sweet potato from your hand or their long purple tongue -- apparently colored to act as sunscreen -- grabs hold of your lettuce, it's so gentle you don't even feel it.

Or maybe it's because you're so struck with wonder you can't feel anything else... though I do recall the sensation of the intense, hot brush of their breath pouring forth from their nostrils. It's like feeding a dinosaur and a kitten at the same time.

Oh, we had a most magnificent, most marvelous day.

They Need Atkins

This is a Nutria. He looks like a cousin of the Beaver with his big front teeth, webbed back feet and the same glossy brown fur. The only obvious difference is in the tail. Where beavers typically have a paddle shape, the Nutria's looks just like a rat's. In fact, they actually are a semi-aquatic rodent. I know that fact alone might make some people squirm, but they're endearing in their way (and I intend to show you that, in time). 

Two years ago you'd only see them at dusk, perching nervously on the grassy edges of the lake, skittish and shy, hopping back into the safety of the water if a human happened to be walking by.

They're herbivores and should be eating reeds and other water plants, but here he is busy with my piece of bread, clutching it between his hands like a Big Mac. These buggers have gotten so used to getting a few bites from well meaning visitors -- me included --that they've recently gotten far more bold.

Now I see them in abundance in broad daylight, and as soon as they realize a group of ducks are being fed, they upset the apple cart to get theirs. Squinting up at you from the water, they beg. If you don't indulge them, they pull themselves out and walk steadily toward you. You can put up your hand in the stop position or even hold the sole of your foot in their face and they keep advancing (though there's nothing aggressive about their approach, no hissing or teeth). I even had one sit upright on his haunches and becon with one outstretched hand curling back toward his mouth, clearly signaling "Gimme"... the exact hand gesture a human being would make (endearing fact #1)!

While it's pretty clear they can't see too well (and that's very funny -- endearing fact #2) or perhaps they're not bright enough to interpret those cues, in my mind, there's only one explanation for this behavior: they're carb addicted. 

I know how it feels to be craving a potato chip or a flaky croissant and there've been days I'd push someone into traffic to get to some.  I've heard of people for whom even a dog biscuit would do in a pinch (actually, I haven't but it describes the desperation nicely).  I know you're just on the edge of your seat about this, but I have to go to bed.

More to come.