Some Parents

I've touched on some of the stupid things humans do to animals, but never the silly things parents do to their own children.

While in a salon the other day, a woman came in with her six week old daughter to have the child's ears pierced. This was not a cultural thing -- the mother simply wanted her daughter to wear pretty earrings. As the child cried (okay, screamed), the mother snapped photos of the happy moment. To tell the truth, I'm surprised the salon agreed to do it. Am I out of the loop, or is this just too young for body piercing?

Here's $20 I'll Never See Again

A long time ago, I wrote about the best cat toy ever. I don't know what happened to it -- it's most likely in the bottom of the toy basket after my cat, Meeko, grew bored of it. So in an attempt to throw a bit of entertainment her way, I purchased her an "Emory Cat" scratching board.




I should have immediately clued in to her disinterest when I had to place her on top of the board. She stretched and scratched the surface once, then turned and sniffed the attached feather wand. After 30 seconds, she leapt off. A few days ago, I tried to encourage her to give it another go, but she'd have none of it. I swear, when I took the photo below, I heard her laughing at me:

Thinking About a New Pet?

Choosing and naming our cat, six years ago, was completely out of my hands. The former wasn't difficult for my daughter because, at the time, Meeko was the only kitten available at the OSPCA. As for the name, I suppose it could have been worse.

I've always felt that choosing a pet is all about connecting with the animal -- you just know that this is the one for you (or she's the last of her kind at the shelter). But there is help out there. Here's a site that helps you decide what breed of dog or cat would best suit your family, your home and your lifestyle.

And naming your pet? You could, as my daughter did, go the Disney (Pocahontas) route, but you might also want to check out a list of most popular pet names in the U.S. and Australia.

Bee Keeper

Because of the recent decline in the honeybee population, I was happy to see lots of bees flying about this summer (even though they're bumblebees). It took me a few weeks to realize that many of the bees were actually living under my front concrete step (you'll have to click on the photo to get a close-up). They would zoom past, with their little, pollen-laden legs, ignoring me as I watched them crawl into the nest. The buzzing, coming from the step, was incredible.

My husband was worried that they might sting someone, but we seldom use the front door. I know all of the bees will die once the cold weather sets in, but I'm not sure if the queen will remain in the nest. We should seal it up in the fall, but I'm concerned we might be trapping the queen inside. Any suggestions?

Just When You Least Expect It ...

So I'm walking along the path into my backyard, when I sense it. I stop just in time. A huge (and I mean huge) spider's web stretches from the deck railing to those once-lovely shasta daisies. I can't see the owner of the web, but I return with a broom to sweep the web aside. I do this for the next five days, wondering why the energetic spider continues to rebuild. I do feel guilty, but there is no other way into my yard.

Today, armed and ready with my broom, I finally spot the spider, smack-dab in the middle of his handiwork. By the time I return with my camera, he's taken refuge under the handrail. He's huge, so big that I'm not even sure you have to click on the photo to enlarge:




Now I'm afraid to go past the railing -- if he was able to jump all the way to the garden while spinning his web, he'd have no problem leaping out at me as I walk by.

I've emailed the photo to my daughter and husband, warning them about the hidden danger (and treasure) in our own backyard.

Garden Favourites

My cat, Meeko, likes going into the yard, but always ends up eating grass, which she promptly vomits once she's back in the house. That would be okay if my carpets were green.

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Last year, I had to pull hundreds of my beautiful pink rose campions -- they'd seeded everywhere and threatened to overtake the garden. But I see that many seeds have sprouted, so I'll be able to enjoy them again next year.

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My shasta daisies were pretty spectacular this year, but the clumps are so huge, it's probably time to divide.

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I'm going to miss all the colours, once winter arrives, but I can always bring the gardens indoors by pulling out one of my vintage tablecloths:





And why am I writing about vintage tablecloths in my animal-related blog? Just to let you know that I've started another blog about vintage stuff I own, called "Vintage Hoard". If you're interested in that kind of thing, then why not take a look?

This is Just Wrong

I don't have a photo, but check out these sites for pics of cats whose owners should slapped upside the head:

I don't even like football

I am not a poodle

My owner is an idiot

Help, Get Us Outta Here!

Sun, Sand and Surf

Just got back from a driving trip to Hilton Head, South Carolina. My husband and I aren't really into the beach, but we sacrificed ourselves for our sun-loving daughter and her best friend. Despite the searing temperatures, we had a wonderful time. I'd hoped to catch a glimpse of some interesting wildlife, but I mustn't have been looking hard enough because this is all I came up with:



If you look very closely, in the centre of the pic, (and magnify the photo by clicking on it), you'll spot a bunny munching on the scarce grass by the stand of bicycles. His colouring is perfect camouflage for the beach.



A crow. Yeah, we have loads of crows in Canada too, but I thought how much nicer the winter must be for them in South Carolina.

I did see tiny geckos streaking through gardens and up trees, but by the time I reached for my camera, they'd disappeared. Loads of pelicans -- I'll bet they're glad they don't hang out in the Gulf of Mexico. And cockroaches. Big cockroaches. Thankfully, outside where they belong.

Early Morning Ant Activity

Honestly, just because I wrote about ants here and here, I don't really have a special interest in them -- they just seem to be making an appearance more often (though, thankfully, not inside my home).

For the past few days, around 6:30 in the morning, thousands of ants have been exiting their nest under my front walkway (click on the photo for a creepy close up). They race around, seemingly without any purpose other than to get a bit of fresh air before the heat of the day sets in. By 8:30 a.m., the ants have returned underground. But how far underground do they go? Check out this plaster cast of an ant colony in Wikipedia. Anyway, it looks like my ants have done some major excavating, and I wouldn't be surprised if the walkway begins to sink -- I'll have to sweep in some sand this summer before my interlock begins to heave.

Timber!

The town recently cut down a tree on my neighbour's front lawn because of root damage. Only in the past few years had the 20-year-old elm stretched its limbs far enough to provide a wonderful canopy of shade. Kind of sad, but residential trees live a very precarious existence, their lives hinging on the whims of humans.

My concern was the chance that birds or squirrels had nested in the tree. For awhile, I debated whether to ask the men if they'd found a nest -- did I really want to know? Well ... of course I did.

They told me they always check before cutting, and if a nest with young is found, they'll wait a few weeks until it's vacant. Unfortunately, sometimes they don't see the babies and nest until it's on the ground. At that point, apparently there's nothing they can do. That's the part I didn't want to know (I'm notorious for sticking my head in the sand). Luckily, there was no nest in this tree.

Fixing A Hole Where The Rain Gets In

The other day, I pulled a small weed/plant/green thing from between the interlock leading to my front door. As soon as I did, a bunch of ants raced out. I'm sure if I could see their little faces, they would show looks of concern and confusion, and they would be yelling, "What the hell just happened to our roof". The ants immediately set to work, gathering nearby grains of sand and filling the tiny hole. Within five minutes, the hole had disappeared. You'll definitely have to click on the picture to see them.

There seems to be a lot of ants around. Last year, they'd made a home in the mailbox. This year, they've invaded my compost bin. Apparently, the ants help aerate the pile, so I won't worry about them, but I dread using it because the nest appears to be right where I'd shovel out the compost. I've always been surprised that I enjoy gardening so much because there are so many creepy crawlies lurking in the plants. But we seem to have come to an understanding -- they leave me alone (stay out of my hair), and I leave them alone.

A Time for Animals

BP oil spill, negligent and abusive pet owners, hunters and poachers, fur-wearing fashionistas, and all the other brain-spared people of the world -- maybe it's time for humans to move out and let animals and nature have a chance. Yes, there's many of us who do care (especially the wonderful readers of this blog), but there just doesn't seem to be enough of us. With these disheartening thoughts, I knew I needed something to lift my spirits -- hope you enjoy:

Animals nurturing animals