Jazz for Cows

I can't help but adore this video... if you love jazz and/or cows, it's definitely worth the 2 minutes.

I love that the cows actually seem to be enjoying the concert!

A Masked Visitor

This is a little visitor we found outside our front door about a week ago just as the sun was going behind the Rocky Mountains.

A baby raccoon paid us a visit

According to one of our neighbors, raccoon's regularly come up from the sewer at the end of our block (where they live) and make their way through the neighborhood at dusk, and sometimes in the early morning hours as well. This particular little one was just a baby, and was completely fearless (and also alone). He let me get within a foot of him at one point, and didn't seem to have any need to run away (from what I've read since seeing him, raccoon's aren't afraid of humans).

I love seeing wildlife up close. We weren't entirely sure what to do with him though, and he was obviously looking for food, so we tried to just observe from a bit of distance to help keep him comfortable and confident. We're hoping that he found his way back home (though we have no way of really knowing). While we like to try to help any animal that seems to be in need of assistance, we don't exactly have a great track record with helping lost, wild animals.

Hope your Friday is full of a little wildness!

Fuzzy Wuzzy Was a Bear

Today, Levi got a much needed bath. When I dropped him off for his grooming appointment, I asked that they cut his hair as we go swimming quite a bit in the summer months. Plus, he's a warm blooded dog and gets hot when the temperature is about 50F degrees. Since our days have been getting into the mid-to-high 80s this past week, I figured it was time for the summer cut. When I arrived to pick the big boy up, they informed me that they had given him the "puppy cut," which apparently means that they cut all of the hair down to about an inch long, with the exception of the tail and face. I can't help but think of that silly kids rhyme: "Fuzzy Wuzzy was a bear. Fuzzy Wuzzy had no hair. Fuzzy Wuzzy wasn't really fuzzy then, was his?" He looks just like a bear now, and feels like the softest chenille throw. I can't seem to stop petting him - though he doesn't seem to mind.

This is what he looked like just yesterday...

And, this is what the big monkey boy is sporting today...

It's always interesting that it changes his look so much, and that he gets to be a lighter color because of the closer-to-the-root hair.  But, long hair,

or short...

he is such a cutie pie. And now, he's ready for those hot summer days, long swims, and bird stalking at the reservoir.

Going to the Birds

All has gone quiet once again on my end. It must be the end of the semester! :o)  I'm almost through with finals, but between the move and preparing for the end, I just haven't found a lot of spare time to do the things I'd like to do (particularly, riding my bike). In lieu of a post about bicycles/bicycling/bicycling relevant topics, I thought I'd just do a quick post with a few of the paintings from my last project.

I came across a flock of pigeons several weeks ago, and as crazy as it sounds, for some reason, they caught my eye. They were actually quite gorgeous, and I decided that I'd paint a dozen pigeons for my final painting project. I'm only posting a few, and none of them are completely done, but, as stated, I feel like something is missing in life since I've found myself involved in so many other projects.  For some reason, I felt the need to name all the pigeons, so here we go (at least I'm only putting a few)...

This is Kevin. The pigeon.
Watercolor on unprimed canvas

This is Foghorn. Another pigeon.
Watercolor on unprimed canvas

This is Morticia. You guessed it... another pigeon.
Watercolor on unprimed canvas

It has been a fun experience to try watercolor on canvas rather than paper, and it's had mixed results. I wish I'd left the watercolor to do its thing a bit more and not fight with it quite so much, but overall, I think they are decent. Hopefully, it's a move in a direction for my thesis project; which, as much as I hate to admit it, is creeping up on me.

Happy Monday!

More Aussie Animals

Yesterday, I received a fun new image from brother dear in Australia. This one wasn't quite as furry and cuddly looking, but was still fascinating nonetheless.

Bearded dragon walks about the neighborhood

This bearded dragon was, as I'm told, standing right outside his door as he went to leave the house. Pretty incredible! My brother is working right in the center of the continent of Australia, so it sounds like he has a whole mix of animals, and both dessert and greenery around him. I'm sure it makes for some interesting critters lurking about.

Help For an Adorable Pup

I won't take up a lot of space or time with a lengthy tale, but I am definitely a softy when it comes to homeless animals. If I could bring them all home, believe me, I would. There is an adorable dog named Shy, who is in need of some financial assistance to receive cataract surgery. She's currently residing in Chicago, waiting to find her forever home. If you can spare even just a couple of dollars to help her out, it will be money put to great use. Shy's story can be read here, at Two Pitties in the City, and you can donate directly to her surgery by clicking here.

Australian Wallaby

Recently, one of my brothers up and moved half way across the world to Australia. It's a temporary move (we presume) for about two years, and he's trying to get himself acclimated to a new culture and life. Today, I received some adorable pictures from him.

My brother feeds a little critter

This little guy is too freaking cute! I am told that these are Black-Foot Rock Wallabies and that they roam freely through his backyard!!

So adorable!

I am entirely jealous that he has the opportunity to experience life in another country, AND that he has these cute little creatures running through his yard area. {sigh}

Eight Legged Foe

Spiders are a subject that I definitely try to avoid talking about. I've had a phobia of them since I was a small child. I call it a phobia because it goes far, far beyond a fear. The fact that I can even sit here typing the word spider without cringing is pretty amazing, actually. During this time of year though, the house seems to become overwhelmed by my eight-legged 'friends,' and while I've tried to use my Jedi mind tricks to convince them to stay outside of the house, this rarely seems to work. My deal has been, as long as they stay outdoors, I will have no reason to have them killed, but once they come indoors, they've invaded our home, and this is unacceptable to me.

For the last couple of weeks, we've had two visitors hanging out quite near the front of the house, but not actually coming into our home. I've kept my word to leave them undisturbed, but I'm starting to become disturbed and a bit concerned because they are growing astronomically in size. I was able to get a couple of pictures using my extra long lens (as I cannot be too close to them).

The first one is a type of spider I've seen around, but even posting the picture below, is causing shivers to run through my body. For some reason, it looks as though it's just ready to burst and hundreds of little Charlotte babies will come spewing out (likely into our house, since the spider is a mere couple feet from the front door).

Spider is spinning its web, making me nervous about baby spiders
I've just discovered these are called Cat Faced spiders

The second one is truly one of the most beautiful spiders I've ever seen, and even despite my utter fear of being anywhere near these creatures, I couldn't help but be fascinated by the color and long legs of this creature.

Colorful, long-legged spider, hanging out in our front bushes
This one is called a Banded Garden spider

Though it's difficult to see here because the bush is so green, his color is actually a bit of a sap green, and the patterns on his rear side are absolutely gorgeous!

While I'm not a fan of these insects, I truly don't want to disturb them, but I believe Sam has intentions to remove them from their current resting positions (mostly for my benefit), because if I happen to come fact to face with one of these indoors or walking out the front, it may just send me over the edge.

RIP, Ratatooey

This morning when we awoke, Ratatooey was no longer with us. Sadly, he didn't make it through the night. It was completely heart wrenching to see his little cold, grayish-blue body. It was a bit traumatic, but we were able to bury him in a field, so he could be at peace and roam forever free. I've tried to take comfort in the fact that he was able to rest comfortably in a warm place, being fed, and not ate by ants, but it's difficult to lose something that I'd started becoming attached to so quickly. Regardless, we did the best we could to make his final days comfortable, and perhaps, as Sam said, it was the circle of life.

Rest in peace, little guy.

Ratatooey

Last night, Sam and I rode over to the market to get groceries. When we arrived, I realized that I had left the bike lock at home, so Sam volunteered to wait with the bicycles while I went in to retrieve everything. While I was inside, he heard a strange, crying sound coming from the parking lot. He went to investigate and discovered a small (very small) animal, laying in a spot of car oil, with ants crawling all over it. When I came out, he showed me the little thing, and we decided to take it home to try to help him live through the night, so that today we could get some help for him.

Sam ran around after we got home trying to find some kind of small baster/syringe to feed him with and baby formula which we diluted to help him stay alive. I kept him in some paper towels and torn up receipts until I could make him an appropriate bed.

Baby animal sleeps in paper towels.

After a couple of phone calls, the humane society couldn't/wouldn't help, and neither would animal control (because we don't live within city limits), but the ladies there were so curious about this animal, they wanted to come and see him.  This is what they saw:

Baby animal still surviving in a small box. Note his tiny size next to the penny.

Now, we don't know what to do with him. Animal control says he won't make it because he's too small and his eyes aren't even open yet, but they have no solutions for a humane way to kill him. If I put him in one of the fields around here, it will be just like leaving him in the parking lot at the market, but I also can't keep a pet rat in the house, particularly with a Rat Terrier also living here, and knowing that it's a wild animal. I don't know if we should keep feeding him as we have been, or if we should "flush him" as was suggested. I feel ill about the whole thing because I don't think he should have to die a horrible death, and I don't want him to suffer.

For now, Ratatooey (as he's been named, since we don't know what he is) is sleeping peacefully while we figure out what to do with him.

A Small Visitor

A little visitor made his way into our backyard today. I wouldn't have even known about him except that Sam went out to throw some boxes in the back and spotted the little guy jumping around.

A fist sized frog roams the yard

I went outside attempting to get some action shots, but I know I was likely scaring him. He did his best to hide away in what little there was for him to hide in, but he was just so adorable, I had to get a few shots before he departed.

The 'visitor' tries to hide himself in the rocks

I was finally able to get a good frontal shot of him, and then I let him be. What fun to be able to see something that I don't have the opportunity to view every day.

Sweet little froggy, hanging out

Thanks for the up close experience, Mr. Frog!

When the Aliens Arrive on Earth...

I hope they take the bastard who just hit the poor prairie dog on the highway, not killing him, but leaving him alive, with two broken legs, squirming in the road. I literally feel ill right now. How could someone be so cruel? It's not as though it's the first time I've seen this happen either (well, it's the first time I've seen one left alive/maimed after being hit, but not the first time I've witnessed one being brutally slaughtered because some a$$hole driver couldn't veer one way or the other to avoid the prairie dog). I know that I can be more attached/emotional/etc about animals than some, but seriously, do you have to aim for them? I also understand that they breed like rabbits and that there are so many of them that the farmer's around here just cannot stand them, but they're still a life, and one that should be respected. After all, they live in "towns" like we do, just underground. They take up several acres for each of these little colonies, and the "families" of prairie dogs are very, what I would call, human like, in that they kick their young out when it's time for them to start their own family, they protect their own, and they have a complex communication system using their "barks" to speak with each other. They seem to have it more together than the humans too, as they are herbivores (well, except for the insects they eat) and they actually can also serve to change the composition of the soil in a region by reversing soil compaction that can be the result of cattle grazing.

So, mister Ford truck driver, who decided that the life on the road wasn't nearly as important as your cell phone call -- when the alien's invade, I'm praying that they use you for experimentation first. Maybe you'll be left maimed and wondering just what happened to you (so much for the pacifist philosophy for me today, I suppose).

Spring is Here

So, it's finally over! Woo hoo!! I'm so glad this semester has finally come to an end. I feel kind of strange (I suppose I always do at the end of a term though), and not sure what to do with myself. I suppose for today, it will be just enjoying the fact that I don't have any immediate projects to finish. I would really like to work on some projects to take out to the in-laws and parents when we go out mid-June. I suppose that means I do need some sort of schedule. Regardless, it will be nice to do something I want to do and not have to worry about an actual graded project. School's out for summer, and I'm happy about it.

On more home front news, the spring birds seem to be out in full force. They're tweeting away and happily flying around the neighborhood. Last year, we had a big issue with them leaving their droppings all over our porch and making nests for their youngin's in the corners of the house/roof.

I'm not sure exactly what kind of birds they are, but they are cute. It's a shame they make such a mess. Poor Sam has been busy daily hosing down their work because they are trying desperately, once again, to make their home outside our front door. This afternoon, I went outside and they were at it again.

I felt kind of bad washing away all of their work, but I also know we can't have birds (and little birds soon enough) right above our door. It is impressive though to see the work they're able to accomplish so quickly.

Even after I spent the time washing away their nest, they were back at again, so I think by this evening, we'll have to do another round of rinsing.

Spring is here... in all its glory.