Return of the Porcupine, an Apple Fest
Last week, as I told of My Unlikely Encounter with a Porcupine, we left off with this darling, quilly little girl trotting through the deep woods as I skipped home filled with wonderment at our chance meeting. But that’s not the end of the story…
On an overcast Saturday afternoon, a dark, waddling shadow under the apple trees caught my husband Tim’s eye. “Hey. You’re friend is back!”
I ran to the window. There she was, face-first in a shiny, red, fallen apple on the lawn, circling around it as she ate, not a care in the world. Unable to hold onto the fruit, she sank her long teeth into the ruby red flesh, re-angling for every bite. When only a bright white core was left, she abandoned it for the next apple.
I raced for the camera but there was no rush. This porcupine wasn’t going anywhere.
From the couch, Shamus, our Newf, glued his eyes on the spiky spectacle dancing through the plethora of Macintosh (his favorite food). Tim sat with him as I filmed, filling the camera with repeat rounds of circular porcupine paths. This went on so long, Shamus laid down at some point, dizzied by the crazy apple spinning, and Tim and I went back to watching television. On occasion, we’d check to see if she was still there, and she always was.
As daylight faded to night, we looked once more. The porcupine’s front paws walked up the apple tree’s trunk as she considered overnighting near the perfect breakfast spot. Almost immediately, she changed direction, hobbling a bit off kilter. Was she drunk? Her belly was certainly chock-full of fermented applesauce.
In a moment of clarity, she opted for the cover of the woods and, as she made her way, I silently thanked her for another visit, this time in the company of my family.
An Unlikely Encounter with a Porcupine
It was October 18th, 2011. The sun played peek-a-boo, ducking behind passing clouds and cheekily popping out again like a gleeful child. Bulbous shadows floated across the lawn in tandem with their fluffy white counterparts above. I absorbed the sights as if they were harmonious sounds, the clouds providing a strong bass line as melodious bursts of golden light trickled through the pines.
Then she arrived, hopping and bopping through this symphonic space like a tuba in the strings section. From a distance, she looked like a ground hog, or perhaps a beaver. But, no. She was a beautiful little porcupine.
Climbing the hill toward the house, she took a turn past the dog yard – which sent the dogs into an ear piercing cacophony. When she redirected, I grabbed my camera and followed with a wide birth letting the zoom bridge the gap.
Going Dark to Protest Overreaching Internet Regulation
On January 18th, 2012 the internet is going on strike to stop two web censorship bills in Congress: Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and the Protect IP Act (PIPA).
Leading websites including Wikipedia, Reddit, Mozilla, WordPress, and BoingBoing will go dark tomorrow in protest, and we join them. Whether you have a website or simply like to read them, you’ll want to take part, too.
WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL?
Two laws, hastily proposed in the name of protecting copyright holders, will more likely enable censorship by US corporations and the U.S. government, undermining the First and Fourth Amendments of the United States Constitution.
Black Bear! What Do We Do?!
The house rattled and creaked as the wind pushed and pulled, searching for a way in beyond the logs. Crisp brown leaves whizzed past the windows, illuminated only by the lamplight inside. The feeder swayed back and forth from it’s hook, metal grinding on metal. The cedar trellis whipped from side to side. From under my my chocolate knit afghan, as I sat with the dogs basking in the warmth of the fire, I lazily thought, I need to tighten those trellis screws.
In the flurry of all that commotion, something caught Jed’s attention. The curious cat ascended the couch, planted his face in the window and stared into the darkness. Then he started to pace.
Squirrel? I thought. We hear them trotting across the roof some nights. They use the trellis to reach the closest feeder with solid footing. I welcomed the thought.
Ban the Bullfights – Be the Change
INNOCENCE LOST
Flying to Sevilla in 1985 with a pack of fellow 9th graders, the school system’s hope was to teach the Spanish language while immersing us in rich and colorful culture. We learned a new and colorful vocabulary all right, the locals were happy to give lessons, but it was not in the curriculum and we would not receive extra credit.
We also experienced a tradition that had young, rabble-rousing boys reveling in real-life bloody violence and girls upchucking their Chorizo. I’m not referring to our stealth acquisition of sangria. I’m referring to our first (and my last) bull fight.
2012 Pet Blogger Challenge
Edie Jarolim of Will My Dog Hate Me and Amy Burkert of GoPetFriendly.com are co-hosting the 2nd Annual Pet Blogger Challenge today, inviting all pet bloggers to answer eight questions about their blogs.
I’ve anxiously awaited this day, planning to use the PBC’s questions as a tool to redefine why I blog and what I’d like to either accomplish or abandon here. Please pardon my taking a few liberties in prose form to better explain 2011′s situation.
GOALS: THEN AND NOW
The 2011 Pet Blogger Challenge (my previous post) aimed to explore “how and why” I blog about animals and how that’s working for us as a group. I quote myself as saying then, in reference to goals from my start in 2009, “This One Wild Life still celebrates relationships with all things animal, vegetable and mineral.” I go on to say, “I wanted a way to record and remember favorite moments with these magnificent beings, exploring and sharing the human emotion attached to my animal relationships.” That goal of keeping the human/animal connection at the forefront has held fast, but I feel the execution – or my vision of it – has essentially failed.
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Sharing Her Love for Animals – My Inspiration
When it comes to compassionate living and my love for animals, I credit my grandmother, Helen, for encouraging me to respect all living beings at an early age, never by telling me to do so, but because she led by example. My father had a significant influence as well, but since he too learned from her, today I remember the source of that love – in celebration of Helen’s birthday.
Alzheimer’s ruthlessly robbed valuable pieces of Helen’s memory over the years, and I have long missed my connection with sweetest woman I have ever known. Now that her beautiful soul has flown, I believe her spirit has been set free to soar through the ethos, no longer bound by earthly separation and limitation. And I am free to remember the woman who was and who is now whole again, not the still-darling but deteriorating woman who no longer knew me.
Memory. Relationships depend upon it. And so I remember.
A Few of My Favorite Things
Ah, a reprieve from home construction, decorating, wrapping, shredding paper, deconstructing decorations and all that eating! It’s now time to sit back, appreciate everything that transpired all too quickly with fond memories, and share with you a few of our favorite things.
HAND-PAINTED MINIATURE PET PORTRAITS
Each year, Tim and I add another ornament to the tree. This year was no exception – although these tiny portraits won’t be relegated to holiday storage. Oh, no. These beautifully hand-painted gifts will be treasured long after the holiday season for their longevity and versatility. Truly perfect for any occasion, they are too adorable to hide away. I can’t even part with the hand-painted boxes.
This talented Chicago artist’s name is Becky Sorrentino and I can’t rave about her enough. It’s one thing to find her paintings of other people’s pets lovely. It’s quite another to see the souls of the animals I know inside-and-out shine through. She did a fabulous job.
Third and Final Way to Win Cash for You AND an Animal Charity!
UPDATE: Congratulations to winner Kristie Wright and her charity of choice, The Leon County Humane Society, a membership – supported, no-kill organization!
Welcome to the final round of our holiday raffle! ‘Tis the season to be jolly, and generous, and even a bit broke. But, with some luck, you could feel jolly for generously helping needy animals and even earn a few bucks for yourself – just by making new friends!
Enter to become the one lucky winner who receives:
$112 cash delivered to your PayPal account and
$213 sent directly to the non-profit animal charity of your choice!
Last Minute, Meaningful Gifts for Pet Lovers: Custom Body Pillows
This isn’t exactly a Christmas story, but I’ve been so moved by this gift from my friend Art that I have to share.
Art’s company, Custom Body Pillows, provides a unique, hands-on way to cherish your favorite photograph, whether of the love of your life, your child, grandchild, your beloved soldier overseas, or a treasured pet like my Newfoundland, Shamus. My pillow now resides between the pets and the portraits, embodying a bit of both.
Gift Hint: It’s not too late to give one this holiday season. Wrap some literature from the website offering to print the photo of your recipient’s choice on this beautiful, huggable pillow!
WHY THIS MEANS SO MUCH TO ME
Freshly adopting Shamus in March 2009, visions of training Shamus to be a therapy dog danced through my head. I often fantasized about us working as a team to make a real difference in the lives of others and blogging about the journey. As it turns out, the person who Shamus became the greatest therapy dog for is me.
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