Last Viewed Animals Blogs (472)

The other day I was reading how someone was bringing a stray home from the country they were visiting. What? We don't have enough unwanted pets here in shelters that you couldn't find one here?

I really have an issue with this, as we have so many pets that need homes in our own country.

Restore your faith in humanity

Now i’ll be more attractive

Putin wiped his hands after shaking hands with Obama to .
Guessing Harris won't be using her usual way of getting what she wants .

Smaller than the formidable fire ant, and without much in the way of warrior mandibles, or poison barbs, but is spreading in our US Southland, and kicking some fire ant butt. And when they take over a fire ant nest, mostly with chemical and behavioral warfare tactics, some of the bigger ladies stick around, living communally, perhaps in a quasi slave role. The bigger they are, the harder they fall---or something like that.

A couple of weeks ago, I took a walk in nature near Princeton
and saw a redtail hawk soaring over the lake.
So, I walked across a bridge to get to the other side of the lake,
where the bird had perched high in a spruce tree.
But, by the time I crossed the bridge, the hawk was airborne again.
I did get a photo of the bird soaring from a great distance and eventually
found him perched in another tree. However, I was never able to get close enough
to get great photos.

Nonetheless, along the way to that second tree, I discovered a "doe, a deer, a female deer" resting on the ground below some shrubbery. It was a hot day and she was
peacefully cozy in the shade. Although I don't believe I ever met her before, she was very patient with me, allowing me to get within 20 feet of her without her exhibiting any fear. I figured the high heat & humidity that day probably contributed to her lethargy.

Thus, I took a couple of shots with the camera and thanked her with a whisper and walked uphill
to where the hawk was perched. The bird did not allow me to get close and flew.
Thus, I proceeded to explore and heard some other unfamiliar bird call.
I never found that bird. However, I ended somewhat behind where the doe was.
As I walked through an opening, I saw the doe standing up looking at me.
She was initially much more aware on my presence, than I was of her.
But, she stood there facing me and not running away.
So, I whispered; "sorry. sorry. My bad." and I walked backwards through the opening
and circled below to my right to look out on the lake.

Almost immediately, the doe walked towards me and walked into the edge of a little
wooded area that had a lot of ivy and other growth. I just stood there taking pictures
and she kept walking closer to me. At one point she was less than 10 feet from me.
Eventually, I whispered a thank you again and walked away.

Here's some of the pictures from that encounter that day.
Perhaps you'll enjoy them.

This morning I played softball.
I had a good time and went 2 for 3 at the plate, plus a walk, and I scored twice,
which equaled my activity last night.

When the game ended it was hot, about 88 F. and muggy.
I stopped by an Aldi store on the way home to get several food items,
plus I got some chocolate ice cream.

When I got home, I sat in front of a fan and had some of that ice cream,
while watching a Mets baseball game. After the game was over, I decided to go visit
a park where I have local deer becoming familiar with me. I've photographed them
about 8 times and each time they become more tolerant of my presence.
Today was the best though. At first, I couldn't find any of the deer.
Because it was hot out, I figured they were probably lying down somewhere in the woods.

So, instead, I took pictures of a green dragonfly and a blue jay, that I found.
But, I kept looking out for the deer. Eventually, I found one buck. He was alone, but luckily, he was familiar with me and allowed me to take photos of him at close range.
He usually hangs out with another buck about his age, about 4 years old.
The bucks have their antlers growing behind felt right now.

I was following him, walking parallel to his foraging and eventually I was leading him in the same direction. I sat down awaiting him to catch up (he was busy eating leaves from a small tree at the time. I was near the edge of the woods in a field looking out at him.

All of a sudden, to my surprise, 2 tiny fawn walked out of the woods and went just past me on my left, only about 5 feet from me. They looked right at me and didn't seem to mind that I was there. Perhaps they had been watching me and the buck from the woods. Either way, I got lots of great very close photos of them looking at me, preening each other, and foraging.

After about 40 photos, the 2 fawn decided to lie down in the shade together between some small evergreens, while the buck kept foraging.
I took several more photos of them lying down, and then decided to leave them be.
I didn't want to overstay my welcome. But, it was terrific to be so accepted by the little ones and the buck, perhaps their father.

I hope I'll get to see them again and see them grow up over time.

....years ago, for a wealthy lady friend, while she traveled, I cared for her two Arabians. So, got to ride them instead of her, with the former being much better. Mostly rode bareback, even though it lead to sweaty jeans, (North Carolina) and always felt much more one with the animals this way. Today, on a TV animal science show, there was this lady showing her research on how expressive these wonderful creatures are. Sure, as with our Bravo, there are many body language communications. But apparently, to those in the know, tons of communicative facial expressions also exist. Who knew? Not me. The only real readable horse talk I recall was the way they always seemed to speed up on their own (or try to do), at the end of a ride, on the last leg to their stalls. Translation into Human-OATS!

Impossible Love