Jack’s Walk

Deadwood and cattails , ©voyager, all rights reserved

I’m feeling a bit blue today. I think it’s the cold. I’m so tired of the cold. I’ve gotten myself through most the winter by feeling adventurous and brave, a voyageur and her trusted sidekick out tracking beavers and fairies in the wild. I also like to be challenged and uncomfortable sometimes because it makes me more grateful for simple things like warmth and shelter. Today, though, I just can’t muster up that sunny good attitude. I’ve been fighting double gravity for days (and days) and the cold is just pissing me off. I hope things are brighter for you.

Jack’s Walk

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Well, we did get a bit of snow as predicted, but thankfully it didn’t last long. For the first time this winter, though, Jack didn’t seem too happy about it.  I think the boy might be getting tired of winter, too. He’s becoming impatient with the length of time it takes to get ready to go out. Coats and boots and mittens and scarves and Oh My, aren’t you ready yet Mom. The super slow pace is also getting to him. We tread very, very carefully now because there’s so much ice this year and it’s absolutely everywhere. I’ve fallen a few times this winter and even Jack has fallen twice. Both times his back legs slid out together and he landed on his hip. Both times he looked up at me and said WTF. Could it be that my winter dog is also yearning for green grass and warmer temps?

Jack’s Walk

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Just look at all that sweet sunshine lighting up the snow. That’s spring sunshine. You can see that the sun is finally sitting higher in the sky and the days have become noticeably longer. All that light is just a tease, though, because winter has decided to stick around. Temps are projected to stay in the -10º C range right through the end of the week and we’re due to get snow again tomorrow. Damn.

A Day at the Zoo 15: A Different Kind of Tit Picture

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Don’t say I didn’t warn you! Our orang utans are doing their best to help with the species conservation, although they demonstrated well that humans can’t plan everything. About 12 years ago a mature orang utan lady and her daughter moved in, hoping that the lady would breed with our male. Turned out the female adult was pregnant already, surprising everybody with a baby in summer. But even after the baby was grown quite a bit, the lady told the dude in no certain terms that he could stuff his dick into the meat grinder or she’d do that for him.

He waited a few years until the daughter had matured and then successfully mated with her, having several kids. He got sent to a different zoo last year to see if could keep up his good work in the conservation of this wonderful species.

A Day at the Zoo 14: I don’t know if any of them is called Alvin

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Chinese chipmunks, also known as cute overload.

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I love those little tufts on the ears, so much like tiny horns.

© Giliell, all rights reserved

© Giliell, all rights reserved

And a grey chipmunk that inhabits the ground of the enclosure. It was not chilled out as the other one.

© Giliell, all rights reserved

 

Jack’s Walk

Happy Birthday to me! ©voyager, all rights reserved

Today is Jack’s 11th Birthday, sort of. Jack is a Leap Year Baby and since there is no February 29 this year we’re celebrating today. So far, Bubba has listened to his parents sing to him off-key, had bacon and eggs for breakfast and then had an exciting romp up at the lake. Plans for later in the day include gifts (a new rubber pig that honks and squeals and a bag of his favourite treats – Greenies,) more singing (Jack loves to sing) and a nice bit of salmon to top his kibble for supper. All in all, I’d say that’s a pretty good day for a not-quite birthday.

A Day at the Zoo 13: Budgie does as Budgie can

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There’s a walk in aviary with budgies, many of them happy to say hello to the visitors (the zoo provides feed you can give them). The keepers probably spend a lot of time checking for escapes, but some of them always do, although they also seem to return as soon as it gets dark and cold. Except for this little fellow, who has decided to move out permanently and make its home in the wooden beams of the aviary. Literally. It seems like the keepers have just decided to let it go as an example of how wild budgies nest.

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BBC: Badly Behaved Cranes

Every spring and autumn, the cranes pass our little neck of the woods. And every spring and autumn I look out for them, but usually they’re so early or late in the day, that it’s hard to spot them, flying in their majestic V form, but today they were here at around 11 o’clock and my camera was ready.

Of course they did not show their typical pattern, but I think the shots are pretty nevertheless (I had to do a bit of post production, but I swear it did not involve copypasting crane silhouettes). Do click for full size.

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Jack’s Walk

The shape of water on wood ©voyager, all rights reserved

Well, we have a fresh layer of snow again and, although it’s very pretty and it reflects a lot of light, I’m fed up with the stuff. I crave the changing shades of green things; the growing grass and leaves that burst into life. I crave the sound of songbirds through an open window and the earthy smell of fresh air blowing through the house. I am so ready to ditch my big coats and heavy boots. My feet want to go bare and feel the warmth of sunlight on the sidewalk and the cool of grass on the lawn. Come, Persephone. It’s time to send Boreas packing.

As a bonus today, this is an early animation produced by Disney studios in 1934. I’m hoping that Spring will see it as an invitation.

A Day at the Zoo 11: The Goat and the Peacock

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Like in most zoos, our peacocks roam freely, which means that they have access to the enclosures of other herbivores. In this case, the dwarf goats. They had just been fed and you can imagine who thought that HE had been fed.

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Unfortunately I’d put the shutter time really low before and didn’t notice, so the pics are blurry, although their blurriness also adds to the overall mood.

© Giliell, all rights reserved

© Giliell, all rights reserved

© Giliell, all rights reserved

© Giliell, all rights reserved

Well, I guess he was right…