….thanks to Roda for hosting Critter Connection Challenge ….sadly it ends today
Roda’s Critter Connection Challenge – October 31, 2017
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Category Archives: Animals
Halloween at the Zoo
….it started out chilly but when the sun came out the layers came off
Going to the zoo during the week on Halloween had its perks. There was lots of parking, the line-up to get into the zoo was very short and we didn’t have to push through crowds of people to see the pandas. The downside is that a lot of the refreshment stands and rest areas were closed. The mono-rail wasn’t operating and some of the animal enclosures were closed.
We arrived late morning and we needed to bundle up to stay warm. Out came the hats, gloves and scarves. As soon as we entered the grounds we could see that staff had made an effort to decorate for Halloween.
Our first destination was the panda pavilion. The pandas are on loan here from China and the original two successfully mated to produce two cubs. The young cubs are already two years old and are almost the same size as their parents. In March, Toronto will have to say good-bye to the pandas when they move to Calgary. I was thrilled that I was able to get so close to get some great shots.
As we walked from the Giant Panda Experience towards the Polar Bears and then to the African Savanna, the sun came out and we shed our hats, gloves and scarves. The pathways are beautifully laid out as they wind through forests of orange, gold and red. There were many interesting animals along the way but this post would be far too long if I mentioned them all. I’ll save that for another day.
Introducing Digit: A Polydactyl Kitten
…..polydactyl cats have more than the normal 18 toes
Most cats have 5 toes on each front paw and 4 on each back paw. Last week I was introduced to the newest member of M’s pet family. Digit is a beautiful black and white kitten with extra toes on her front and back paws.
Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge – Letter D
….join this week’s Fun Foto Challenge by posting photos of pictures that start with the letter D and have only 4 letters
Deck with a Dear Friend
Dock
Deck with Deck Chairs
Dogs
Door
Picasso Elephants
…..thanks to Carla Sonheim for getting me back to drawing
After weeks of inactivity in making art I’ve finally opened my art journal and made two new entries. I’m participating in Carla’s 365: A Year Long On-line Class. Every day there’s a new video with interviews, quotes from artists or art assignments.
One Word Photo Challenge – Horse
….. thanks to Jennifer Nicole Wells
For this week’s photo challenge Jennifer chose the word Horse. Last summer I photographed a number of horses in Italy. They were all in large public squares and were obviously working horses.
Cee’s Odd Ball Photo Challenge – July 16, 2017
…..thanks to Cee for hosting Odd Ball Photo Challenge
Some of my odd ball photos come from experimenting with my camera and my different lenses. Here are a few at I took at the cottage the last two weeks.
WPC – Friend
…..this week’s photo challenge is friend
Frances is ready to play with the newest ‘dog’ member of our family, sweet little Olive.
A Backyard Visitor
…an opportunity to pull out the ‘zoom’ lens
As you know from previous posts I’ve inherited a zoom lens that I’ve been dying to use on wildlife. My moon photos were a complete bust but I’ll try again when the weather isn’t quite so frigid.
A few days ago, before the snow storm hit, a squirrel was darting around on my deck looking for water. I grabbed my camera and started shooting through the glass of the patio doors. The first few had too much glare because I was shooting at an angle. Then I was able to get a shot straight on and it made a big difference. I wanted to say ‘huge’ but I’m trying to avoid that word as much as possible.
I was hoping to open the doors so that I could get a shot that didn’t happen through a glass window (a dirty on at that) but as soon as I did that the squirrel took off and look who showed up (3rd photo). If the squirrel hadn’t run away when I opened the door , Frances’ presence would have scared him off for sure.
When Lucy Met Olive
….it definitely wasn’t love at first “bite”
Puppies and old dogs don’t always mesh. A and J were looking forward to introducing their new dog, Olive to G’s and B’s older dog, Lucy.
The experts say that there’s something about puppies that older dogs recognize as being non-threatening. They instinctively know that these frisky young pups, although somewhat annoying to older dogs, are harmless and in need of nurturing and gentle instruction in the hierarchy of the canine world.
I guess Lucy had not read the chapter on caring for pups. A while back she had been attacked by another dog in the dog park and in her defence she has been wary of all new dogs that she meets. Olive learned very quickly that Lucy was less than pleased to meet her. We ended up keeping both dogs on leashes in the house during dinner time. Food issues between two dogs can be quite unpleasant and since Lucy is about four times bigger than Olive we erred on the side of caution during mealtime. 
As the day progressed Lucy relaxed a bit, literally, and slept on the couch while Olive pranced around the house and stayed clear of Lucy. Luckily Lucy doesn’t feel the same way about our granddaughter. Winnie can sit on Lucy and dress her up and Lucy reaps the rewards at dinner time when Winnie drops food by her high chair. It’s what I would call a symbiotic relationship.
Winnie is a little unsure of Olive. She’s not used to such an ‘active dog’ but over time I’m sure she will grow to love Olive as the rest of us have. As for Lucy, I think that she will stay out of Olive’s way and be somewhat territorial but time will tell.
The next challenge will come when the girls bring Olive over to our house to meet Frances.
” Say what??? Who’s coming over for dinner?”
Mama Cormier 