Animals

Snapping Turtle Crossing

Posted by Ellie
A very large rough looking turtle with large folds hanging around its legs under its shell. It has a dusty looking black shell with some rusty marks around the edges. The gody is very scaly like some prehistoric monster and its claws are long and very nasty looking. It has a fairly long pointed tail. It is on the verge of a road, about to cross the rough tarmac and behind it is a patch of fresh young grass and water.
Snapping turtle, Nova Scotia

Happy World Turtle Day to all who celebrate! As today is World Turtle Day (who knew?) I thought I would share this photo of a snapping turtle by way of celebration. This was a huge monster, crossing the road in front of the car, so Steven and another driver guided it (carefully) across the road to safety and the water on the other side. It looks like some prehistoric creature and it really felt like a priviledge to see it in the wild. You can see it on my animals photo gallery by clicking on the photo or this link: https://www.elliekennard.ca/ekgallery/animals/

Dragonfly

Posted by Ellie
A blue and brown dragonfly is resting on a branch that has cobwebs on it. Its wings look a little the worse for wear, like the cobwebs.
Dragonfly, Miner’s Marsh

This photo was taken a few years ago in Miner’s Marsh in Kentville reserve, one warm August noon. I hadn’t even seen this beautiful creature as I was busy photographing the sandpiper featured in the post from the other day until Steven pointed it out, so thanks to him for this summer memory on this snowy day today. Wherever these are now, we’ll see them again soon.

He’s featured in my Animals Gallery.

Find The Warmest Spots

Posted by Ellie

It’s a cold winter day. If you want to find the warmest spots in the house, look for the cats.

A cat with short, curly white, tan and black hair is sitting on the top of a pile of wood next to a black cast iron wood stove top. Behind her is a red stone wall. Her eyes are sapphire blue and her face is half white and half black with very white long whiskers and a little pink mouth.
Badger on a log pile

Badger prefers to sit in the warmest place in the house, right at the top of the logpile next to the woodstove. She is the kindest and most caring, gentlest of all, always wearing this look of sincere concern. Her earliest years were spent looking after kittens, one of which, Pangolin, lives with us as well. But now she lives a life of luxury, being pampered, with nothing to do but enjoy her retirement.

This is turning into a bit of a cat blog. No apologies for that! So here are the other two, finding their own warm spots to sit on a cold winter day.

A curly coated tortie siamese marked cat with cream, brown and black fur and blue eyes is sitting on a carpetted stair looking directly at the camera. Her tail is curved over the edge of the stair.
Pangolin’s favourite stair

Pangolin is Badger’s daughter, a bit more flighty and worried as a personality, but also very affectionate and chatty. She’ll be the most likely to have a conversation with you.

A brown, cream and black tabby cat with curly hair and big ears is sitting on a coffee machine behind 3 blue coffee mugs that are upside down to wrarm. She is looking directly at the camera with her yellow eyes. Cupboards, shelves and a fridge are behind her, with kitchen paraphenalia.
Zaz on the warmer

Zaz is just young and fun. Just … Zaz. She has featured enough on here that her character is well known to regular viewers. This coffee machine warmer is where she holds court. So far no mugs have been broken.

More cat photos are on the Cats Gallery

Zaz on Her Tree Bed

Posted by Ellie
A young cat, curly coated tabby tortie brown black, red and cream is lying horizontally in the photo, on a cat tree. She is on a blanket with a couple of toys on either side of her, but her head is turned and she is looking directly at the camera with yellow green eyes. She has long white whiskers
Zaz on her Tree Bed

Zaz has always been more of a cliff cat than a cave one. So she was really happy when I took her heated pad out of the box and put it on the shelf. She surveys her kingdom from here, with her trusty puppy friend by her side. It’s the best thing to do on a snowy stormy day.

Happy Caturday to all who celebrate. Which must surely be everyone.

You can see my cats gallery here.