Animals

Another Surprise

Posted by Ellie
A small, brown and cream mouse is sitting in some brown undergrowth next to a small dark hole beside it. One eye is facing us warily. Around is green grasses and dried reeds and grasses.
Little Brown Mouse in the Undergrowth

Generally I quite like surprises. Having a mouse scurry under my feet in the house, first thing in the morning would not be ranked one of my favourites. We have, as you probably know, three cats. So, with a house full of cats, how did it happen that I came downstairs this morning to be faced with a (live) mouse in the house? The cats knew it was there. The poor little thing was terrified, running around and hiding frantically. So what did the cats do? They squabbled with each other over whose mouse it was. They chased it a bit, of course, then they sat and looked at it. Face to face, at one point. So it was up to me to catch it (by putting an upturned plastic pot over it) and take it outside to get on with its life. It was a cute little thing, catching its breath in the grass. This photo was actually taken years ago, as this morning was not the time for a photo session.

May all your unusual surprises end as well as this one did.

My gallery of photographs featuring animals including this little guy is here: https://www.elliekennard.ca/ekgallery/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