Home Sweet (Animals of) Home

While I was wild about the butterflies at the Butterfly Rainforest in Gainesville, and enjoyed the birds of Florida, I have to tell you I was not as thrilled with the animals.

Some of them even kind of gave me the creeps!  Were they thinking about their next meal as we walked by? 

Luckily, we stayed safe.  The alligators were pretty close, but the bison in the next photo was across a stretch of water from us.

While he looked like he could use some fattening up, he wouldn't have eaten us.  It was neat to see him out on the Florida prairie.

I also enjoyed seeing the manatees which were in the warm  water at Homosassa Springs.

There were lots of them!  They didn't seem to mind the humans watching them from the dock...

or from the "Fish Bowl":

Every once and awhile, one would come up for air.

Manatees are strange-looking but interesting creatures, no doubt, but also definitely not your typical "cute" animal!

Neither is Lu the hippo, aged 64, who lives at Homosassa Springs State Park.

When the Florida Park Service took over the park from private owners in 1989, they planned to keep only native species.  But  Lu, who had lived there since 1964, was a favorite of park visitors.  So the state of Florida granted him state citizenship in 1991 and allowed him to continue living at the park. 

They even have birthday parties for him sometimes.  Lu, you have a good thing going!

One animal we saw reminded me of home. 

While it looks similar to our Painted Turtles, I don't know enough about Florida turtles to identify it.

Home, sweet, home, where the animals don't look like they might want to eat you!  And, I think they are much cuter than any we saw in Florida! 

The snowdrops are blooming!

I missed Ruby and her little 'cousin' Gizmo, while we were in Florida!  It's so good to be back with them and to take them on walks here at home.

Even if one of them sometimes wants to go one way, while the other has the opposite direction in mind.

Or sometimes one is much more excited about something than the other.

Gizmo is still a puppy and likes to play... "I'm king of the hill!"

Ruby says, "You may be 'king of the hill' but I'm the one with the PhD around here and don't forget it!"  If you don't know the story of Ruby's PhD, click here.  For another story about Ruby and what she knows, click here.

Gizmo is awfully cute, but Ruby pretends not to notice.  She needs to maintain her dignity.

But she isn't above teaching the little guy about things... "this is where we relax after a long walk, Gizmo".

Ruby and Gizmo would love it if you would say "hi" to them in the comment section.  They say, "Thanks!"