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!"




 

Ruby the Forager

Though Ruby is not like all dogs, she does have something in common with most... she likes to eat.  In particular, Ruby loves berries and beans. On our walk this morning, I knew Ruby would be on the lookout for some she could pick.  Yes, she picks them herself!

There are lots of things Ruby does not see while we are walking.  Like the bobolinks that flew out of the long grass or the orchids blooming within it.

Ragged Fringed Orchis, a native orchid, which I only saw for the first time myself this year in the hayfields.  

 So I didn't expect Ruby to see them.

But when we got to where the wild blackberries grow, I knew she would be more interested.  We had both picked some berries and eaten them at this spot last week.

No ripe ones now, too bad.

Not in this spot either. Even though Ruby hunted for awhile, she didn't find any.  Maybe a bear or some birds got to them before she did.

She didn't notice any of the many butterflies that were all around.  They aren't good food for basset hounds.

She did notice this poplar leaf though, because I tapped my foot by it (the sign that there's food on the floor for her to eat)!

Even though my tapping got her to come check it out, she knew that was not good to eat, and not something we really want to see either!  Let's have summer awhile longer.

So far, Ruby has struck out on her foraging.  We head back to the house, where I know there are some beans ready for her--  Scarlet runner beans I grow because they are pretty, and because the Ruby-throated Hummingbirds like the flowers... and because Ruby likes the beans.

First we come to the ones on the vegetable garden fence.  Ruby investigates carefully, but she doesn't find any beans.  She may or may not have picked a flower (she says it was an accident).

Then we go to the plants on our deck, which I started earlier in pots in the spring, so they already have some large beans on them.

But Ruby has given up.  She is hot and tired and needs a drink. 

 So I pick one for her...

It's her reward for being a good girl on our walk.

Then we got a drink, and now she is taking a nap! Maybe she'll have better luck foraging next week.

Ruby Thursday

Have you missed Ruby?   It's been quite awhile since she has been on the blog so I'm letting her take us wherever she will today.  Literally.

Ready?  Let's go!

Nose to the ground, anytime of year - but in the winter is when we can actually see what Ruby is 'seeing' with her nose.

So many tracks!

But Ruby must investigate who has been in this pipe.

Back to the trail, whoops-- caught by a goldenrod.  Ack!

Ruby pulls.  Still stuck.  Okay, she'll sniff instead.

Well, this is a good photo opportunity.  Goldenrod keeping a basset in place for a moment.

How about a close-up?  Cute, Ruby.

Ruby yanks some more... she's free!  

And there is so much she'd like to explore.  But, bassets are best on the leash.  Sorry, Ruby.

Let's go this way.

No wait, maybe this way...

Down into the creek.  What happened to the creek?  It's solid!

Okay, enough of that... watch me charge up the bank!

Over the river and thru the woods to Grandmother's house we go (or, over the creek on the bridge...)

"Hey, these tracks smell like a basset hound... oh wait, that was me!" says Ruby.

Almost back, and that's a good thing since it was 0.3 degrees this morning. (Why do we have digital thermometers-- Ruby thinks that is a little too exact!)

 The house is in sight (even for short dogs), but Ruby does not take the easy route.  

Whoops, forgot that bush was there.  Oh.

Ruby will just make it an opportunity to look around.  (Didn't she make a nice ear print in the snow in that photo?)

Not sure what made those other big holes in the snow.  Footprints going by, too.

Ruby says thank you for joining her on her walk!  (Actually, she's already napping, but if she was awake she'd say thank you).