Spring Critters

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Fennec fox taking a sunny nap

 

Pelican landing

 

Young goat

 

American (Pine) Marten

Identified: King Richard III

The Ravens won the Super Bowl last night, and Joe Flacco, the Ravens' quarterback, received the Most Valuable Player award for throwing three touchdown passes. I was saddened that most of the big-name commercials had been shown prior to the game, but two of the three ads I liked best, I hadn't seen before... For tenderness and caring, I pick the Budweiser Clydesdale foal-to-team-leader ad; for sheer laughter, I liked the Doritos "Goat 4 Sale" ad; but the one that really moved me was the Dodge Ram ad with Paul Harvey reading his "... The Farmer..." minute piece. It was wonderful to hear Mr. Harvey's voice again - even though, at the end of the ad, when the Dodge Ram truck image appeared, I wished it had been voiced by Sam Elliott (but that would have given away the sponsor, wouldn't it?). And, I guess my mind is so fixated on the ex-Gator Tim Tebow that it wasn't strange that, once I fell asleep after the Super Bowl, I kept having dreams in which Tim Tebow would just walk in a door, or up to me outside, or wherever I was in the dream, and just talk to me... I really hope that Tim will be allowed to succeed in the NFL!
  I am still coughing up gunk like there's no tomorrow - my lymph nodes are all swollen, I've blown my nose raw (even though I'm using tissues with lotion and vitamins), and I am just so tired of coughing. I have a humidifier running constantly, a large iron kettle simmering on the stove, I take steamy showers, I breathe in from steaming pots of eucalyptus and mint oils, I gargle 4 times a day with salt water; I drink so much green and chamomile tea that I constantly have to run to the bathroom.... I am staying at home and resting, reading, and researching. I am taking all the MD's medicines. I have been ill since Christmas. Why the heck isn't this clearing up? Dr. Little just had me sit out in the sun and "bake it out" of my chest when I lived in Florida, but that's not possible in Colorado.
  It was announced today, by the University of Leicestershire, that the skeleton found buried beneath the city parking lot in Leicester, is the skeleton of King Richard III. Since I became a history reader, I have always known that whoever wins a war, tilts the written past toward their view. Richard Plantagenet, Duke of Gloucester, seems to have always been maligned. References to him, during his brother's, King Edward IV, reign almost always paint Richard in a good light, unlike their brother, George, Duke of Clarence. George was born with a thirst for power, and had no qualms about changing sides and betrayals of those closest to him. Richard, the youngest brother, with his small stature due to his bent back, however, led his men in battle for his brother the King many times. People tend to forget that the two Princes in the Tower were declared Bastards by the Archbishop and the Parliament, and that Richard was begged to become King, so that the kingdom would not fall apart, or come under the rule of the Tudors. No one, in current letters, ever referred to a "withered arm" on Richard, although quite a few do mention his "crouch back" that made one shoulder (and that, his sword arm) appear higher than the other. Ah, well... The question now is, where shall he be properly buried? There is a monument in the floor of the Leicester Cathedral awaiting the placement of his remains; some people want him buried in Westminster Abbey. But, before his death, he and his queen were having a Memorial Chapel built in the city of York - where Richard spent a great deal of time. Should he be buried where he had hoped to be? Should he be buried in Leicester, where his naked corpse was displayed for 3 days to prove he was dead? Or should he be in London? - All I know is that I hope he is buried with honor.  For more information, visit:  http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-21063882  and check out the Interactive part...

Black Bear Kills Pet Goat

Wednesday night at 9:30, the owners of a house at the corner of Quince Avenue and 19th Streets heard an unusual noise in their back yard. They have an 8-foot high solid wood privacy fence surrounding their back yard, and the gates were locked. They had locked their two pygmy goats inside their shed for the night, as soon as dusk fell. The man opened the back door and looked out with a flashlight - he saw a 200-pound black bear with a dead and bloody black goat in its mouth. He went back inside, called 911, and went back out. The bear tried to climb a tree, carrying its prey; it didn't succeed, so stood at the foot of the tree eating Charm, a 13-month old goat. When police, deputies, and the Department of Wildlife arrived, the bear scaled the fence and ran in a westerly direction. It left the remains of the goat. A search commenced, but the bear was not spotted. DoW set up a trap and baited it with the goat carcass, but the bear has not returned.

Meanwhile, in the neighborhood two streets to the east, where I do the majority of my pet-sitting, a bear attacked and destroyed several wrought iron shepherds hooks that had multiple bird feeders attached. The bird feeders were smashed, and all the seed and grains consumed. The bear also opened the trash can at that house, and took a 30-gallon bag of trash out - eating what it chose. At 1 a.m., the bear was visiting my sister and brother-in-law's house - there was no trash there, but there was a completely full 75 gallon compost bin. The bin was turned upside down and all the contents removed, while the dogs went ballistic inside the house. Yesterday afternoon, about 2 p.m., one of the Chandler boys stepped out into his front lawn and reappeared inside, yelling , "Bear!" at his parents. The adults ran to see the bear, and it ran south, crossing Emerald and into Leslie's yard, where it proceeded around and through trees and bushes and ended up on the paved track for Centennial Middle School... It disappeared from there.... Here is a photo of the bear crossing Leslie's yard:

 

DoW is trying to capture and/or kill this bear.  They say once a bear kills and acquires the taste for meat and blood, it cannot be rehabilitated....