Monkey Boys Coyote

Her Majesty and I had to go get a new rug shampooer (with this mini-zoo it's a must) and she needed shoes. Okay, she already has 50 pairs, but she *needed* new shoes (insert heavy whining). When we pull into the drive as we return home, Monkey Boy came out excited, telling me all about the coyote who walked across the road and through our yard. He knows his moms odd compulsion to take pictures of the odd critters we see waltzing through our yard, and picked up my camera and snapped 2 pictures, from the safety of the front door. It was a proud Momma Moment for me.

I download his pictures with some excitement, and this is what he got:



Hmmmm...doesn't look very coyote like to me. Let's zoom in:







Well, how about that. It's a rather lovely, little DOG! Well, God love him. He may not know his critters, but it is a rather cute dog. I show him the close up, and he is like "Hey, that coyote looks like a dog." Yep, sure 'nough it does.



At least he got a picture for me. Oh, and just for the record, I think it scared him. I can't say much though, I've stood in the front yard trying to call a REAL coyote to me by saying "Come here puppy!"

Strange Day!

It started out with an Earthquake here in the Midwest. Monkey Boy swears it woke him up and he felt it, but everyone else just slept right through it. I really wished I had felt it. I didn't feel the last one 6 years ago either. I guess I'm just not "in tune" enough with my environment. I imagine those in the California area are laughing their butts off at us all a twitter over our little 5 point something quake, especially when they deal with them all the time.

Then on the way to work, I was taking our country road there, and when I approached the place on our road where the squirrels are always crossing, there was something strange there. I slowed down so I wouldn't hit any wayward squirrels, and it looked like there were several little birds in the middle of the road. I stopped the truck, and watched and realized it was a momma bird, trying to get five little ones to cross the road behind her. She was about the size of a small duck, except she had a very round, long, pointed beak. The baby's all had the wild baby pattern that a lot of the partridge colored chicks I used to raise had. The babies were spooked and did the "freeze in place" thing like their momma had taught them to do, momma flew into the brush. Problem is, three of them froze right in the middle of the road. I got out of my truck and approached them, took a picture with my cell phone (why don't I drag my good camera along with me everywhere so I can get decent pictures).
Anyways..here is a picture of one of the chicks.

I had to shoo the little ones over to the brush. I already get this amazing feeling when I touch something wild like that. I know I may be the only humans hands to ever touch it. Don't worry, it's not true about Momma birds not accepting their babies if humans touch them. It's an old wives tale and birds can't smell anyways.

I wasn't sure exactly what they were, and I know most of my wild bird species and had NO idea. I looked through my bird i.d. books, and then did a quick web search on the chicks and I think it was a Common Snipe. Scratch that...they are Woodcocks. I called Cousin T who tromps around the woods all the time, and sent him the picture. He said Woodchuck, which I knew then was probably a WoodCOCK, and looked up Momma and baby pics and that is what they are, I'm certain. They are ground birds and the farmer was in the field spraying ammonia and I think that flushed them out. They were SO cool!!! I've seen a large male pheasant not far from there and a wild turkey tom. There is a small wetland not far from there, so I think that is what attracts them. I'm guessing from my experience with chicken chicks that these were maybe 4-5 days old. Just how cute is that little guy???

My Uncle and the Mountain Lion.

I have this darling, funny, sweet, goofy uncle. Uncle O is married to Aunt J (funny how he just happened to marry an aunt? lol) and they are one of the funniest couples I know. They have been married forever, I'm not so sure how long, but all of their adult life. Now, my Uncle O is an animal lover, but maybe not so good with biology of the animals. For example: Uncle O thinks the reason that his hens (chickens) lay such big eggs, is because his male Ducks are making it with them....seriously....not joking. I LOVE HIM and Aunt J. Uncle O likes to drink every now and then. More nows than thens, but he is still so totally lovable. Aunt J tolerates it, she doesn't like it, but she doesn't lecture him either. Good thing they live in a "Dry County" in TN. There house is nestled way back...I mean waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyy back in the boonies of TN. Up on yonder hill.
Well, one day they were sitting out on their back porch when a mountain lion (cougar), came down the side of the mountain right into their back yard. It was drawn to the chickens. Uncle O looked up just in time to see the big cat grab a hen, then start heading up toward them at the back of the house. It scared the ever living hell out of both of them, but Aunt J took the fright the very worse. She "took off" screaming and scrambled in the back door, firmly locking it behind her. Unfortunately she had left Uncle O on the opposite side of the locked door with the Mountain Lion. She took off deep into the house and would not come to the door to unlock it for Uncle O for anything. I guess she figured that Mr. Mountain Lion was completely capable, able, and determined to turn a door knob. Poor Uncle O, he yelled and "hollared" until he chased the Mountain Lion off and kept it from coming any closer to him, and finally convinced Aunt J to unlock the door. He would never admit to just how long he had to stand out on the back porch.
Funny thing is, now Uncle O has decided that Mr. Mountain Lion would make just the best of all pets and is determined that he is going to catch it in a live trap. I really think he will try taming that thing. Heck, his rooster rides around in a basket on his 4-Wheel ATV, maybe he can tame it.
I love my funny, crazy, very southern, Uncle O and Aunt J.

Yup, He's a Country Boy, Monkey Boy!

For some reason, I was thinking about when Monkey Boy was around 3 years old and some of the cuteness about him that I just couldn't get enough of, and thought of this story.

We were at my in-laws house, all sitting on the deck on a warm summer night, when I noticed there was a dead cat, squished down on the road. You see, the neighbor, who is a relative, has numerous cats that they don't give a hoot about, and becoming road kill is a common occurrence.
I sat and whined to Hubby and My Wonderful Little Father-in-law, until they decided to go down with a shovel, and scoop up the cat to bury it, just to shut me up. Of course Monkey Boy was in the middle of it all and excited about the project. After the cat is removed from the road, and Hubby had the hole dug, Monkey Boy came running up to me, so excited. He loudly proclaimed "Daddy's planting that cat!".
Yep, he is a country boy through and through.



Okay, so this isn't a picture of the above story (thank goodness) but in my warped mind, it's funny.