Tag Archives: animals

The Pizza Thief

My son ordered a pizza for delivery–small size. I wondered what the shuffling noise was coming from the porch.

I opened the front door and I was so surprised and secretly delighted to have the privilege of seeing a beautiful big racoon with a loaded pizza hanging from her mouth. She looked at me and then dashed off; probably taking it home to share with her family.

Photo by Chalo Garcia on Unsplash

Dinner with Baxter

Baxter the bunny was only a few feet away from me leisurely munching on dandelion leaves in my back garden.

I spoke to him like Alec in the Black Stallion speaks to the horse; hoping to say something witty and charming in rabbit.

He looked at me head on and only rotated his long ears to hear the sound of birds or dogs.

At one point, he stood up on his hind legs; at another, he stretched his back.

All the while, he continued to enjoy his dandelion leaves. They disappeared efficiently into his mouth, regardless of the size of the leaves.

I felt honoured and privileged to share that time with him. He wasn’t scared of me and I was happy for that.

P.S. Rabbit in Persian translates to “donkey ears.” Sorry Baxter, it fits!

Canada Goose Yoga

There were three of them; a couple and I don’t-know-who.

They were very trusting; they stayed only about seven feet in front of us, telling me that the only thing that people were throwing at them was bread. Life at the pond in St. John’s Conservation Area was good.

Then they, one by one, started to luxuriously lean their long necks back and stroke them on their feathers. Then they started to meticulously preen themselves. Then they stood up on one leg and stretched the other webbed-foot leg way back; then they wiggled their bums and sat down. Canada goose yoga.

Norman, the Norway Rat

Who is that having a breakfast of birdseed with the squirrel? It is Norman, the Norway rat.

Maybe it was all the weekly chips that Mom threw out the back door after her fish and chips, (before we moved in). Maybe it’s all the birdseed I thought I was putting out for the birds. But there was Norman, the Norway rat.

Kind-of-cute, except for his tail. He bounded away like a miniature kangaroo. Hopefully, if we stop feeding him, he will go away.

Just for the Heck of It.

The squirrel was jerking back and forth uncontrollably in the grass. I was really worried about it. Had it got caught in some wire or a line?

I had thrown a thin branch into the grass from the garden and the squirrel was grabbing it and twirling under it and at one point it jumped straight up, at least half a foot, into the air.

And then I understood. It wasn’t caught or hurt. It was having fun.