Don't Celebrate the Flying Rodent

This is going to be completely random, but I can't get off my mind how much I HATE hummingbirds!  We have delicious smelling yellow honeysuckle in our yard and a beautiful orange hibiscus vine blooming outside my bedroom window and they've both been hopelessly ruined by my peripheral glimpse of a flying rodent that causes birders and peace-lovers alike to swoon zealously.

Rodent, you say?  Surely she's sleep-deprived and confused.  She couldn't possibly be comparing this tiniest symbol of peace and love to a disease-carrying four-legged creeper!  Oh, but I am!  Their lithe, compact bodies, pointed faces, and quick jittery motions give me the heebie-jeebies.  There's never a warning before one pops out in front of you.  One minute you're hanging out in the backyard minding your own business and the next you're standing on top of the picnic table wondering what on earth just caused a panic in you (you're not sure, at first, because the blasted little birds are undoubtedly already gone and hiding in wait to scare the bejeebers out of you again as soon as you quit looking).

Oddly enough, these are the thoughts that have been on my mind the past two weeks.  Then, a few days ago I bought some new notecards and was "greeted" with this egregious note from the designer:

Legends say that hummingbirds float free of time, carrying our hopes for love, joy and celebration.  Hummingbirds open our eyes to the wonder of the world and inspire us to open our hearts to loved ones and friends.  Like a hummingbird, we aspire to hover and savor each moment as it passes, embrace all that life has to offer and to celebrate the joy of everyday.  The hummingbird's delicate grace reminds us that life is rich, beauty is everywhere, every personal connection has meaning and that laughter is life's sweetest creation.  

Um, no.  Sorry, but I'm not buying it.  If you, one my good friends or loved ones, tried to bequeath me a hummingbird-esque gift, I'd honestly question what on earth I had done to offend you.  The Google-search alone for an appropriate picture to include in this post has left me feeling like I need a shower.

And, yet,while I dream for fall to come quickly (sending off the hibiscus and honeysuckle and thus my little winged friends), I'm left with this significant understanding:

I do things differently. 

The world through my eyes is uniquely me.  A passage of scripture or line in a book studied and pondered in my mind always comes across differently than the person next to me.  My passions aren't like everybody else's, and my goals are distinctly my own.  Maybe I don't want the things every Mom/Woman/Wife on my block wants, but that's what makes me me.  And I happen to be pretty happy with the person that makes me.

The world will keep on telling me that a hummingbird in a hibiscus tree is lovely.  You won't be seeing me hang a sugar-water feeder anytime soon.  However, if this is a subject we can agree to disagree, there's hope that some other off-the-wall thought in my mind will spark your curiosity...

Honestly, my skin was crawling 

reading this hummingbird trivia

Uniquely December: Monkey Day

I found an odd blog while researching for today.  It's devoted entirely to news reports mentioning monkeys.  I originally was directed there to read an article on how the Japanese government is going to continue testing nuclear-affected areas from the tsunami disaster by re-releasing native wild monkeys where it is still unsafe for people to be.  That seemed a little disturbing.

Reading through more of the monkey blog is what turned out to be disturbing.  Why?  I just want to ask, "Why?"

Please, go there, and tell me I'm not crazy...

Monkeys In the News

Letter Z

This is the Zebra that ate my car.

I don't know why he ate my car.
I almost died.
(Honest, he wrapped his buck teeth around my mirror and took a bite)
Natural Bridge Wildlife Park, New Braunfels, TX

And that is the end of my A-Z.  It's been super fun for me!  

What was your favorite letter?

Elephant Starts With E

In 2002 I took a 4-month backpacking trip with friends.  The trip included stops in the Caribbean, the Mexican Rivera, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand.  By far the most memorable event of that trip was my ride on an elephant's head.

Most rides on an elephant (or camel, or any other exotic animal) take place on some sort of wooden bench or chair for two strapped to the animal's back.  Indeed, my animal did have that.  But, traveling in a group of three that day, one of us was going to be left out.  Not to be discouraged, our guide used a little creativity.  Looking straight at me and taking note that I was wearing "trousers", he found a special seat for me...

Look at the photo again.  Yes, that's my hand on top of an elephant's head!  My front-row seat for an hour-long elephant ride was hovering over the elephant's neck.  Let me tell you, it was invigoratingly harrowing!

To start with, I'm not an animal person.  Add to that the fact that elephant hair is coarse and wiry and their skin is extremely dry; not the nicest resting place.  Then consider that an elephant is considerably wider than your normal riding-type animal.  And finally, let me explain to you that when an elephant is nervous, or concentrating, or struggling down a riverbank, he will wrap his ears back tightly against his body and around whatever else he finds there...in other words, he will wrap those rather strong ears around your legs and hold them still until he's comfortable again and feels like letting them go.  

Now looking past all that, believe me when I say my elephant ride was one of the most INCREDIBLE experiences of my life thus far.  I would do it again in a snap and absolutely recommend you jump at the opportunity should you ever find yourself in the wilderness of northern Thailand. Just be sure to travel in an odd-numbered group and wear your trousers...

(My one piece of advice is this:  Elephants are large animals and so logically have large poo.  Large poo makes a big splash when dropped in a river.  Elephants may be tall, but an elephant poo splash will always be taller-look away and keep your mouth closed.)

More A-Z