Camels, tigers, polar bears… what animal at the zoo would most capture a toddler’s attention?
Could it be a squirrel?
Dee took us to the Alaska Zoo during our recent visit, and Gem was captivated by this little red squirrel.
He didn’t move a lot at first
But I promise he was real
see…
They played peek-a-boo and hide and seek for a while
Then one last peek as we said good bye.
I took this photo at my friend Dee’s house in Chugiak, Alaska, on Friday night. It was midnight.
You’d think after all those years growing up in the land of the midnight sun, I’d be used to this. But no, I had to stop and take a picture. I can’t believe the days are already getting shorter.
In the few short days since I returned home from Alaska, the summer solstice passed and the days are already getting shorter again.
A few minutes at a time.
I love dandelions.
They are such simple, earnest, friendly, happy flowers. I understand that people tend to despise the weed, but they warm my heart. They’re like children; they may make a mess of the yard, but really they just want to make you smile.
Besides, their greens are yummy.
These bear cubs thought so too. They were making quite a nice meal of Dandelions right alongside the highway. (We were a little east of Whitehorse, YT, here.)
This is where the wealthy, well-to-do beavers live.
On our drive through Canada, we’ve encountered countless beaver dams and lodges, but this area covered acres of stepped dams with lodges back farther away from the road.
These little lakes created by the beavers were surrounded by babbling brooks, mosses, and wildflowers.
As it was, I spent quite a while traipsing around their back yard, and invading their privacy
I would have stayed longer, but mom and the baby were waiting (besides, I was wearing flip-flops and shorts – and walking through an area where all the little trees and bushes were sawed off by the beavers at ankle height)
Walking on a boardwalk on the wild side of the river in Leavenworth, I encountered this very large matted area in the grass – it was about four feet in diameter. My first thought was that something very large must have been napping in this space, after which I proceed directly into the woods…
and then I came to this sign:
The missing word on that sign couldn’t possibly be bears…
Right?
We’ve seen quite a few bears on this trip, but none while I was wandering around on foot. I was always safely encased in the car.
