Category: animals

I saved a bumblebee today
animals · Nature · Nature photography · spring · Writing

I saved a bumblebee today

Amy14 Comments

It’s about 90° here now, which is unusual for April and early May. Everything is hot, including humans, animals and tiny creatures. I was on my usual excursion to my neighbor’s mailbox to retrieve her mail, and when I opened the mailbox, a bumblebee was inside. It seemed disoriented and probably was quite warm having been in a hot metal box with no escape. I had just gotten my own mail, so I had torn up junk mail in my hands which came in handy – no pun intended.

My neighbor had a package in her mailbox, but nothing else, so I ignored that for a moment and used the scraps of paper that I had just torn up to escort the bumblebee out of the mailbox. It was essentially a real Lyft. The bee climbed on and I carried it in front of me like a golden child, which bumblebees truly are. I tried to find flowers, but much of them are gone, and the new batch haven’t bloomed yet. I tried a Dianthus, but as soon as I perched him or her on there, I could see there was no pollen. I apologized and eventually convinced the bee that I would find a more suitable flower. We traveled in the same way (golden child real Lyft transport system) toward the backyard where I put the bee on some wild violet flowers. It seemed there was some pollen in these, but the bee was so heavy, the flower took a slow drop to the ground. I frowned. The bee was determined and more lively at this point, so after two attempts at the wild violet flowers, I convinced he or she to get back on the paper and I would find a flower. I walked over to the azaleas, but immediately knew there was no pollen. I was out of ideas. In that moment, the bee buzzed away – took flight and was completely recovered. Buzzy was no more silent bee. Then the bee found an appropriate weed and proceeded to feed. If you’ve been here a while, you know that I chase bumblebees for photo ops. I thought maybe the bee would let me get a quick snap in, but no. But that is ok. Their lifespan is short, after all, and they have to capture the pollen. After the bee buzzed away, I went back to my neighbor’s house, got her mail out of her mailbox and put it on her stoop.

I’ve been on insect saving duty the past three days – one of the hazards/joys (however you want to look at it) of spring. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

As The Crow Flies
animals · birds · Nature · Short story

As The Crow Flies

Amy81 Comments 
To go as the crow flies is to take the most direct route somewhere. Going as the crow flies is the shortest path between two points.

This expression has to do with traveling—in a very specific way. If you travel as the crow flies, you've gone somewhere as quickly and directly as possible. A shortcut is a good way to go as the crow flies. A direct airplane flight with no transfers is another way to go as the crow flies. When you think of this term, imagine a bird flying in a straight line from point A to point B.

I moved to the state I live in now when I was just turning seven. For reasons, Mom and I were graciously taken in by family members who lived one state away from our previous home. It wasn’t terribly far, but to a six-year-old, an hour-long car ride seems like a great distance to travel.

From there, Mom and I moved across a two-lane highway – which is now a four-lane highway – to an apartment complex. We lived there for seven years.

Mom found her final home in a neighborhood she admired for years and would drive through on her way to pick me up from my friend’s house.

I just realized the other day, that if you plot all three of these points of residence on a map, the triangle is very small. In fact, I determined that the distance from Point A to Point B to Point C forms a very small triangle, with each arm of the triangle being about 300m. 300m translates to 0.186 miles.

Some people may think this is incredibly isolating and not very worldly, but it was entirely coincidental and not planned, as far as I know. And since I didn’t even realize it until a few days ago, I guess it could be a statement about how much I like my neighborhood and my surroundings.

You guys know Jerome, right? He’s my crow. Well, it’s more true to form to say that he is my nemesis. He is the crow that’s mad at me for eternity because I wouldn’t let him put his dirty bagels and french fries in the birdbath. He and his friends and family caw at me as I’m walking in the neighborhood. If I’m at the local pharmacy and strip mall, they’ll do it there, too. They somehow know when to show up. If I walk out of my house and Jerome starts cawing from somewhere far enough away that I can’t see him, but close enough that I can hear him, I know I’m in for quite a mouthful. Other people have crows bring them money and shiny objects. Jerome has given me intergenerational hatred. I would prefer money or shiny objects, at the very least.

This is not Jerome. But Jerome would do this: join a gang of crows and become violent against ravens and also me, most likely

“I hear you, Jerome! Good morning to you, too!” I say loudly. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m crazy, but that crow and I have beef. I wonder how old Jerome is, and how long he’s been watching me. Maybe his great-grandfather, grandfather and father saw me at Points A and B. Point C is Jerome’s territory now, as the crows fly.

This guy is getting paid CASH by crows!

©️2024, itsamyisaid.com, all rights reserved 

Susie Is Sweet Sixteen
animals · cats · Humor · pets · Writing

Susie Is Sweet Sixteen

Amy26 Comments

It’s true. Today is her birthday and she’s 16. She already wants to go to the mall and hang out. And her boyfriend keeps coming around to the window at night. I know he does. I asked his mother. His name is Stinky, and he’s also a brown tabby. He’s blind in one eye, but that doesn’t stop him from crossing the street and trying to date my daughter.

Stinky, Susie’s boyfriend.

Susie has already started asking for the car keys now that she has a permit. I don’t want her to drive Victoria, because she doesn’t need to go back to the bodyshop. Susie can’t reach the pedals and she doesn’t have opposable thumbs to steer with. Then there’s the “novice driver” fluorescent green sticker that you have to put on your bumper when your teen starts to drive your car. Sigh.

The audacity

She’s already wearing cat eye eyeliner and excessive amounts of necklaces and bracelets. Seriously, I can’t get her to stop wearing them. And she’s always rubbing my phone, trying to take it. She thinks it’s hers. She thinks I don’t know that she’s had her eye on it.

She stays up all night and sleeps all day, and she’s just turning 16. Do you know how much worse it’s gonna get? I can’t even imagine.

I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t been present for her birth. She still plays and eats well, her teeth are in good shape because I’ve only ever given her dry food. She seems content, happy. Her kidneys are failing a bit as most cats‘ kidneys do, due to their very high protein diet, otherwise she’s the same Suze.

(In human years, Susie is 80 years old today.)

Happy birthday, Susie.

Edit: this post was scheduled, but this morning on Susie‘s actual birthday, I heard her beating on the windows downstairs in the basement right before dawn. There must’ve been another cat outside. Luckily she can’t get out and doesn’t go out, because she would be a neighborhood menace. She guards this house like she pays rent. It’s good to see her still scrappy, but not great when she sets off the house alarm and pulls down the curtains. 😼

Mama’s Girl
A toast to Susie!

©️2024, itsamyisaid.com, all rights reserved

Fishy Friends
animals · fish · Nature photography · pets · Photography

Fishy Friends

Amy13 Comments

I had an appointment today at a rather boring location that housed a few special residents. I didn’t realize until I had to fill out paperwork that there was a large aquarium housing jovial fish. I make a beeline for every animal everywhere, so I went to sit alongside these very curious fish. Of course I had to take out my phone to snap photos. They reminded me of aquatic puppies because they were so friendly and curious. I like to think they were curious about me, but they were probably curious about whether or not I had any food for them.

Anyway, the friendliest fish was Lawrence (yes, I named him that today):

See? He’s even smiling. Tell me he’s not a professional model and I’ll tell you you’re wrong.

He hit all the angles.

Look at his tiny fin! 😍

Then his buddy Earl swam up to see what was going on.

Sorry, Earl, I don’t have any food for you, but I do appreciate your stripes.
Chasing Bumblebees
animals · Flowers · I love trees · Nature · Nature photography · Photography · spring

Chasing Bumblebees

Amy13 Comments

Once the cherry blossoms reach peak pollen stage, the humans suffer greatly with allergies, but the bumblebees party hardy. (I saw a few honeybees getting down, as well.)

As is my normal routine this time of year, I chased bumblebees around the tree. I’m sure my neighbors think I’m daft, but I don’t particularly care. I love to be amongst the pink canopy watching the creatures pollinate. Sometimes I even see butterflies, but not so much lately, and that gives me a lump in the pit of my stomach.

Back to the bumblebees. They are docile, and they seem quite clumsy, but they have a mission. That mission does not include me with my phone’s camera all up in their grills trying to achieve the perfect capture. They buzz and tolerate me, but they despise close-ups. Trying to get a close-up of a bumblebee is like trying to catch a toddler who just found out about running: good luck.

These are a few of the photos I captured on my chase.

And for good measure, a “regular” bee.

©️2024, itsamyisaid.com, all rights reserved

Frailty
animals · Grief · Love · Nature · Writing

Frailty

Amy32 Comments

April 2, 2011

A young deer collided with my mom’s car this morning. We were driving back from the grocery store, trunk full of food, discussing something mundane about the week; something I can’t recall now. We saw one deer dart across the left lane of traffic and we gasped. My mom applied her brakes. We momentarily believed we had escaped what could have been a horrific situation, and then, just as suddenly, two more young deer darted from the brush.

My mom did what she could to slow down, but there was no way to avoid what was to come. The third deer ran head first into the driver’s side of the car. A loud thunk was felt and we pulled over. Already I was sobbing. I did not look back. I COULD NOT look back. My mom was shaking and sobbing. People began to pull over, maybe wondering if they could help us, maybe wondering if we were ok. Some did come up to the car and talk to us, making sure we were all right.

Physically, we were fine. The car was not damaged. Emotionally we were not fine. I am still not fine. That young deer didn’t die right away, it lingered for maybe 10 minutes before dying. Someone – I don’t know who – came and took the deer away. I don’t know if it was the County or a person who was planning on utilizing the meat. I don’t care. A deer died a traumatic death in the middle of the road because of a man-made vehicle that could not stop in time. The people inside that car do not agree with killing of animals for sport, and one of them (me) is adamant against such activities. So, to accidentally kill a deer – or any animal – is, for me, excruciating.

To unintentionally kill a beautiful animal that has every right to live is a horrible, horrible feeling. I took my mother’s hand and held it. And we cried. I cried not only for that young deer in the road, but for all the other deer who meet similar fates, and for others who are cruelly killed for sport.

Finally, the police arrived and said they do not file police reports for deer collisions, and since there was no damage to the car, my mom would not have to fix anything, so need to contact the insurance company.

Deer hair lingers on the driver’s side window, though, and I can’t bear to go over to that side to see the small dent I have been told is there now.

So that’s it. Nothing can be done. We just go on about our day? What about the two other deer? Where did they go? Do they wonder what happened to the young doe?

Are they waiting for her on the other side of the road, off in the distance?

Sorry, I just can’t finish this. I can’t stop crying.

Please, whatever you do today, hug your dogs, your cats, your ferrets, whatever pet you know and love. And hug your people, too. We are all fragile in this life.

©️2024, itsamyisaid.com, all rights reserved

Summer
animals · daily prompt · Flowers · Nature photography · Photography · Summer

Summer

Amy37 Comments
Daily writing prompt
What is your favorite type of weather?
View all responses

I live in the Northern Hemisphere, so summer will be starting in June. I live on the East Coast of the US where it gets very hot and very humid in the summer. Not so long ago, the heat and the humidity didn’t bother me. Since I’ve had this migraine diagnosis, I’ve learned migraine brain does not like heat nor humidity.

But Amy‘s brain can do whatever it likes.

The rest of Amy likes walking in the cool, soft grass with bare feet, wearing sundresses, feeling the warmth of the air and the sun on her skin, seeing the trees, lush in all their summertime greenness, smelling the warm air and hints of a storm brewing. (Her birthday is also in the summer, so maybe she is biased towards the season.) Sitting under a canopy of leaves looking for four leaf clover while sipping an iced tea or eating an ice cream bar is considered the finer things in life. Peeking out the window as it gets closer to lightning bug season, waiting for the first bioluminescent buggy butt still brings her great joy after many years. She still squeals when she sees it. Watching the bunny rabbits play late into the night when it is still light out is one of her other favorite sights. Spotting hummingbirds is at the top of the list of Exciting Events. Chasing butterflies with a phone camera is a close second, although the butterflies do not feel the same, and she thinks they even give her the side eye as they fly away. No matter. She will chase rainbows after a heavy storm and wait for the butterflies to return.

Summer Bunny just outside my front door
A Monarch who felt sorry for me and let me take a photo
Black Tiger Swallowtail
A bumblebee butt in the peony, with a large amount of pollen stuck to its leg. The wings are pixelated because they are moving too fast to be captured.

Yes, I took all of these photos. And yes, none of these creatures were happy about it. My neighbors likely believe me to be just a touch off…but it’s not my fault. They won’t stop for the camera and I have to chase them down, yelling for them to please stop and just let me take the photo.