Love Those Fosters

With the temperatures soaring over 100 degrees here in Oklahoma, we're staying cool as much as we can. No riding in the pickup for us this week because of the heat. The grass is turning a little brown and getting crunchy under our feet. One of my favorite things to do is stand under the spray when Mom is watering the grass and flowers. I can really soak that cool water up and then shake it off! Glynn gave it a try but decided after a few minutes that she didn't much care for it. Cap said it wasn't his cup of tea, either.

We're so thankful for caring dogs and their families, like our friend Mackie. He takes in fellow wire fox terriers that need a place to stay until they find their furever homes. It warms the heart to know that these unfortunate pups are getting the help they need and finally know they are loved. Great job, Mackie! As much as we'd like to take in some foster wires, we just don't seem to be able to find any in our neck of the woods. Boxers and Dobies, yes. Jack Russels, oh yeah. Even a few kitties have come and gone. But no wires like me. Not even close. This is as good as we get...

Our latest foster is a barred owl with a broken wing. Fortunately, it's already beginning to heal and it won't be long before he's on the fly again. We get a lot of birds of prey from the game wardens, but Mom draws the line at possums and raccoons in the house. Anything that climbs up her pants leg makes her squeal (hee hee).

~Tell

Turtle Crossing

It's the time of year that we find turtles everywhere. We have them all around the house, and you can't hardly walk across the yard without tripping over one. Even Jake and Just Harry have found one, and Butchy and Snickers have written about finding two in their koi ponds. Now, look what My Girl and My Boy found while walking down the road. Yes, that's right Butchy and Snickers! Your alligator snapping turtle must have Delta-Dashed herself to Oklahoma to visit us in the hollow. We've decided to call her Earnhardt after the NASCAR driver. Here are a few snapper facts:
1. The average weight of an adult alligator snapping turtle is 175 pounds, and their lifespan is about 30 years in the wild (longer in captivity).

2. They are the largest freshwater turtle in North America, with a record weight of 236 pounder living in the Chicago Zoo.

3. They can stay submerged for up to three hours at a time.

4. Typically, only nesting females venture out on land.

5. They have spikes and raised plates on their shell, and often are covered in algae.

What a beauty she is! My Boy and My Girl left her alone after the photo session, and she mosied on down the road. We hope we'll see her again.

~Tell

Little Guy is Here!

Great news, everybody! Married Kid and Her Husband had their baby this week. Little Guy weighed in at eight and a half pounds and was twenty-one and a half inches long, so I guess that would make him a member of the Substantial Baby Club, if there is one. He's nice and healthy, though, and the family is very proud of him. There are no hospital nursery photos of him because Grandma Doofus forgot to bring her camera (Owww! She just smacked me on the back of the head!). Sorry about that remark, Mom. Anyway, we can forgive her this time because it's the first grandbaby and she got all excited and everything when she heard the news.

Here is a photo of the Little Guy when he came home from the hospital. My Boy leaned over and said, "Hey, there, I'm your favorite uncle!" I have a feeling that Little Guy and me are going to be great buddies some day. My Boy and I will teach him how to fish, catch grasshoppers, stomp in mud puddles, run in the fields and go wading in the creek. Maybe chase some squirrels, too. There's no end to the things a couple of boys and a dog can do together, especially when Grandma isn't looking (waiting...waiting...okay, no smack that time). Life is good!

~Tell