May 31, 2004 ~ Unconsidered
Monday.
stalking light, result one
Lesley mused in the guestbook, "I didn't know, until now, that toads peed. Not that I'd ever considered the possibility...until now."
And her words made me laugh. Because, while toad pee didn't surprise me, there have been so many moments when I found myself thinking something very similar. Two recent events come to mind.
I was hiking along Jensen trail when I heard the soft whooshing sound of a bird bathing in the creek. I came within ten feet and saw a robin, fluttering his feathers in the water. I crept closer and then crouched to watch.
He hopped onto an overhanging branch, and started doing the strangest thing with his beak. He held it open and moved it slightly wider then narrower then wider and narrower again, several times, never quite closing it, and making not a sound. Suddenly, all of his feathers puffed out, his head jerked, and, "choo!" He shook himself, and his feathers settled back into place.
I had to clasp my hand over my mouth to keep from laughing. A tiny little robin sneeze. It was just so... so... well, cute. And then his beak started working at it again, his feathers puffed out, and he did it again. I couldn't control myself. I had to laugh out loud.
Did you know that robins sneeze? Of course they do. Of course! I'd just never thought about bird sneezes until I saw it happen.
Did you know that wolves belch? heh. Morgan and I were in Autumn and Fang's pen, and Autumn, as always, was very excited to see us, for she hardly ever gets visitors. She's one of the more difficult wolves, more dangerous, so not many people can be with her.
Anyway, she gets extremely excited when someone comes to visit her. She was wiggling all over and rubbing up against our legs and pawing at us to pet her. And I knelt down to give her some scratchin's under the chin, and she licked my face a little, then turned to Morgan and got a somewhat surprised expression as she made a noise that was unmistakably a belch. A rather loud belch at that. A wolf belch.
Morgan and I cracked up. "Does that feel better, Autumn?" I asked, rubbing behind her ears a little.
It's funny how I'll be so very surprised when the very most basic of human bodily functions are shared by animals as well. Like Lesley said, I just don't ever really consider the possibility until it happens. It's comforting, though, to know that we share often share the basics, little things like sneezes and burps.
stalking light, result two
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