#WQW....Theme: Amazing Animals

It's another week of  Writer's Quotes Wednesday, hosted by Marsha from Always Write. If you're interested in joining, you can find more about #WQW here.

This weeks theme is "pets"....but I don't have pets anymore so I almost didn't post, but Marsha inspired me with her post using wildlife as well, and a more general "animal" theme so I'll give it a go. 

I love animals, and I do love having pets, well, I used to at least. However, my hubby isn't an indoor pet person, and we just have a lot going on that it really wouldn't be fair to the pet if we had one. I am fascinated by all kinds of wildlife and love stopping to watch them, or hoping to catch a glimpse. Marsha shared a photo of an elk herd on the Oregon Coast and we spend a lot of time at the coast and I've seen others share these photos, but have yet to see them myself. I would also LOVE to see an owl in the wild. Those have eluded me as well. 

The above photos are of my daughters Chocolate Lab Benelli (quite a few years ago), and Blitz, the kitten she brought home from her then Fiancees family's farm...haha..the two created quite a bond. The cat would even go on walks with us down the road when we'd take Benelli for her walks. Blitz was more of a barn cat and was content to sleep on our covered porch on a comfy bed. Sadly though he disappeared at the beginning of last year.

Dogs and kids seem to just form a special bond. The above series, is of my granddaughter Pepper and their dog Ginger. Ginger is bigger now, but she and Pepper love each other...I think partly because Pepper would drop food from her high chair. Ginger's a great dog, but she tries my patience. 

I know a lot of people don't like zoos, but I feel like many are great and do a lot of good, often rescuing animals that have been injured or wouldn't survive in the wild. This was at the Ft. Worth Zoo, which is a really neat zoo. 

We went to the Ft. Worth cattle drive at the stockyards when we visited. It was interesting hearing the history behind the cattle drives in this area. I loved this picture. 

These cranes were outside my aunt and uncles house in Florida. There were mom and dad with babies that would come into the yard and expect to be fed. They were not afraid at all.

I also found this rather lengthy quote that I'll just type out here and thought it was interesting. 

"They (animals) are not just living things; they are beings with lives...next time you are outside...notice teh first bird you see...you are beholding a unique individual with personality traits, an emotional profile, and a library of knowledge built on experience...what you are witnessing is not just biology, but a biography" ~Jonathan Balcombe

On my way to work today I looked out at the river and there was a great blue heron standing in the water, and a deer standing on exposed land nearby. It almost looked like the deer was trying to play with the bird. I wish I had time to stop and look closer but I was running late. 

With Joy Unquenchable,

Kirstin