Obligatory COVID-19 sheltering in place selfie:
Open thread!
* The person responsible for this post knows what they did…//
Bigfoot Is Real*
by Adam L Silverman| 32 Comments
This post is in: Faunasphere, Nature, Nature & Respite, Open Threads
Nature
Bigfoot Is Real*
So About That Third Party Spoilers Thing… The Libertarian Presidential Candidate And A Possibly Rabid Bat Edition
The 2020 Libertarian Party presidential nominee has been bitten by a possibly rabid bat.
— Jim Antle (@jimantle) August 8, 2020
I will not be able to attend the campaign rally tomorrow morning. I will be getting a rabies vaccine as a precaution after having been bitten by a bat near the start of this campaign tour! I have every intention of participating in the FLAME march and I will deliver remarks at…
— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) August 8, 2020
What effect might his have on Ms. Jorgenson’s views on the US healthcare system? Well let’s just say kvetching was involved!
Not with the health care system we have now!
And I'm not stopped…I'm just pausing for a few hours.
— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) August 8, 2020
Or maybe we should have a free market in which doctors could travel to the patient outside of a hospital or their offices.
— Jo Jorgensen (@Jorgensen4POTUS) August 8, 2020
There is, as of 11:10 PM EDT, no word on the condition of the bat and whether it has contracted anything serious or life threatening from coming into contact with Ms. Jorgenson.
Open thread!
Obligatory:
Rainy Day Birbs (Open Thread)
It’s a rainy day here in Florida, which is a good excuse to stay home (as if any additional reasons were needed, with pestilence sweeping the land). Hummingbirds don’t have to worry about that. Here’s one taking a break from nectar-sipping activities and giving the paparazzi the side-eye:
Another hummingbird hard at work:
And here’s one resting for a few beats during a drizzle:
It’s a bit damp from the rain drops it couldn’t fly between.
That’s all I’ve got! Open thread.
Thursday Afternoon Open Thread
Please enjoy the sight of these two Black-Bellied Whistling Ducks stepping down from a muddy riverbank:
They were here this morning for some hawk drama (see Twitter for details) and are still hanging around. We see pairs and small flocks flying past daily (and hear them whistling while they fly). But I’m always pleased to see them make themselves at home in our lagoon. They’re so elegant and beautiful in an understated way, compared to, say, their flashier cousins, the Wood Duck.
Open thread!
For Sophie! A Request For Some Pet Assistance
Allow me to introduce my next door neighbor Sophie!
As you can see, she’s thrilled to meet you…
Sophie moved in at the end of this past winter. She was originally a foster pup from the local Boston Terrier rescue. Her human’s yellow lab had passed away several months before after a long and good life. The great news is that next door is Sophie’s forever home! The bad news is that Sophie, who is two, has really bad canine cataracts and is blind. The good news is there is surgery that can correct this. The not so good news is that while it isn’t cost prohibitive, it isn’t cheap either. Back when Sophie’s human told me that the vet who specializes in doing these types of surgery examined her and said she’d be a good candidate, I told her that when they were ready to do it that I’d put a request for donations up here. Because you all are kind, big hearted folks. While the surgery had been delayed for several weeks because of Florida’s sort of safer at home orders, they are now ready to get it scheduled and done.
Here’s what Jeanne, Sophie’s human, sent over this morning:
HELP! Sophie Marie came into our rescue 5 months ago with little to no sight and needs surgery! Sophie hadn’t seen a vet since she was 4 months old, had not had shots/vaccinations, or had her cataracts diagnosed/treated. Sophie was only about 16 pounds and her ribs and spine were obvious. But despite this neglect, Sophie had the ability to trust and bond with a new human. She is a sweet and funny girl that likes nothing better than to be curled up on your lap or at least touching you. Sophie has gotten much more comfortable meeting new people over the months and it has been wonderful to see her gain more confidence. We can’t wait to see the dog she becomes with vision! As you can imagine, juvenile bilateral cataract surgery is a big deal, and a big expense. We hope that you will join us in our fight to save Sophie’s sight by donating any amount you can.
They can also use the email address with Paypal or Google Pay: [email protected]
If they would prefer to send a check, they can send it to our lockbox at:
Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida
4300 W. Lake Mary Blvd. #1010-358
Lake Mary, FL 32746We are a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, EIN 80-0020296
A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF CH14503 MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY VISiTING www.FloridaConsumerHelp.com OR CALLING TOLL-FREE (800-435-7352) WITHIN THE STATE. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. Any funds collected in excess of the amount needed to pay for the vet bills for Sophie Marie will be applied to the vet care of other foster dogs in BTRFL’s care.
The announcement is also on the Boston Terrier Rescue of Florida website and Facebook page.
Anything you all can do will be greatly appreciated! And as part of thanking you all in advance, here’s a bonus picture of Sophie rocking one of her sweaters out in the side yard between our properties.
You all know what to do!
Open thread!
For Sophie! A Request For Some Pet AssistancePost + Comments (89)
Sunday Afternoon Open Thread
If you’re birder who likes to photograph your feathered friends, herons and cranes are great subjects because they’ll stand still for you, like this green heron perched on a navigational marker:
Lately, having photographed all manner of standing herons, cranes, egrets, etc., I’ve been trying to improve my birds-in-flight photography skills. It’s a work in progress. Here’s a juvenile white ibis.
Ibises always look goofy to me — even in flight. Look how its legs dangle! But the goofy, relatively slow-moving ibis is a a snap to photograph compared to hummingbirds.
I’ve been staking out our firecracker bush trying to get a good photo of hummingbirds. I’ve managed some half-decent ones of hummingbirds perched, but they’re so quick — it’s tough to get a clear shot of a hummingbird on the wing. This was almost a good shot:
Here’s a better one:
Still not a great shot, but it’s an improvement! I’ll keep trying. Even if I never get anything Albatrossity-worthy, it’s an amusing hobby. I see many more amazing images in the pursuit of a good shot than I’ll ever capture, and that’s the best part.
Open thread!
They’re so cute when they’re asleep…
“Nah, I’m not tired; just restin’ mah eyes…”
The late afternoon sugar crash hits:
And swept away by the Sandman…
It’s just a little fellow — four footer maybe? (If that.) I don’t think alligators are cute, but they are beautiful in their own way. I mean, look at the amazing patterns in that hide!
This has been a long day since I was up and working before the sun. Pretty soon, I will prepare a shaker of cocktails and go sit on the dock and enjoy the evening breeze. If the gator is still there, my approach will scare it away. (The ones who don’t scare are the ones to be scared of.)
Open thread!