Can you find a whooping crane hanging out with some Sandhills in this shallow pond? There are now 826 whooping cranes in North America as of Feb 2020, up from a low of 16 birds in 1941 (US Fish and Wildlife) . . .

Check out this bumblebee from last August as it was flying in for a sunflower. The pollen is sticking to the bumblebee everywhere, perhaps at capacity since you can see some of it falling off behind it. Fascinating little creatures they are.

This Red-winged Blackbird was none too happy with this Osprey flying over his territory, so the chase was on. After a couple of maneuvers, it was Osprey 1, RWB 0.

Happy 9th Birthday to our precious Paczki! Even though you haven't been able to continue your therapy work because of the virus, you still find a way to bring smiles to many people. We love you so much Paczki, and here's to many more trips around the sun!

Happy 7th Birthday to our sweet ZuZu, we just love you to pieces. Thanks for always being on guard, on the lookout and protecting us, always first, and always our very best friend.

Ginger is 5 years old today, and she is as happy and precious as can be. We're so lucky that we get to enjoy her smiles and celebrations every day. If we're ever feeling a little down, we just remember to take a page from Ginger's book and everything will be just fine. Happy Birthday sweet Gingersnap!

This December morning the air was still, full of moisture and frost covered the grass. Before the sun rose too high and started to melt the icy crystals would be a perfect time to let the beasts out back and play. They love the cold, and they could run with abandon and wouldn't need to have their paws wiped down when they came back in . . .

Being the youngest means that sometimes you have to wait for the big sisters to finish what they're doing before you can play. Ginger watches her sisters intently while patiently waiting with her front feet tucked right underneath her.

. . . Perhaps she was thinking about her younger sisters ZuZu and Ginger and wondering where in the heck they got all of that energy to run and chase each other with abandon through the snow.

On this day, however, Paczki was giving Ginger the stare down, and those of us who have canines know what this means. Paczki's tail is at full mast, and if only Ginger would turn and lock eyes, then the fun could begin. A short time after this was captured, that's exactly what happened . . .