juniper fox – Still Life, With Cracker Crumbs..

When I saw this book tag post on Stargazer, I knew I had to do it too. First because I have loved the James Herriot series All Creatures Great and Small since I was a little girl. I even “named” our homeschool James Herriot Primary. Then second, because I am a big animal lover. Be sure to check out Stargazer’s post too, she has some amazing stories and photos!

What is your favorite animal?

Woodland animal? Desert? Arctic? This all makes a difference, I feel like I have so many! I will keep it simple though, and just name my top two – foxes and rabbits. I’m still considering my tattoo of the dewey decimal number for Vulpes Vulpes.. If we are at the zoo though, the animal I get excited to go see are the zebras. I dig them too.

I have caught glimpses of foxes twice in my life, so fast and quick I was not entirely sure I saw them at all. Both times at twilight, when the light itself is playing tricks. The first time at Shenandoah National Park, one of my very favorite places on earth, and another time in the woods nearish my home. I find them so fascinating, so beautiful. I don’t have a photo of my own handy, so I will share a photo from the Instagram account Juniper Fox. I love cute little Elmwood- and all the work that this account does for animals!

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A post shared by JUNIPER & FRIENDS (@juniperfoxx)

2. What got you interested in animals?

Probably my mom originally. I always loved them when I was really little, I was always drawn to stories with animals and cartoons about animals – like the Canadian cartoon, The Green Forest. We live just close enough to Canada that we were able to watch all the cartoons, including this one. Then one Christmas, when I was around 8 or so, my mom gave me the book series by James Herriot and that was it for me. I was all in.

3. Do you have a pet?

I currently have many. Three rescue cats, 1 leopard gecko, and an anole. Miso, Maggie, and Marlow all came from the shelter I used to volunteer for before I had Wyatt. All three of them have different stories – Miso was from a hoarder house, with over 100 Himalayans in various states of care and neglect sadly. We were able to find just about all of them homes or rescues, and rehab them though so that was a great success story. Maggie was a stray kitten, and Marlow was abandoned in an apartment – his family moved, leaving him behind. Then Harry and Dash are pandemic pets – I discovered a love for little lizards during this past year. I have also had three very special dogs in my life, who are sadly all passed on now – Molly, Chevis, and Penny.

Marlow (my little old man kitty now), Dash, Harry, and Maggie. Miso is at the top of this post.

4. What is your favorite nonfiction book about animals?

I would say My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, and of course, the All Creatures Great and Small series. When Wyatt and I started our homeschool year this year, I bought him a special book to celebrate. I am going to start reading it to him this spring, and I hope it becomes a keepsake book for him.

5. What is your favorite fiction book about animals?

I have read so many, especially when I was a kid. This is a tough one!! For sure Watership Down, my favorite book of all time. I also loved the Big Red series when I was younger. I still dream about one day having an Irish Setter running around my house. I did have an English Setter, Penny. She was another shelter rescue and was the sweetest girl.

6. Have you been part of any animal conservation efforts?

I volunteered for years at our city animal shelter, and served on the board of an animal rescue as well. I donate money to various animal conservation agencies when I can, most recently the Wolf Conservation Center in New York and the Giraffe Conservation Foundation.

7. What is your top bucket list dream that your would do with animals?

I have quite a few!! I would love to stay at the Giraffe Manor in Kenya, to camp with the wolves at the Wolf Conservation Center (I feel like I could do this one!), and there is always that dream of owning land and opening a rescue.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLoEBS6AQkN/

8. Have you ever dressed up like an animal?

Absolutely, yes. Lol. And my son in his 6 years has dressed up as animals for at two Halloweens. He was the cutest skunk ever!

Do you love animals? Feel free to join in and be sure to link back to the original creator Cari.

So another month gone, one month left of 2020. This month was sort of the beginning of our hibernation again, trying to lock ourselves down as much as we could. We hadn’t been doing much but even with those small distanced visits gone, I feel the loss. November was a rough one for us for many reasons, but we did have some good moments.

I celebrated my birthday, and also our twentieth wedding anniversary this month. And apparently took a small series of photos of me holding objects. The Brown Betty was a gift from Billy for our anniversary, because I have wanted one forever and every time we watch a British mystery and I see one, I mention it.. so now I no longer need to do that! Then for my birthday Billy and Wyatt bought me something I have wanted that is sort of weird but because I am me, I was in love with it. Have you heard of Juniper Fox? Well, I follow her Instagram, and am also a patron on their Patreon. I love foxes, I’m sure I have mentioned that a time or two. Anyway, I wanted a fox footprint painting done by my favorite of the skulk, Elmwood. He is such a stinker but so cute! I felt like 2020 was the year to indulge in this unconventional gift, and I absolutely love it. I look at it and smile. And I included that photo of me and the moss, because my husband just gets me with giving me that bouquet.

We studied owls, and had our own owl prowl with our friends. I participated in Nonfiction November which was so enlightening and I found so many books. I read The Salt Path which is probably one of my favorites for the year, and we read all of our “fun” mail on Thanksgiving and I felt super Little House on the Prairie doing that. We also had a two week Heritage study in our homeschool about Scotland which was a great time. I tried to make it more fun for the kids since geography at five is not the most interesting and I want them to have a love of place like I do. (I plan on posting about this later this week)

We had our cider tasting with my brother, which was a blast, and began and ended the month with hikes in the woods, our favorite place to be. And look, at the beginning of the month we were in t-shirts; at the end we were in hats and coats. Crazy that we had a warm enough day for t-shirts!

The times this month were not all great, in fact some were pretty heartbreaking but we did have some good times. My uncle Art would have been proud, as he is, as described by one of his nephews, the Ambassador of Laughter. Here he is last Thanksgiving, making my son laugh and giggle. Wyatt loved my Uncle Art, always, right from the very start.