Chippy the Capybara?

[lydamorehouse]

Image: A chipmuck with cheeks so stuffed with sunflower seeds that she looks like a capybara.

So, yeah, I had this new bird in my bird feeder the other day. I will admit? Shawn and I have always secretly WANTED chipmunks in our yard. Yes, we know they are destructive little so-and-sos, but LOOK AT HER! So cute!! Also? I was this many years old when I learned chipmunks can climb trees. I guess I just never lived around enough of them to know this? I sort of assume they were ground only being "ground squirrels."

I had a day of animal sightings the day I took this picture. This was taken on Tuesday and I know this because I went to the Roseville farmer's market this very same morning and, on my way there, saw a COYOTE! Yep! She was crossing the road with what I presume was maybe this little fellow's cousin in her mouth, headed into the several acres of farmland that the University of Minnesota has to the north of its Saint Paul campus for its ag students. I suspect she was bringing breakfast home to pups, as it was just after 8 am. Same night, on the way to work, I saw egrets in the little swampy pond that I pass on my way to work. A red letter day! (or its pagan equivalent.)

Otherwise, I have mostly been hunkering down, trying to survive this heat. Today, so far, it's not bad. It's 74 F / 23 C, but, unfortunately, it's also only about 8:30 in the morning. I am hoping it doesn't get too much hotter. We are, at least, expecting thunderstorms this afternoon. It's been a good year for rain. Our currant bushes in the backyard fruited for the first time since Mason was in Elementary School, and I suspect that's largely due to the amount of sky water we've been getting.

Oh, and Convergence starts today? It being Thursday, I work today, soI won't be going until Friday afternoon. I should probably give you all my schedule (also this means my family can find it easily too.)

=====

Friday (July 3) - 12:30 pm (in the Space Louge) : Performance of "Sincerely Yours" with Cole Sarar with musical accompaniment by Caly McMorrow.

Saturday (July 4) - 9:30 am : "Life Lessons Anime Taught Me."

Sunday (July 5) - 11:00 am : "Exploring Fandom Alternate Universes" (which I am moderating, sort of, as the person who requested this panel is on the panel so I will likely largly cede the floor to her.)

Sunday (July 5) - 2:00 pm : "The Art of Resisitance"

=========

I will try to give you all another of my typical con reports, but I failed to do that for Quantum Con, so I probably shouldn't promise anything.

Oh, and I should probably report on Shawn's LATEST trip to Urgent Care. I do not know how Shawn gets this unlucky? But, she has some kind of contact dermatitis that seems to have become a staph infection. Of course, she's taking so many drugs for her various other conditions that she has to be on an antibotic that's kind of INTENSE (and not the doc's first choice). This is the first time, she's been INSTRUCTED to take a probiotic with her antibotic. So, that's not fun.

We have no idea what happened. It's on her calf and she's pretty sure she brushed up against a plant? But, we don't have poison ivy in our yard! Maybe somewhere there's a hidden stinging nettle, but whatever it was, it produced a single blister from which all of this is spreading out from. 

Sheesh. This poor woman has the worst luck. 

Otherwise, life continues apace. How's by you?

Comments

Oh noes

[lsanderson]

Staph is no good. A couple of years ago, when I was in grad school, a roommate's mother visited our mixed household (shall we say) and drove the rest of us batty. Eines tages, she didn't feel well, and stayed in bed, which the rest of us thought was a ghod given gift. Her face swelled, reason departed, and she ended up in hospital with a serious staph infection, so we all had to feel guilty. (Maybe you gotta be a midwesterner?) Anyway, speedy recovery to Shawn and keep a close eye on it.

[offcntr]

Staph is scary. I had it as a four-year-old, following a bout of chicken pox, and nearly lost my leg. Glad she's getting the *good* antibiotics.

Re: the feeder. It a timber tiger!

[sabotabby]

As I often seem to say, "better than that." Fuckin' y i k e s on bikes.

I went hiking yesterday and saw like 7 weasels.

Are chipmunks destructive?

[dreamshark]

Of what? As long as they don't get into your attic and start chewing up the wiring, who cares what they chew on outside? They are SO CUTE.

But they WILL grab your picnic lunch if you leave it unattended. I remember years and years ago when we used to go camping in the Boundary Waters noticing that every campsite seemed to have exactly one chipmunk and one Canada Jay that worked together to steal any food left unattended for a moment. The chipmunk would run up and look adorable, begging for crumbs, while the jay swooped in and grabbed your sandwich. So watch out if your local chipmunk acquires a partner.