Wild (Murphy) Krats

So Corbin and Adaline are both fascinated by wild life. There is this show on PBS called Wild Krats and they love to watch and see the animals on the show and learn all about the animals characteristics.

Here are a few snapshots of our experiences with creatures the last few months. 

Corbin has been begging for a pet. What a better idea than to catch some tadpoles and watch them grow and change in our fish pond? Free and easy pet.

So, we set out for grandma and grandpa Murphy's farm and the creek was pretty cold.

No luck at one side, so we hiked over to the other.

We saw a few tadpoles, but no catch...

 Blowing some dandelions during the hunt.

Dad joined in the action, and we caught a tiny minnow.

I have such good memories of playing in the creek when I was little. Looking forward to many days out at the creek.

So, while we had no luck at grandmas. (the minnow has never been seen in our pond. Either it hides really well, or something ate it). We did have fun catching two frogs at Chuck and Lorillas. Two water frogs have been added to our pond. As you can see, Addie just loves hers.

 

Many days followed where they would rush out to the pond and pick up the frogs and mom fusses at them to put them down and please be gentle. One frog did not make it through one week of this abuse. But the other made it about a month. I think it finally decided to run away.

Corbin found this snail while I was working on getting poison ivy the landscaping. It is so cool to see a large snail with its shell still in tact.

 See it now...

 I talked Corbin into letting it go back to his family. He did.

Corbin has also managed to catch a salamander which he kept in a jar for a day and then let it go.
A friend also gave us a gang of tadpoles to watch in our pond. While we saw them a little bit, we have not seen them since the big rain. Don't know if they have settled to the bottom or if they have lost the cause.

Now I am petrified of snakes and cannot stay around when one is found. Matt took this photo. Yikes! Addie seems to have no fear sometimes. Yet she wouldn't hold her guinea pig tonight. Go figure. This was a garden snake I would guess. It was bright green and black with a little bit of a pointed head. It must have eaten something because there was a lump in its belly. Maybe it got one of the moles that pesters my garden. We do not keep snakes for pets ever! Corbin will just have to get over that fact.

 But we have adopted a real pet over this last week! Two guinea pigs that one of Corbin's classmates had given us. I thought this might be a good way to jump into pet ownership. They can be pet, picked up, played with and fed. Great things that Corbin asks me repeatedly to do everyday.

We were blessed by Mark and Kara (ultimately Lauren's old rabbit cage) with this awsome cage! Much better than the aquarium we had planned to use.

These two little buddies, whom we are praying are sisters, are getting along at the Murphy's great.

Corbin has no fear, and is learning to hold them and be really careful with them.

 The one above is Adaline's. She picked her out as the only smooth haired pig they had. She calls her a different name ever time. Mostly Reah. We have not settled on a name for her.

While we are praying they are both girls. The nicest of the breed. We are letting Addies be a girl and Corbin's a boy. If this is true we are in trouble. I have not noticed any love making.

Corbin has named his Smokey the Lollipop King. He is so sweet and soft and cuddly.

 Corbin thought the word mustache was just hilarious last fall and this spring his word has been lollipop, thus the use of it in his guinea pigs name.

 Matt wants to call the pair Lewis and Clark. I told Matt that these are the kids pets and they get to name them no matter how cleaver his names can be.

 Corbin really had pure joy with his new little buddy. The cage is in Corbin's room, but we have a lock on the cage for fear they will not be left alone or even lost.

So our adventures will continue. Hopefully no more snakes will be spotted this summer, but I would like for our frogs to come back.