Any Interesting Animal Stories?

I am not sure why I really wanted to post this.  It really does not have that much humor and it does not have that much storm but I thought it might be interesting to post this. Perhaps if you have any interesting things that have happened to you in the animal department you could relay a response and I will kind of pile up the stories and someday use them in some sort of writing.  (I will not use your name). You can tell that if I am writing about this that it is a good thing.  Don't have all that much now on the health front and folks let me tell you that is a good thing.

I think of animals right now because I had something new this weekend.  I was cleaning up a woodpile at our property up north.  At the bottom of the pile was some rotten 4' by 8' piece of pressed wood. I lifted this up to finish the job and underneath was one of the healthier den of blue racer snakes that I had ever seen.  One of these things was a really big guy.  They took off in true blue racer form.  I can first hand testify that they deserve their name.  I was not aware that snakes in our state could get that big.  I think these things eat mice and bugs so I did not feel a threat but I gotta tell you they did get my attention. Never been that much of a fan of snakes but as pretty proud of myself to not panic.  They kept coming back to check if I had put the piece of wood back on the roof of their house but I thought it might be wise to not do that.  Always kind of wondered about people that search out these things in the wild.  Some of them even to be fascinated by all kind of these creatures but for me they belong in the Bible and pictures and that is where they can stay.

Another pretty good story is about a year or so ago when early in the morning I woke up Deb and there were 3 bears on our back porch looking for a meal of birdseed.  A mother and 2 second year cubs.  The mother was pretty good sized and the cubs looked like they had consumed a few cupcakes as well.  They kind of hung around a while.  I am not sure if these things eat humans but I must admit that I kind of think about it when I walk around that property.  This mother bear was large enough that  one of my objectives to not become a meal.  I really do not think they like humans all that much but I have decided to not test the water on this one. I saw some bears again a couple of weeks ago and let me tell you that these things are fast when they go  to a run.  I think of  a bear skin rug in front of the mantle and someone asking, why is that piece of grey hair kind of stuck to the inside of the skin?  Not sure they are all that dangerous but my vote is for not taking chances.

Probably the most interesting story I have is about animals, is about squirrels.  It is true that I find these creatures kind of interesting.  We have a bunch of them in our neighborhood in Holland. Lots of oak trees and lot of squirrels.  We had a lady in the area that had one of these lawns that was always in the local news for being nice.  The lady of the house could not stand squirrels digging up the lawn
to bury nuts. She bought a trap. When the squirrels would enter the live trap she would try to give them swimming lessons but none of them ever learned how.  As the count piled up she kind of filled up the burial grounds around the house and as the ground got harder with winter she started to put these things in a bag in the bottom of her deep freeze.  The following spring she asked her husband to dump this bag in the middle of Lake Michigan on a fishing trip he was taking.  Only one problem. With the waves, these things started to wash up on shore. People that walked in the spring started to notice. Soon the DNR was called and soon after various theories about about the squirrels on  the  beach started to appear in our local paper.  All  kinds of ideas started to surface. One of the locals even suggested that  these things were swimming over from Wisconsin and not quite making it. I tried to picture this but was reasonably sure this with all the other theories was not on target.  Never did say much about this but always had some confidence that I kind of knew the origin of those creatures.  I think it is kind of a thing you do not say much about.

Of all the creatures. I find the humans to be one of the more interesting.  I am watching the Olympics right now and I find a couple of things interesting.  A couple of thoughts.  I am not sure the Queen would get a gold metal in the smiling department.  I also find it interesting about how many events there are.  Team events, double back flip events.  100 meter double backstroke and then 103 meter double backstroke while holding on to your goggles.  Anyway, I hope they have a lot of gold medals.  I do find the gymnastics kind of interesting.  It seems to me that some of the contestants fall in to the category of being "freaks of nature".  As time has gone by I have lost some interest.  Not sure why but it is true.  I think that the next Olympics I want to enter something.  Perhaps "oldest guy to pole fault over 6'.  After I win I want to visit the White House.

Well, that is enough for now. Send me your more interesting animal stories.  I promise not to use them unless I feel the need.  Feel secure in that.

Stan the Man