Guest Sunday Selfies

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago how, on my birthday, I went on a hike at my favorite local forest. While there, I caught sight of a new little friend. See?

Can you see him in there? I zoomed in for a better shot of my new friend. Of course, the friendship was unrequited and my little pal tried to run away.

Thanks to the wonderful zoom function of a camera, though, I did snap one halfway decent shot before the little fellow scurried away from the crazy lady with the camera.

What I enjoyed most about this encounter is that this is a fox squirrel. This hiking area is about 30 minutes from my house, and in my hometown all those 30 minutes away, we only have grey squirrels. I think fox squirrels are beautiful, with those bush red tails, and so I was quite happy for this little meeting I had.

Of course, this red little fellow I met is unwittingly participating in today's Sunday Selfies Blog Hop, hosted by the Kitties Blue over at The Cat on My Head.

Happy Sunday to all!

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As has become customary during this month of April, the month of the A to Z Challenge, on this Sunday we are sharing the doodle that I scribbled up for our most recent Thoroughly Poetic Thursday poem. This poem is titled "Vinny and Val", and was loosely based on my childhood experience with my angels Rosie and Sammy. To read this poem, just click here.

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Our Tip of the Day:

To go along with the poem we wrote this past Thursday, and the above accompanying doodle, we have a couple of reminders we've given in the past. First, only use costumes and clothing on kitties and pups who enjoy or tolerate it. If a cat or dog expresses agitation or any dislike for wearing costumes, then keep their comfort and happiness in mind and refrain from dressing them up.

The second comment we want to make is to ensure that children in your life are taught to be kind, gentle, and considerate with cats and dogs, and all animals in their life. This might indeed mean ensuring that children understand to never play dress-up animals who do not enjoy it. Of course, this also extends to any fun and games they might attempt with kitties and pups. Some animals are simply more tolerant than others, and some find more joy than others in playing games of any human sort. Children should be taught to accept and respect if a certain animal simply does not want to play. So, make sure that children in your life understand how to be gentle and considerate of animals and their preferences and feelings, and to give animals space if they need it. This is important to ensure that not only are the animals in question comfortable and happy, but also so that no accidental bites or scratches occur.