Category Archives: animals

Wreck‑It Banner and the 5 A.M. Meow Choir

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Banner’s Brilliant (and Infuriating) Brain Returns

Sometimes Banner is just too smart for his own good — and definitely too smart for my sleep schedule. He’s back to his old tricks, and I’m one light‑switch incident away from investing in blackout curtains and earplugs.

The First Time He Turned on the Bathroom Light

He was still just a kitten when he learned how to flip the bathroom light on. I’ll never forget that moment. The bathroom is right off the bedroom, and suddenly my whole room lit up like a Broadway stage. I shot awake convinced someone had broken in… only to find one very satisfied orange cat who had apparently decided I’d slept long enough.

Banner Making himself at home in the bathroom sink

Between turning the light on and his other favorite pastime — opening the medicine cabinet and knocking everything onto the floor — my chances of a full night’s sleep were slim. My solution back then was simple: childproof covers on the switch and closing the bathroom door at bedtime. Peace returned.

For a while.

The New Trick: The Fan Switch at 3 A.M.

Now Banner has discovered the second switch — the one outside the bathroom that controls the vent fan and a dimmer light. Not as bright, but that fan hum at 3 a.m. could wake the dead. There’s nothing quite like rolling over and seeing the bathroom door outlined in a soft glow… and realizing the switch now has tiny teeth marks.

Look closely. You can see a tiny tooth mark

 

Yes, teeth marks. Banner doesn’t bump the switch — he bites it. My own little Wreck‑It Ralph in fur.

At least he hasn’t figured out how to open the door. Yet.

Looks like I’ll be buying more childproof switch covers. Again.

Balboa the Bed Hog and Banner the Bench Sleeper

Banner may be the engineer of chaos, but he’s not the cuddler. He prefers sleeping on the bench next to the bed, keeping a dignified distance. Balboa, on the other hand, wants to sleep on my face. Since I only have a twin bed, space is limited — and Balboa takes the lion’s (or should I say panther’s) share.

If I get up in the night, he immediately stretches his full, impressive length across the entire mattress. No room for Mama. And if I try to move him? Deeply offended.

Balboa’s rather impressive length

The 5 A.M. Meow Choir

Between the nighttime shenanigans and the early morning wake‑up calls — Banner usually starts the meow choir around 5 a.m., with Balboa chiming in for harmony — I spend most days wandering around in a sleep‑deprived fog.

Kitty Choir in 2 part harmony

Life with cats can be such a joy.

 

The Rubber Ducks That Went Around the World

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How a Lost Cargo Became a Scientific Treasure Map

Every so often, the ocean hands us a story so strange and delightful that it sounds like fiction. The Great Rubber Duck Spill of 1992 is one of those tales — a mix of accident, adventure, and unexpected scientific discovery.

A Storm, a Ship, and 28,800 Floating Toys

On January 10, 1992, the cargo ship Ever Laurel was crossing the North Pacific when it hit a powerful storm. Twelve containers went overboard, and one of them burst open, releasing 28,800 plastic bath toys into the sea. These weren’t just yellow ducks — the shipment included blue turtles, green frogs, and red beavers.

 

Because the toys had no holes, they didn’t sink. Instead, they bobbed along the surface, ready to drift wherever the currents carried them.

Why Scientists Paid Attention

Oceanographers quickly realized this spill was more than a quirky headline. It was a rare, real‑world experiment: thousands of identical floating objects released at a single point in the ocean. By tracking where the toys washed ashore, scientists could trace the movement of surface currents with surprising accuracy.

The toys became bright, plastic breadcrumbs that revealed how water circulates across the globe — especially in the vast, looping systems known as gyres.

 

What Exactly Is a Gyre?

A gyre is a massive, slow‑moving swirl of ocean currents, often spanning thousands of miles. Picture a gentle, continent‑sized whirlpool created by wind, Earth’s rotation, and the shape of the ocean basins. The Pacific has several major gyres, and many of the toys became trapped in these loops, circling for years before escaping or freezing into Arctic ice.

A Legacy Still Washing Ashore

Over the decades, sun‑bleached ducks and their colorful companions have appeared in Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, New England, and even the shores of the UK. Each one is a tiny reminder of how connected our oceans truly are — and how far a little plastic traveler can roam.

If you ever spot a weathered duck on a distant beach, you might just be meeting one of the world’s most famous accidental explorers.

Colorado: The Trip I Didn’t Expect (Part 1)

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Reevaluating Travel After Retirement

I used to joke that I worked so I could travel. Then I got laid off, which quietly turned into retirement, and suddenly that old expression felt very real. These days my “trips” are mostly to the local grocery store.

But that hasn’t stopped me from dreaming. I still read, plan, and binge travel videos while I explore side hustles to support my travel habit.

Why Colorado Became My Last Big Trip

Colorado was the last real adventure I took as COVID wound down and life began to feel normal again. I’ll admit—it wasn’t one of my favorite trips. Even before I left, I struggled to choose which part of the state to visit. Colorado is huge, and the list of iconic destinations is overwhelming.

Colorado’s Endless List of Must‑See Attractions

From sweeping landscapes to historic sites, Colorado is packed with bucket‑list stops:

  • Rocky Mountain National Park
  • Pikes Peak
  • Garden of the Gods
  • Great Sand Dunes National Park
  • Royal Gorge Bridge, the world’s highest suspension bridge
  • Four Corners Monument, where Colorado, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico meet
  • Mesa Verde National Park, high on my personal list

I even watched Josh Gates explore the Telluride region and retrace the steps of Butch Cassidy, which only added more destinations to my already long list.

Why I Ended Up in Breckenridge

Despite all those options, I landed in Breckenridge. And instead of hiking and exploring, I spent more time lying down than standing up. Altitude sickness hit me harder than expected and slowed me to a crawl.

I searched for bighorn sheep with no luck, but I did spot a couple of moose—small victories count.

The Train Ride I Missed

I managed to squeeze in a train ride, but not the one I really wanted: the iconic Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad. That one is still on my list, and it’s going to play a big role in Part 2 of this story.

A Curious Colorado Mystery

That train came back to mind recently when I saw a video clip making the rounds online. It appeared to show a huge, hairy figure striding across a hillside near the tracks. Whether it was a prank, a shadow, or something more mysterious… well, that’s a tale for the next post.

 

When Technology Takes a Coffee Break

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🐾  My Morning Link Routine Hits a Snag

For more than ten years, my mornings have followed a familiar rhythm: coffee, sunrise, and a quick click over to The Animal Rescue Site. One tap earns food and supplies for shelter pets, and sharing the link on Facebook helps spread the word. It’s a tiny ritual, but it feels like a good way to start the day — a little kindness before the world gets noisy.

Lately, though, my dependable routine has hit a pothole.

💻 The Mysterious Case of the Spinning Share Button

Since the New Year, Facebook has decided to get… dramatic.
I click “Share.”
Facebook asks, “Who can see this?”
I choose “Public,” like always.
And then — nothing. Just spinning. Spinning. More spinning. Enough spinning to power a small wind farm.

It’s the digital equivalent of someone nodding politely while slowly backing out of the room.

I’ve tried refreshing, reloading, coaxing, pleading, and even giving my computer the side‑eye. No luck. The share button has apparently taken a personal day.

🐕 Why This Matters (At Least to Me)

I wrote a blog post ages ago promising readers that if they ever misplaced the link, they could always find it on my Facebook feed. It felt like a simple, reliable promise — until Facebook decided to reinvent itself on January 1.

Now I feel like I’m letting people down, even though the problem is clearly not on my end. Technology has a funny way of making us feel responsible for things we can’t control.

🌬️ Letting Go (Just a Little)

So here’s the update: I’m still clicking daily. The animals are still getting their points. And I’m still trying to share the link — even if Facebook is currently acting like a moody teenager who refuses to come downstairs.

If you’re looking for the link and don’t see it, that’s why. I’ll keep troubleshooting, and hopefully Facebook will snap out of its New Year funk soon.

In the meantime, consider this a reminder that even the smallest routines can go sideways — and that’s okay. Life, like a dusty road, is full of bumps, detours, and the occasional spinning wheel.

Longest Dirt Road in The World

 

Razorbills of Bolungarvík, Iceland

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A Morning Surprise: The Razorbill Pair

I absolutely love this picture. Yesterday I mentioned how I’ve been very visual lately, and here’s another example of what I mean. Each morning when I log onto my computer, I never know what visual treat might be waiting for me. My wallpaper rotates every couple of days—sometimes it’s a misty bridge, other times a fierce tiger mid-prowl. The photography is always stunning. I envy the talent behind these shots. It’s the kind of artistry I once dreamed of mastering.

But today, I want to spotlight one image in particular: a pair of razorbills standing close together on a rocky ledge by the sea.

Texture, Contrast, and Connection

It’s not that razorbills are the most elegant birds. Their plumage is simple—dark brown above, white below—but this photo captures something extraordinary. The contrast is brilliant. The clarity is so sharp I can almost feel the downy softness of their feathers and trace the texture of their chocolate-brown heads. The white bellies pop against the deep blue of the ocean, and the whole composition feels like a masterclass in natural lighting and framing.

A Quiet Moment of Devotion

What really gets me, though, is the sentiment. These birds aren’t just standing side by side—they’re touching heads, mirroring each other in a way that feels tender and intentional. There’s a quiet devotion in their posture, a kind of avian intimacy that’s rare to catch on camera. It’s a reminder that beauty isn’t always loud or flashy. Sometimes it’s found in the stillness, in the connection, in the way two creatures simply exist together.

This picture has it all—texture, color, emotion. And I’m so glad it found its way to my screen.