The Old Gumbie Cat

Artwork of Beatrix Potter

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
Her coat is of the tabby kind, with tiger stripes and leopard spots.
All day she sits upon the stair or on the steps or on the mat;
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!

But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,
Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun.
And when all the family's in bed and asleep,
She tucks up her skirts to the basement to creep.
She is deeply concerned with the ways of the mice
Their behaviour's not good and their manners not nice;
So when she has got them lined up on the matting,
She teachs them music, crocheting and tatting.

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
Her equal would be hard to find, she likes the warm and sunny spots.
All day she sits beside the hearth or on the bed or on my hat:
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!

But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,
Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun.
As she finds that the mice will not ever keep quiet,
She is sure it is due to irregular diet;
And believing that nothing is done without trying,
She sets right to work with her baking and frying.
She makes them a mouse--cake of bread and dried peas,
And a beautiful fry of lean bacon and cheese.

I have a Gumbie Cat in mind, her name is Jennyanydots;
The curtain-cord she likes to wind, and tie it into sailor-knots.
She sits upon the window-sill, or anything that's smooth and flat:
She sits and sits and sits and sits--and that's what makes a Gumbie Cat!

But when the day's hustle and bustle is done,
Then the Gumbie Cat's work is but hardly begun.
She thinks that the cockroaches just need employment
To prevent them from idle and wanton destroyment.
So she's formed, from that lot of disorderly louts,
A troop of well-disciplined helpful boy-scouts,
With a purpose in life and a good deed to do
And she's even created a Beetles' Tattoo.

So for Old Gumbie Cats let us now give three cheers
On whom well-ordered households depend, it appears.

- T.S. Eliot

Cammoflage Critters

It is remarkable how God has equipped so many animals with their own cammoflage[1] so that they can blend into their environment[2] and stay safe from predation[3]. Many times this means of protection keeps these animals from being eaten by other animals. By staying very still, animals with cammoflage keep from being seen by their natural enemies and escape danger. When out on an adventure in nature, keep your eyes open for animals that may be close to you but hidden by their coloring. In time you will learn to see these animals and your outdoor adventures will be filled with fun surprises as you learn to see rather than just look around you.

Photo courtesy of Ashley Trujillo

The baby cottontail rabbit above is colored like the dirt and brush around it. The tiny lines of dark fur mixed in with its dirt-colored fur make it blend into its environment. Because it holds so still, it is easy to walk right past it without ever seeing it!

The grey squirrel in the above picture stretches out on a grey branch of a maple tree. Can you see him and his bushy tail?

The female woodcock above has her back to you because she is trying to lead you away from her babies. She is easy to see on the gravel road, but when she gets into the woods she seems to disappear. Her feathers are so mottled [4] that she looks like part of the forest floor. You will only see her after you almost step on her and she flies away and leaves you with your mouth open.

Because baby animals are especially vulnerable[5] to predation, God often gives them a cammoflage that makes them look different than their parents. The baby robin above is all speckled, making it hard to see when it holds still and is quiet.

This western ground squirrel, like it's cousin the Franklin's ground squirrel which it resembles, has speckled fur so that it can blend into rocks, grass, or bare dirt.

Above is a picture of an American Toad in the little mud house it found in a vegetable garden. The toad blends into the dirt so well that I placed an arrow pointing to it. If you look closely you can see the toad's eye and then the rest of its body.

There are few critters more cute than a new-born fawn. Fawns have speckles on them for many months, helping them hide in the woods and grass they live in. This little fawn was so well hidden that I had to look for a long time to find it, even though I saw where it had laid down in the grass!

Don't worry, the critter above is not a snake! It is a Northern Prairie Skink, which is a small lizard. The stripes on its body make it disappear in grass, but should it get caught by the tail it has another trick given to it by God: its tail will come right off as the skink hurries away! The skink will then grow another tail and be as good as new.

Baby birds are not the only ones to have some cammoflage. The Song Sparrow pictured above has stripes to help it hide. See how well it blends into the apple tree it is sitting on?

Lastly, we have those critters that can actually change color to blend into
their environment. This tree frog sitting on top of a sunflower has changed to green so that the bugs can't see him as he hunts them. If he hops over to a tree and climbs that (yes, treefrogs can climb!) he will change to a mottled grey color to hide on the bark of the tree.

These are just a few of the many kinds of critters with a God-given cammoflage. Keep your eyes open as you go out to enjoy nature; watch for any little movement that may help you see a hidden animal; and be prepared for surprises when an animal you haven't seen takes off from right beside you and runs away!

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Endnotes:

[1] Cammoflage (cam-oh-flah-juh): color pattern that helps something escape being seen.

[2] Environment (en-vie-ron-ment): the area an animal lives in made up of grasses, trees, or similar things.

[3] Predation (preh-day-shun): hunting, catching, and eating another animal.

[4] Mottled (mah-tell-ed): spotted or blotchy markings or colors.

[5] Vulnerable (vul-ner-uh-bull): easily caught and eaten.

Daddy Fell into the Pond

Everyone grumbled.
The sky was grey.
We had nothing to do and nothing to say.
We were nearing the end of a dismal day,
And then there seemed to be nothing beyond,
Then
Daddy fell into the pond!

And everyone's face grew merry and bright,
And Timothy danced for sheer delight.
"Give me the camera, quick, oh quick!
He's crawling out of the duckweed!" Click!
Then the gardener suddenly slapped his knee,
And doubled up, shaking silently,
And the ducks all quacked as if they were daft,
And it sounded as if the old drake laughed.
Oh, there wasn't a thing that didn't respond
When
Daddy Fell into the pond!

Alfred Noyes

Spring flowers of Minnesota

Many and varied are the wildflowers of Minnesota. For a fun outdoor activity, pick up a wildflower field guide and head out into the woods, meadows, and roadsides to identify the flowers you see. Whether you come across showy orchids like the lady's slippers below, or happen upon a perfect clump of violets, hepaticas, or blood roots, you will enjoy seeing what Spring has to offer to the eyes and nose. And don't forget to look up and enjoy the flowering trees and shrubs while you are out. Many of them rival the wildflowers in beauty and scent. Get out and enjoy while learning to identify your State's wildflowers!

The Showy Lady's Slipper is Minnesota's State flower. The blooms look like a puffy ballerina slipper.

The Yellow Lady's Slipper is not as eye-catching as the Showy, but is beautiful in its own right. This one had a spider in its cup, which does not show up in this small picture.

Wild Violets are some of the earliest spring flowers and come in many different colors.

In Spring, Marsh marigolds cover low-lying damp areas and ditches with a carpet of gold.

The Showy Orchis is a small orchid with a sweet smell.

There are few Spring scents that can top the smell of wild plums in
bloom. Not only are the flowers beautiful and dainty, but they have a
spicy sweet scent that is a delight to smell.

There are wildflowers for every season of the year, save winter. The flowers bloom at different times so each time you get out you may see different flowers blooming than you saw before. In another post I'll put up some of the summer flowers that you may see if you take the time to get out and enjoy.