JanetLippincott's PhotoBlog

What, another cat? Caturday

2009-11-23T03:07:21Z

About a month ago, I received a call from the listing agent of a house in Chestnut Hill saying that a Realtor who was showing the house saw a kitten who fell through a window grate and couldn't get out. I went over in the pouring rain to investigate (deciding that the kitten could be called "Grateful" once I rescued him) and when I pointed a flashlight into the grate, I saw four eyes reflecting back at me. It was then clear that these feral kittens were being raised under the grate. I coudn't reach to get them out, but they could come and go as they pleased. A few days later with the help of the the owners of the house, we trapped the kittens and I brought Grateful home. His brother, Fergus, moved into the listing agent's neighbors house.

Harvest Moon in Cape May, NJ

2009-10-10T21:38:30Z

I went to the hawk watch platform at Cape May Point hoping to see a few raptors and a nice sunset. There was a guy sitting there, apparently doing nothing. He told me he was waiting for the harvest moon which would be arriving in a few minutes.

Reflective Caturday

2009-09-24T04:35:34Z

Cosey Caturday

2009-08-23T03:48:51Z

Pearl (see Christmas Caturday 12/24/08) decided she was bored and needed a playmate, so again I set off to find the right fit for the household. I checked Petfinder and picked a cat I expected to adopt when I met him. Then I remembered Last Chance Ranch in Quakertown, PA where a friend volunteers (and always tells me about all the great kitties for adoption), so I smartly thought she would not be happy with me if I didn't go look there. I checked the website and liked several of the choices, but one cat, named Squirrel caught my eye. They called her a Maine Coon Cat and she looked like my childhood cat, so off I went. Within minutes the decision to bring Squirrel home was made. She had been brought in with four kittens at a very young age, had raised them, seen them adopted and now was only five pounds, a kitten herself. "Squirrel" not being a cat name, needed to be changed. After researching Maine Coon cats with help from my friend, we landed on "Cosey", the name of the "Best in Show" winner of the first cat show in the USA, a Maine Coon Cat, of course. I had committed to going to see the other Petfinder cat so I did. As soon as I met him, he bit me and that solved the worry of adopting two cats. He stayed at his foster home.

Baby raccoons and how to sleep in a tree

2009-07-14T02:34:31Z

I was just heading to bed around midnight when I heard the unmistakable sound of raccoons noisily entering the yard. They all explored their way around the yard until they decided to ascend the white pine tree and raced up. There were four babies with no adult supervision and there seemed to be a lot of chaos as they scrambled around in the tree. I spent three hours looking up (getting "birder's neck") and taking pictures with a flashlight in one hand and the camera resting on my face and shooting into the dark.

Fledgling Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher

2009-06-01T04:33:57Z

A delightful finding on my birdwalk today - these little blue-gray gnatcatchers were taking their first flights. They fledge after only 13 days of life! With tiny wings and almost no tails, it's a wonder that they succeed.

Spring Farm Cares' Wildlife Refuge Surprise

2009-05-29T04:23:02Z

West of the Adirondacks, outside a small town called Clinton, NY, there is a 200 acre wildlife refuge, actively managed by a full time naturalist who is restoring the habitat. I took a walk there, planning on birdwatching when I had a wonderful surprise!

A Walk in the Wildlife

2009-04-17T05:48:33Z

The sun finally came out and I took a walk in the Morris Arboretum and Fairmount Park.

Toads Crossing Roads

2009-04-02T05:30:24Z

A kind-hearted animal activist, Lisa Levinson, noticed that toads were being run over in the Upper Roxborough section of Philadelphia while they were migrating across busy roads on their way to the reservoir in early spring. She rallied over 100 volunteers and news media in a short period and the Toad Detour Project took shape. We now have spotters and a phone tree and we are waiting for the big migration.

Sunflowers at Jim Dandy's

2009-02-27T05:49:23Z

Somewhere between Portland, Oregon and the coast, there's a modest looking farm market called Jim Dandy's. Aside from amazing, very inexpensive produce, there is a cutting flower garden. The sunflowers won my heart!