L. B. FooFoo, Esq.

For a true sense of scale, that is a phlox flower behind his ear
(about the size of a dime).

Cleverly hidden under a leaf,
they will never discov.....hey!

Put that back! I'm hiding here!!

I'll help with the gardening next week. . .
I should be almost as big
as the spade by then.

Random Animal Quirks Caught in Pixels

"I'd like to dedicate this next
song to my Grandmother
in honor of her 70th Birthday!"


"Move over man!
I need at least half of the couch to luxuriate fully."

"Hey, Cat! Can you open this thing...
There's a bag of millet on the table.
Help me out, will ya? I need my fix."

"Hello, little bug. Prepare to meet my stomach!"

"We weren't doing anything...no, I don't look guilty.
Neither does Lucy."

What kind of cat lays like this?
(A 27 pound one, duh!)

"ah...pfth...I tkink I have a hair on my tongue..."

"You're talking about me, aren't you? I heard you!"

"I'm not here. You can't see me.
Please leave a message after the beep."


Happy Birthday from
all of your fuzzy grandkids!

Super Close-up

A bird this big (well, huge), this close-up, is mightily intimidating, especially given the ferocity of her open beaked seed-lunges. However, I'm sure that just as I consider myself quite brave for holding my ground in such proximity to her pointy nose/mouth and talons, she considers herself extraordinarily courageous for venturing so near to a monstrous humanoid...admittedly I can be quite frightful looking in the morning.

Our little starlet!

How Big is That Guinea in the Window?

This is Gloria's nightly routine: When it starts to get dark she flies up to our livingroom window to wait for her millet-balls. The cats find this enormously entertaining, and Gloria finds it delicious! Turn up your volume; she's singing her "happy snack" song.

Didn't we just fill the cat food?

The Truly Self-sufficient Cat:
When eating out of a bowl just isn't adventurous enough

Inter-Species Sparring

I have no doubt that without a window to separate these two, the cat would have either gotten his butt kicked, or run away with his skinny little tail between his legs without even trying to take on this birdzilla. This round: Gloria:1; Orion: 0 (apologies, the sound doesn't quite sync with the video)

Click Square to Play Video

To my adoring fans...

Though we are aware that Gloria is charming, we are amazed that she has already found international fans! This is her reply to the following query: "Does she roost in the trees at night?"

Thank you for the opportunity to regale you with more details of my fascinating life! Actually, I prefer to sleep in second floor window sills, or on my balcony, which has no stairs and is about fifteen feet off the ground--I have adopted it as my private luxury suite, and prefer it to trees because even the squirrels don't bother me there. It is also just off of the humans' sleeping quarters, but isn't quite as cramped as their window ledge, and is separate enough to shield me from their snoring.

This morning the humans were late rising, and I fell asleep in the dirt in front of their office window waiting for them to come provide me with breakfast and songs. They made up for their tardiness by introducing me to apples! What ECSTASY! I was still so excited about my breakfast that I was (perhaps) overly emphatic about greeting my friend "Piper of the Window" and she ran away from my knocking--usually she spends the morning sunning with me. Ah, well...I wonder what other magic morsels I haven't discovered yet? Could there be treats tastier than ticks?! Doubtful...

Chicken Head

When snow came back this weekend to haunt our otherwise pleasant spring, we wondered what our new feathered friend would do--we are not experienced with the ways of the wild Guinea Fowl, and are not yet equipped with all weather bird housing. On Saturday morning, when the snow had accumulated a couple of inches on our tulips, Gloria did come knocking on the office window, but then she disappeared for the rest of the day.

We kept tapping on the windows, which usually brings her running, but to no avail. I was shocked at how quickly I had become attached to this odd little (well, big) bird, and was afraid she had abandoned us for someplace more hospitable to her needs.
When we turned in for the night, we decided to open the window for some fresh air, and were quite startled (screams and jumping and everything) to discover her sitting IN the bedroom window. Obviously the camera was quickly fetched. We fell asleep to the dulcet croonings of our fluffy headed chicken friend.

"Voyeuristic Chickenhead: On the Bedroom Ledge"

Easter brought the warm(ish) weather back, and the featherhead was happily back to her window peeking, bug chasing, and yard digging. Today's discovery: she loves to be serenaded in the highest pitch one can muster. If you stop singing, she bangs the window for more.

The "Glorious Bird" in her window waiting for a song

Happy Hoppin' Easter...

Need we say more?
in happy memory of our most patient Bunman.

Adventures of a Guinea

I am the ruler of these gardens!
No one is grander than I!
Each and every flower is under my care and protection...


...and the pink brings out my own natural beauty, yes?


...I even spy on the four-legged fuzzy things in the human-house,
but they think they are spying on me! FOOLS!!!!

I suspect they think that I would be a tasty treat...
as if they could even catch me!

"Mmmmm, that's a mighty big turkey.
Can I catch it, Mom? Dad? Please?!"


***

"Mirror, Mirror, on the tree, Who's a sexier bird than me?!"

Oh, yeah...I'm a pretty bird.

I could stay here for hours...
Which is my best side?

How 'bout this side?
Admiring oneself works up an appetite!
Time for a tasty snack!

mmmmm....beetles make me thirsty.

...and now for some exercise!
Chicken DANCE!!!

well, now I am exhausted...off to the sleepy spot.

Good Night, Y'all!

As if we didn't have enough....

We already have six cats, two dogs, two rabbits and more fish than we can accurately count, but now the local wildlife has started adopting us.

from the top left, clockwise: Calamity Jane (CJ); Kirby the Floppy Lop; Skippy the Weird; Orion the Annoying; Anna the Aussie; Flipper & Jaws; Carats; Lucy (with the very cool accessories of grass on her tongue and mud on her nose); Piper a.k.a Stripey Pipes; Aimee (center) and Linus the Fluffy Lion.

Gloria the Spy-->

This is Gloria, the Guinea Fowl, who I ignorantly dubbed a turkey for the first two days she was here. She made her fist appearance while I was out doing yard work by sneaking up from behind and then singing her very silly song...she sounds like an old-fashioned printer.

She is most welcome in our yard as she considers ticks and fleas to be quite delicious. We initially, foolishly, flattered ourselves that she was watching us through the office window, and then we read that these silly birds are reflection obsessed--she was only looking at herself in the window. We have since given her a mirror, where she stands for hours on end preening and admiring her gorgeous self.

Guinea on a Hot Shed Roof

This is what happens when an
Australian Shepard attempts to herd a "Turkey"

check back with this station soon!

In our next episode:
"Mirror, Mirror, on the tree,
who's a sexier bird than me?"

(click on pictures to view larger)