LEARN ABOUT CREATURES

Today I went on a canoe ride down the Mississippi River. We started before Minneapolis, and went to St. Paul.

We had lunch under the Lake Street bridge, near my house, and then when we continued more downstream -- maybe near 36th or 38th street -- I saw these two fluffy black and white birds sitting near the river. Their heads were bald, and black. I knew they had to be baby vultures. We had already seen a big turkey vulture flying around the trees near the water.

I got one little picture, and some more pictures of their poop. They live in a little cave, a TINY cave. They have a path that leads up to the cave, worn down from use, and some big splats of white poop near the river. They were hiding in their house, which is good. Their parents found them a good place to hang out.

This was especially awesome because the other day some people at birds and beers were talking about how you never see vultures just sitting, or perching. Also, they said the vultures lived in caves - but I thought they had to live in a big cave, like bats. No, a small cave will do for them.

They really have nice waterfront property.

The home of two very fluffy adolescent turkey vultures.

I was sitting outside on the step around 7:30pm. I heard a scampering down the oak tree in the backyard. This squirrel has got its hands clamped into the tree, and it was waving its tail, and grunting.

Me? Oh yes, that squirrel was really mad at me. We looked at each other for a while.

"Bark"
"what?:
"Bark"
what?
bark bark
i don't understand you

He was not backing down. I backed up a step, but he just kept staring at me.

I moved behind the door, last thing a squirrel needs is more stress, and the squirrel relaxed. I did understand the squirrel, despite the differences in our language and the fact that the last time I had an interaction with a squirrel it was running up my leg. That incident pretty much killed the sort of date I was on, and that was fine because after that I had cannolis with my partner and that was almost seven years ago.

It then ran up to a branch, chewed off some leaves, a good small branch, and then ran back up with the branch in his mouth. Though I did watch while it ran up the tree because I was pretty sure he was going to throw the leaves at me.

Minutes later, two other squirrels were leaping from branch to branch chasing each other.

That's why all the acorn tops are on the ground. They're still green, but the squirrels are eating them anyway.

It figures that the one day I decide, ok, I'm going outside, enough of this inside imprisonment, it figures that the squirrel will complain. After all, it's our fault we've got these houses with their peaceful walls making nice neat boundaries, the squirrels have gotten quite used to where I belong, and the fact that no one should be near his tree. Probably because there are some babies up there. I wonder if the squirrels are hungry, because surely the acorns can't be good - or maybe the squirrels are really just super lazy. Or maybe they've overdone it again, and have to raid the acorns to feed all their babies?

I started noticing this when I was home last Thursday. The cicadas are singing. I can hear that they are up one of the big oak trees outside my house. I only hear them during the day.

Most of my life I lived in a town on a coast. When I arrived at the Minneapolis International Airport and waited on the platform, it was raining.

Usually, when it rains, it smells fresh. But not in the interior of the country. It smelled like manure from a far away farm, in the rain.

Lately, it's been storming a lot. Some rain storms do have this scent of manure.

Yesterday, I noticed a change in the taste of the water. A pub down the street gave us some water. I thought their cups were moldy, or the ice wasn't fresh - or perhaps the straw. But when I got home, I noticed that the water tasted weird. It tastes moldy. I do not know why. It is quite disgusting, and maybe it has to do with the heat? Or maybe our water comes from the Mississippi? It can't be good.

At the Science Museum where I work, there are some exhibits about ground water. It's a really great idea - a real well, and it talks about how water comes from a well and is filtered. My co-worker said to try it. I looked at the water fountain, which was orange with rust. I drank it and it was fine for a moment. Then an overpowering feeling of dread came over me as I actually tasted the water from the well. LOTS of minerals. She said they had the university of minnesota test it, and it was safe and fine. I didn't get sick or anything from it - but I must say that the water here is weird.