Magical Moment 483, "Fauna"

I met Fauna a few days ago in the National Park where my husband is a Park Ranger. I haven't gone back to see her yet, but I asked Eddie to keep a look out for her. I want to follow her progress, and since the Park is surrounded by an urban area, I want to make sure she stays safe from passing cars.

During one of his late security checks, he was near the parking lot and was shocked to find that he literally almost stepped on her. He was so close he could reach his arm out and touch her if he wanted. Instead, he snapped this picture for me, then carried on. He called me from work to tell me what he saw, but that he hadn't seen the mother.

I was a little worried. It may be hard to tell from this picture, but she is tiny. Really the size of a dog, and her fur is still fuzzy. So why wasn't her mother with her late at night when the predators are out?! Google, or as I refer to it, my smart best friend, came to the rescue. It turns out that fawns who are less than 3 weeks old, do not carry a scent! But because the mothers do carry a scent, they stay separate from their babies a great deal of the time so as not to attract predators to her baby. The fawns are taught that when a predator is near, to stay perfectly still. And that's exactly what Fauna did when Eddie stumbled across her. She was so brave and didn't move a muscle. Her mother was most likely near by, and would only interfere if she sincerely believed Eddie to be a threat. But perhaps Fauna and her mother will learn for next time, that sleeping only feet away from a parking lot is not the best place for her, and she'll move to a safer spot tomorrow night.

I know now that Fauna is under 3 weeks old. Unbelievable. I've never seen a deer that young. I'm fascinated with her and will continue keep up with her growth. I'm sure you'll see updates as she progresses. (Oh, if anyone out there knows anything about fawns, leave it in the comments. I'd love to learn more).

Magical Moment 625, "Thailand - the Elephants"

Needless to say, my favorite part of our Thailand vacation, was our week long volunteering at Elephant Nature Park ! The logging industry was banned in Thailand in 1989, leaving thousands of elephants unemployed. These elephants are now used for tourism. You may have heard of elephant shows featuring the animals playing soccer or painting pictures with their trunks. They are no doubt amazing to watch, but the sad truth is that these elephants have gone through a series of torture and abuse to "break their spirit" by their trainers. This short clip is very hard to watch, but it will give you an idea of what the elephants in captivity in the country of Thailand go through. The only elephants in Thailand who do not endure this, are the very few baby elephants who are first generation born in "safe captivity" at places like Elephant Nature Park. Every other elephant at this park has been brutally abused. Some have been blinded by their owners, le

Magical Moment 620, "Lilac Garden"

Eddie and I visited the Lilac Gardens at Ringwood Manor in New Jersey, a pristine and beautiful state park with 8 species of lilacs and several varieties within. We went on a rainy afternoon, which turned out perfect because the rain stopped for us when we got there, and began again as soon as we left. It also decorated the plants with gorgeous rain drops, adding to their beauty. And now for a quick game of "Where's Elizabeth?" And "Where's Eddie?" ~~Have a great weekend! ~~

Magical Moment 280, "The Eleventh Hour"

The Veterans Day Parade, NYC On July 29, 2001 , five exceptional men were honored by the President of the United States for their remarkable military service. They were involved in a top secret mission that required unfathomable intelligence and as a result, literally won a battle which was instrumental in winning the war. Not the war that was happening in 2001, not even the Gulf War. It was World War II, and they were the Navajo Code Talkers who were largely responsible for winning the bloody battle of Okinawa. The only problem with the ceremony was that just 5 remained of the original 29. Our country was too late in thanking the other 24, and nearly too late in thanking those 5 men. On March 10, 2010, three hundred women won the Congressional Gold medal for their outstanding war service. Unfortunately, 800 received the award posthumously. These were the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP) of World War II, who devoted themselves to flying military aircraft like the B-26 and B-

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