(note: click the pictures to enlarge, mouseover pics for captions)

I've had some really nice walks lately. During one of my walks in my neighborhood, I looked down at just the right time to see this little guy:

I love caterpillars! They are so cute and fuzzy. One time, when I was little, I scooped one up in my bug jar and that night, it made its coccoon! Two weeks later, a beautiful butterfly emerged, and I released it in my front yard on the hood of my dad's car. It flopped around a bit, figuring out how to fly, then fluttered away. It was such an amazing experience.

A few days after the caterpillar walk, I went walking along the beach. I wasn't sure if it would be hot or cold. It turned out to be both. The warm sun kept me warm while the cool breezes assured me I wouldn't get too hot out there. I cleared my mind as much as possible as I walked and walked, watching the beautiful ocean waves, absorbing the rhythmic sounds, letting the scent of salt water infuse my soul. As I looked out into the water, I thought I saw something. I kept watching and to my utter delight, I saw a dolphin arc out of the water and back under. Then I realized there were two! I watched them play, popping in and out of the water over and over. When I couldn't see them anymore, I walked a little further, only to see three more dolphins playing in their own part of the ocean. It was so spectacular! I am so grateful I got to see that, and as I continued walking, I was happy I'd listened to my heart's desire to see the ocean that day. The beach is a great place to be!

Then yesterday, I was sitting on a bench in the courtyard of the Psychology building at school when I saw a squirrel on the lookout for food (vending machines are in the area, so leftover snacks and crumbs are always afoot!). I took out my cashews to eat, and accidentally dropped one. When the squirrel found it and nibbled on it, eagerly eating the whole thing, I couldn't resist giving her another one! She looked so freakin' cute! She nibbled away, and then tried to figure out where they were coming from. She stood on my backback, looking inside the open pocket. She jumped up on the bench, then back down, up the other side of the bench, then stared at me like she was going to jump onto my shoulder! It freaked me out a little. Then she just got down to the seat of the bench instead, walked up to me, and put her paws on my shorts! She sniffed my arm, and I could feel little squirrel nose and whiskers lightly searching for food. It was SO COOL! And hilariously funny, too. I couldn't stop giggling at her. She jumped back down under the bench, and I dropped two more nuts for her, and laughed at her silly antics until she eventually went back to hang out on the trees behind me. What a cool little animal. To tell the truth, I'd been feeling pretty shitty all day, so she really cheered me up, and it just made me so happy to know that I always have that - I can always be cheered up by animals, and the good part is, they're all over! Home, school, work... They just lift my heart and spirit in such a way that it's really hard to describe. I'm so incredibly grateful that they're such a part of my life. I love animals!

Speaking of animals, I got to go to Little Zoo again today! It's been a while since I've been able to go, so being back there was super awesome.

We did a show, which was lots of fun, and afterwards, I got to take pictures with several animals, and even got to say hi to Simon, who I love dearly. Today, he was calm and happy, not the confused goofball he was last time. He did reach in my pocket and take out a wad of money, though! I reached down and held onto it, and he let go, though he seemed kind of upset about it. He doesn't really know me well enough for me to be taking anything from him. Mallory went ahead and emptied my pockets and then put it all outside the door of his cage. That way, Simon could feel free to thoroughly inspect my pockets and I wouldn't have to fear him mugging me. He stuck his whole head in my pants pocket, then looked inside my shirt, too. Then he licked me all over my face. God I love that monkey!

Also, for the first time in my life:

I handled an alligator! He is little and is only 2 years old, but I held an alligator, by golly, and it was pretty freaking cool!

I bottle fed a nilgai! So awesome, and so cute!

Exclamation point!

In conclusion, here are some very cute pictures...

It was a great day!

Disclaimer: I am trained and authorized to handle wild animals. Most of the animals described in these posts are NOT PETS and are ILLEGAL to own as pets. All content reflects the opinions of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Little Zoo or its affiliates.