Then, Aug. 27. "Crayfish found in guest bedroom. RIP."
Sidenote: Crayfish, caught by Nature Girl in local Zumbro River, ventured down two flights of stairs from aquarium home to said guest bedroom. Impressive.
This joins a long, irritating line of critters that have made our home theirs. Carpenter ants in the dishwasher. Chipmunks (yes, plural) sneaking in through the sump hole to have at our finished basement, including sitting on our couch, and perhaps playing the Wii when my back was turned. A bat. A bird. Ladybugs. Mice.
May I mention the invited guests...dog, cat, fish, turtle, snake, lizards (not all at once!)
I wish I could honestly say I have a love for animals that outweighs the angst produced even by the quiet turtle that eats out of our hands. It's only for one reason that I co-exist with non-humans and set live traps instead of death traps for striped rodents.
Nature Girl.
Those sparkling eyes and that propensity for naming every animal in our home, invited or not. God knit her in my womb with her own DNA (Dramatic Need for Animals.) I can't bring myself to squelch that little fire in her eyes when she encounters lesser creatures. But sometimes, I have to.
Yesterday, when I had to break the news that indeed we could NOT join the neighbors in getting a baby bunny, there were many tears and even some gnashing of teeth. I have this fear that the poor creature will freeze to death in the winter. Nature Girl doesn't know this, but I'm actually open to the idea. I want to see first how it goes for the neighbors. If the bunny survives the winter without its ears freezing off, I might venture further into the land of animal insanity.
As parents, we let a little of ourselves die sometimes, so that our children can live more fully. It's called sacrifice. And it's worth it.
Making the decision to have a child is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ~Elizabeth Stone
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