Category Archives: Mammals

Beautiful Acorn (but not so beautiful squirrel)…

11 Friday Oct 2024

Posted by in Animals, Garden, Mammals, Photography, Poetry, Reflections, Wild animals

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© Joan Currie – The squirrel has stashed his acorns all over my yard.

The Rogue of My Yard by Joan Currie

In my garden once peaceful, in days of late,
A scoundrel returns – wrecking havoc, his trait.
Not the soft squirrel of a Potter tale,
But a beastly fiend with a bushy tail.

He clambers and clatters with ill-intent,
O’er apples rotting, their skins now rent.
Like billiard balls scattered across the green,
A trickster’s delight, a demon unseen.

With acorns stuffed in each nook and crack,
He piles his plunder no thought to slack.
The feeder he topples with impish glee,
Chasing away all the birds that flee.

A tyrant of trees, this devil’s dance,
He spares no corner, no happenstance.
The gutters rattle as apples roll,
From rooftop heights, his heartless goal.

O cursed creature, why dost thou stay?
To plague my yard both night and day?
Return to your woods, you menace black,
Please, or I fear, I might set a trap!

I’m afraid it is time to catch and release this squirrel to a woods far far away.

Beautiful Squirrels…

01 Thursday Aug 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, Garden, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, watercolor

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor of a squirrel peering in my bedroom window.

A Troublesome Trio by Joan Currie

In the oak beside my house, there lived three sprites,
Three mischievous squirrels, with morning delights.
At six they’d start, with a thump and a leap,
On my bedroom roof, disturbing my sleep.

They’d dig up my tulips, so eager and keen,
Gnaw at my porch, where they often were seen.
Cracked acorns scattered, my yard was their feast,
These furry intruders, to say the least.

I grumbled and muttered, “A nuisance, no doubt,
These bothersome squirrels I can do without.”
Yet, one fateful day, my neighbors took heed,
They chopped down the oak, the squirrels left – Godspeed!

No more early wakes, no more tulips dug,
No gnawing on wood, no playful bug.
But silence grew heavy, the mornings so still,
I found myself missing their antics and thrills.

Now I wonder, where did they roam?
These mischievous friends, onto other homes.
Though I complained and wished them away,
I long for their presence at the break of day.

Be careful for what you wish for! After the squirrels left, a groundhog moved into my backyard – a much bigger nuisance than the squirrels ever were.

Beautiful White Ram…

06 Saturday Jul 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, beautiful, Design, Mammals, Nature, Photography, Poetry

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© Joan Currie – Detail of White Ram sculpture by Federico Uribe – 2013

The White Ram by Gilbert Keith Chesterton (an excerpt)

Once a white ram, with curly horns
and deep brown eyes,
Roamed the verdant hills beneath
the azure skies,
In fields of green, he wandered
wide and free,
A noble beast, grand as one
could see.

His coat was pure, a snowy,
gleaming white,
That shone like stars on a crisp,
clear night.
With horns that curled in a majestic
sweep,
He stood as proud as ancient lore
runs deep.

I saw this charming sculpture of a White Ram by Federico Uribe yesterday. It was created using electrical wire, conduit, and keyboard keys. Check out his latest work (2023): lion, moose, turtle, and black lion, on his website.
I started looking around my house for old ethernet cables to see what I might create, as well. Stay tuned!

© Joan Currie – White Ram sculpture by Federico Uribe – 2013
© Joan Currie – Face detail of White Ram sculpture by Federico Uribe – 2013

Beautiful Jaguar…

30 Thursday May 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, beautiful, Mammals, Needlepoint, Painting, Poetry, watercolor, Wild animals

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a jaguar.

A Jaguar Sighting by Joan Currie

There, in the twilight’s gentle hold,
A vision rare, a sight untold,
A jaguar sprang from leafy shade,
Its presence fierce, my steps delayed.

With eyes of blue, like summer skies,
It met my gaze with wild surprise,
A flash of light in twilight’s gloom,
A piercing fire, a sapphire bloom.

Upon its coat, the rosettes danced,
With markings clear, my heart entranced,
Not leopard’s spots, but nature’s art,
The jaguar’s strength and mystic heart.

It moved with grace, a specter bright,
Through verdant halls of fading light,
In silent awe, I stood alone,
To witness what the wild had shown.

When I was very young, my knowledge of animals: mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and amphibians, was limited to identifying them in picture books – mostly associating the name of the creature with the first letter of its name, e.g. “J for Jaguar.” Although I studied them in biology class and watched a number of National Geographic and Nature documentaries over the years, my keen interest in animals came to me only recently. I am completely besotted with them now!

© Joan Currie – My J for Jaguar needlepoint pillow.

Beautiful Lynx…

25 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Art, beautiful, Lynx, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a Lynx in Repose

Encountering a Lynx by Joan Currie

In the moonlit glade, a lynx appears,
Fur-tipped ears, green-gold eyes quelling fears,
A guardian wise, like an androsphinx’s grace,
Yet, ponder, do we anthropomorphize his face?

All-knowing aura, mystique in his stare,
Yet, does he ponder life with a thoughtful air?
Do we project our musings, a human reflection,
Onto the lynx, seeking a shared connection?

In the silent forests, mysteries untold,
Does the lynx ponder more than hunger bold?
Hissing and yowling and screams in the night,
A startling assertion of nature’s might.

The lynx is my children’s favorite wild cat. :)

Beautiful Red Fox in Winter…

18 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor painting of a Red Fox.

Red Fox in Winter by Joan Currie

In winter’s embrace, a lonely man found cheer,
A red fox came, a friend so dear.

Exquisite fur, eyes of blue-green grace,
Shared scraps, forming a bond in that quiet space.

Yet, in reaching out, a truth unfolds,
Wild and untamed, as nature holds.

Teeth bared, a lesson swiftly learned,
A cunning companion, loyalty unearned.

I found it difficult to teach my children to be wary of wild animals when so many children’s books, cartoons, and movies – especially Disney movies, portrayed them as cute and cuddly creatures.

Beautiful Hedgehog in the Snow…

11 Thursday Jan 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, watercolor, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My Hedgehog in the Snow watercolor and gouache painting.

Hedgehog in the Snow by Joan Currie

In a quiet wood where leaves gently spread,
A hedgehog dwelled, his own path he’d tread.
Alone he preferred, in solitude’s embrace,
Away from his prickle, a solitary grace.

In rustling leaves, he found delight,
Playing alone, a lone hedge’s right.
Curling in a ball, he’d peacefully sleep,
In solitude’s company, his secrets to keep.

One morn, a snowy blanket covered the land,
The woods adorned in an arctic strand.
Under the sun’s gaze, a serene tableau,
Yet, no fellow creatures, no friend or foe.

As he played in the snow, a shadow drew near,
Unseen by the hedgehog, it whispered in his ear.
In his longing for solace, he returned to his den,
Curled up in a ball once more, in dreams to transcend.

Little hedgehog, in the quiet of his rest,
Unaware of the shadow, a mysterious guest.
Alone, he slumbers, in his dream’s reprieve,
In the snowy woods, where secrets weave.

I first learned about hedgehogs from The Tale of Mrs. Tiggy-Winkle, a delightful little children’s book written and illustrated by Beatrix Potter. Although the protagonist hedgehog interacted with other animals in the story, hedgehogs are known to be solitary creatures – save for mating. I know at least one person who is very much a loner, like the hedgehog, and he seems very content. :)

Beautiful Snow Leopard…

05 Friday Jan 2024

Posted by in Animals, Art, Mammals, Nature, Poetry, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals, Winter

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© Joan Currie – My watercolor and ink painting of a Snow Leopard.

Ode to a Snow Leopard by Joan Currie

In the peaks where snow doth lie,
A creature graced with silent stride,
Snow leopard roams beneath the sky,
In the realm where frost abides.

With fur of silver, spots of night,
Its gaze, ice blue, a mystic sight,
Amongst snow-capped mountains high,
A guardian beneath the moonlight.

Once a child of that mountain air,
A woman now, distant and fair,
From the village, she did part,
Leaving behind a heavy heart.

In dreams, she hears the snow’s soft call,
A longing echoes through the hall,
Her spirit yearns for frozen grace,
To wander in that wild embrace.

The snow leopard, a silent guide,
Through peaks where memories abide,
Its eyes like crystals, piercing cold,
A tale of nature’s beauty told.

The woman, haunted by the past,
Desires the mountains, free at last,
To return to where her soul belongs,
Amidst the snow, where it prolongs.

Through valleys deep and rivers wide,
Her heart retraces steps beside,
Towards the peaks, she yearns to climb,
Reconnect with frozen time.

Oh, snow leopard with eyes so bright,
Guide her through the frigid night,
To find her way, to nature’s lore,
To the mountains she adored once more.

The northern landscapes that shaped my early years now seem like distant dreams. I wish for a winter’s day, especially in the late afternoon as the sun is setting, when the snow is infused with soft shades of white, blue, lavender, and rose.

Beautiful Mammalian Speed…

07 Saturday Jan 2023

Posted by in Art, Mammals, New Year's Resolutions, Reflections, watercolor, Wild animals

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By the first dawn of the new year, all the stars shine in the squeegeed sky over the range and the morning is pale blue and golden, and pronghorn run in wet wilted grass. – Anna Badkhen

The pronghorn is the fastest land animal in North America – second fastest in the world next to the African cheetah. The pronghorn’s speed, grace, and agility are my inspiration for moving through the challenges of this coming year.