Remind Me Why This is the State Bird?

Some of you may remember or know from other conversations that my family was blessed with The Cardinal, lovingly dubbed Mr. Stupid.

Mr. Stupid graced us with his appearance last summer when he decided our back door was harboring another cardinal, competition.  He began ramming himself into the door.  He came back daily for a good ramming.  This has continued even periodically through the winter and now daily again since the weather has brightened.  We are all baffled as to how he hasn't scrambled his brains into a smoothie and broken his beak into a million pieces.  We are mostly baffled as to how he is still alive.  And how he managed to find a mate.  We've seen her.  She must not be very bright picking a man like him.

Last year I put newspaper up on our door to block the reflection.  Apparently newspaper looks like cardinal, too.

This year we decided we'd invest in an owl.  Some garden stores call them "garden defense owls" for the fact that they scare silly birds like Mr. Stupid away.  I was all set to go out and buy one today when my dad came up from the basement.

"You know when Bailey barks out back?"
"Yea."  She always barks.  She barks at everything, anything, and nothing.  She's a mouthy little dachshund who always has to have the last word.
"She's barking at the neighbor's owl."

Plan B, anyone?

My dad often reminds me that I would have been a great veterinarian...

So, here I am starting my second blog.  For those of you who follow my first blog, The Adventures of an Almost Vegan, don't stop!  I will be double-blogging.  That sounds a whole lot like double dipping, which is socially unacceptable.  But, I have found acceptable ways to double dip, so you'll just have to deal with my double-blog.

Why this new and furry blog?  Of all things, I was watching a recent episode of Ugly Betty.  I hadn't seen that show in ages, but my mom and I just didn't turn the TV off after our usual slew of Wednesday night shows.  And boy did Betty have some great advice.  She turned down an amazing offer in the fashion industry because that wasn't what she loved to write about.  What she loved to write was on her blog.

Don't get me wrong--I love to write about food.  I also love to whine and complain.  But animals and I have always clicked in some almost paranormal way that makes it quite silly that I didn't start blogging critters earlier.  Animals are always on my mind.  My favorite job thus far was an unpaid internship at a pet magazine.  I am on the verge of being able to sell homemade dog biscuits (I apparently need a license and insurance incase I kill somebody's furkid).

So, I introduce you to Talk to the Paw, my very first furry blog.  This will be my place to indulge in anything furry, feathered, scaled, and slimy.  Or however they come.  Got a story?  Let me know!  Think I'm crazy?  Let me know!  But in the meantime, go give the nearest non-human a hug.  Husbands and children don't count.