Abby’s Animal Almanac
Mountains of Switzerland – While hiking in this mountain wonderland, we saw one of the characteristics of Switzerland – the Swiss cows with their big, lolling cowbells. These huge cows roam freely, but they can always be tracked by their huge cow bells. Once when we were hiking up a mountain, we saw a field of cows at the bottom, and could still this cacophony of cow bells at the top of the mountain! It was so amazing. Also in Switzerland, we saw a lot of interesting mountain birds.
Bern, Switzerland - For centuries, the Bernese have kept brown bears in a concrete pit in the middle of the city. Just recently, the current brown bears were moved to a humane habitat by the river. We walked over an old bridge across the river and visited the bears. In one big habitat was a male bear climbing around, and in the other, a mother bear and her two big cubs. We even got to watch the cubs nurse. The mom sort of laid back on the slope and then her cubs sort of attacked her, drinking very messily and smearing milk all over her body. It was really cool to see the tradition of bear-keeping in Bern still alive in the modern world.
Alpsee, or Alp Lake, by Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany – This still lake, with the fairy tale castle of Neuschwanstein nearby, had little fish swimming around in it. Once Lindsey and I gave up trying to catch them, we fed some old bread to them. Soon some ducks came over and ate up the bigger chunks of bread.
Ireland – Ireland is known for rainbows, leprechauns... and sheep. We saw a lot of sheep in Ireland, in fields by the side of the road. They were very peaceful, just sitting there and bleating.
Cotswold Farm Park - Here in the heart of the countryside of England, the farm park was packed because it was a "bank holiday". The first animals we saw were some sheep. In a special shed, pregnant sheep and sheep who had just had their little lambs were stored. In special pens towards the front, sheep who had just given birth were kept with their small lambs. One lamb we saw was born the same day we were there, at 7:30 in the morning. Then we took a small walk around an area where rare breed are stored. Some of the interesting breeds we saw included: the Cross Donkeys, who have a cross of dark fur on their shoulders because they are said to have carried Jesus into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, and the Jacob sheep, sheep with beautiful spotted coats, called that because of the story of the bible of Joseph and the multi-colored coat. Jacob (Joseph's father and a shepherd with a large flock of sheep) gave Joseph the colorful coat. Legend has it that, following the events that were to come of the coat (found in Genesis chapter 37 and 39-46), Jacob's sheep became spotted, and still are today. Roaming freely among all these rare breeds were about seven red piglets, which would sometimes come out onto the path where we were walking. I developed quite a fun game chasing these piglets and could put up quite the chase. Another highlight of our time was bottle-feeding the lambs. We each got our own bottle. I fed a very tiny tan lamb, who kept on being shoved out of the way by other, bigger lambs, but eventually it drank all that it wanted. It was really fun to see all the cute little animals, as well all the cute little kids hanging around lots of rare breeds.
Provence, France – Driving through the beautiful countryside of France we keep on seeing these green fields with tons of large rocks in them. Suddenly I saw one move and figured out that they were sheep. They were so dirty they were a gray color. These sheep with their sheep dogs and old, shabbily dressed shepherds are everywhere. I guess the shepherds have it well off though. They just monitor sheep, which move so much they are taken for rocks, inside a barbed wire fence with about three dogs and bright sunshine and fresh air all day long. I don’t think they have to worry about wolves.
Umbria Valley, Italy – In the valley that holds the promise of spring, our mountain drive was interrupted by a flock of sheep crossing the road, herded by a shepherd yelling in Italian. We also passed a couple of horses in green pastures. When we stopped for a picnic lunch by the ruins of a castle, we noticed lizards climbing on the wall.
Venice, Italy – In the heart of Venice, San Marcos Square is a big attraction. It also attracts multitudes of pigeons. Some crazy people were feeding them and the pigeons were climbing all over them. Taking pictures with the pigeons in San Marcos Square seems to be a tourist attraction. Luckily we escaped these vicious bombers.Guadalupe National Park – Driving to this national park, we saw two javelinas (ho-va-lee-na) by the roadside and many mule deer within the park. As we drove here we watch a beautiful buck cross the road and gracefully leap over a fence. As we hiked, we noticed a multitude of bees, butterflies and other insects that liked to fly in our ears, noses, or mouths.Guadalupe National Park, TX – Driving to this national park, we saw two javelinas (ho-va-lee-na) by the roadside and many mule deer within the park. As we drove here we watch a beautiful buck cross the road and gracefully leap over a fence. As we hiked, we noticed a multitude of bees, butterflies and other insects that liked to fly in our ears, noses, or mouths.
Guadalupe National Park, TX – Driving to this national park, we saw two javelinas (ho-va-lee-na) by the roadside and many mule deer within the park. As we drove here we watch a beautiful buck cross the road and gracefully leap over a fence. As we hiked, we noticed a multitude of bees, butterflies and other insects that liked to fly in our ears, noses, or mouths.
Big Bend National Park – One morning, Ben came back from his run saying that he had seen a mountain lion. He had jumped across a drainage ditch to check out a sign when the mountain lion sprang away from him and ran away. It was approximately four feet long. Also at Big Bend National Park, we saw roadrunners and a couple of small armadillos.
Martinsville, LA –When we took the LeBlanc Swamp Tour in a bayou of Louisiana, we saw many black cormorants, Mexican whistling ducks, Great Blue Herons, Great White Herons, and ibises. We even saw a bald eagle and a new type of heron that we hadn’t heard of before, the black-crowned night heron. It was rather small, with a blackish-bluish strip over its eye. Our tour guide, a local hunter, told us that the more illegal a bird is, the better it tastes. I did not like that he hunted all these beautiful birds, but it is a fact of life around here. He also told us that all the alligators were hibernating, but come spring there would be thousands of them in the swamp. He also showed us the tool he used to catch frogs. He said he would show us some, but after seeing that scary snapping hook/tool, I was glad we didn’t see any frogs.
Biltmore Mansion, NC –While driving to the Biltmore mansion, we saw wild turkeys by the side of the road, just strutting around.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park, NC – When we visited America’s most visited national park, we noticed a coyote climbing a hill by the side of the road.
Big Cyprus Swamp, FL – While driving through this park in Florida, we noticed alligators in the canal by the side of the road. In all we saw 60 alligators.
Dry Tortugas National Park, FL – Located out in the middle of nowhere, Dry Tortugas National Park is the remotest of National Parks . Since the boat that took us there came with snorkeling equipment, we snorkeled among the coral reefs of the Gulf of Mexico. Snorkeling among the coral was really fun and we saw a variety of butterfly fish, barracudas, harmless sharks, parrotfish, and other types of colorful fish. Ben saw a beautiful fish with turquoise, black and yellow stripes, and the others were fascinated with a tiny fish with bright indigo on top and bright yellow on bottom. I loved the pipefish that swam on the surface of the water, long skinny silver and blue fish with a straw looking mouth. It looked like a beautiful bendy straw just swimming along on the surface. I also saw a needle nosed fish, a green and purple spotted fish, and a maroon and brown spotted fish. They all fascinated me by their gentleness and grace as they glided through the water. Ben, Lindsey and I saw live sand dollars that were 3-D. They were about five inches in diameter and about 4 inches tall. One was black, the other tan. Overall we had a very fun time at Dry Tortugas with the marine life.
Biscayne National Park, FL - In the national park that is mostly water, we went on a canoe trip and found egrets, great blue herons, whelks, lots of fish, and pelicans.
Everglades National Park, FL – The home of the alligators, we actually saw 65 alligators, lots of jumping fish and tons of Great Blue Herons, egrets, vultures, cormorants, and lots of other birds.
Cape Canaveral, FL – Home to the Kennedy Space Center, we also saw turtle mounds – but no turtles – and a huge bald eagle’s nest by the side of the road. The brown material was the size of the queen size bed and, nestled between the crooks of a tree, we actually saw a bald eagle in it.Holden Beach, NC – An island, with miles of beach, grown into a resort town, but still home to animals that we can enjoy. Daddy, on a walk in the morning, witnessed a red sunrise and a group of porpoises swimming in the ocean. Later, I saw my first pelican and was fascinated by them. They moved so smoothly and fit in perfectly with the laid back and calm life of this island. Over our time there, I saw upwards of one hundred pelicans. Twice, also, I saw a blue heron, although these looked more gray than blue.
Historic Triangle, VA – Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg, the make-up of the historic triangle, host a wide variety of animal life. On colonial farms, we saw sheep, chickens, and horses. Another special treat that we have got glimpses of throughout Virginia is the bright red Cardinal.
Assateague Island, MD – Home of the wild horses, while on Assateague Island we saw about six of the horses and a variety of the island’s birds – seagulls, egrets and blue heron. The wild horses had a stocky build and rough fur, perfect for their live on a wild island with a limit of civilization.
Atlantic Ocean Seashores – Along the Atlantic coast, we saw many sea gulls and herring gulls.
Acadia National Park, ME – At this beautiful national park, we saw periwinkles, crabs, and mussels in the tide pools, three deer crossing the road, and lobster on our plates!
Sugarbush Farm, VT – Where Vermont Pure Maple Syrup is made, we saw a calf, five chickens, three goats, and three bunnies. The calf’s name was Paul, and he was born on June 25, 2010, a day before we left.
White Mountains, NH – In the White Mountains, we saw a red fox by the road side.
Interstate 93, NH – Driving in New Hampshire, we saw wild turkeys eating by the road side.
Sugarbush Farm, VT – Where Vermont Pure Maple Syrup is made, we saw chicken, goats, bunnies, and a calf. This calf’s name was Paul and he was born on June 25, 2010, the day before we left!
Niagara Falls, NY – At the oldest tourist attraction in America, we saw sea gulls flying around the falls and Canada geese, hanging out on the American side!
Creation Museum, KY – At the petting zoo at the Creation Museum, we saw llamas, zorses (a combination of a zebra and a horse), zonkeys (a combination of a zebra and a donkey), chickens, a coatimundi, and a tortoise.
Kentucky Horse Farm, KY – While visiting this Kentucky attraction, we saw many famous horses.
Historic Prophetstown, IN – While visiting this homestead, where the tall grass prairie and woodland meet, a farm filled with animals is a tourist attraction in the lovely state of Indiana. We had breakfast with sheep and saw many cows in the pasture area. One cow even licked my hand! The farm had six Belgian Breed Mares, two that we saw doing plow work, and four that were in the barnyard. We fed these horses, and we each had our favorites. We saw and smelled a nice flower plant that was being swarmed with bees and butterflies. While walking toward the barn, we saw chickens everywhere, and we even fed them corn kernels. We passed a shed with two calves in it, and I, who loves cows of all sorts, spent a while there and one calf came up and seemed to be very interested in me. Around the barn we saw a border collie and six kittens, which we adored, but Mom said that they didn’t deserve that many pictures or that much attention. We also found huge pigs, including one lying face down in the mud. On the way to and back from the Indian settlement, we saw furry and not furry caterpillars, both of which amazed us, having not seen many caterpillars in California.
Thunder Bay, MI – Wading along the shore of Lake Huron, flocks of seagulls and V- formations of Canada geese took to the air.
Northern Michigan – Driving across the top part of the Michigan “mitten”, we saw cows, horses, and, to my surprise, llamas.
Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, MI – After hiking among sand dunes with my Mom’s Cousin, Tina and her husband Shane, we noticed a group of seagulls congregating nearby. Tina and Shane told us a story of one of their kayaking adventures. They had been kayaking for a while and were extremely tired. Tina spotted an island that was covered with “at least 5,000 seagulls.” Just wanting to have a five minute rest from kayaking, they ventured onto the island and approached the seagulls, saying, “We come in peace! We will not harm you!” Eventually they were accepted as non- harmful, and they rested gratefully.”
Colonial Michilimackinac, MI – After visiting the fort at Colonial Michilimackinac, we saw sheep in a corral nearby.
Mackinac Island, MI – Horses, horses, horses everywhere! On Mackinac Island, we saw horses everywhere. Why? Because no automobiles are allowed on the island! Bikes, walking, and horse-drawn carriages are the main means of transportation. Caitlin and I, the main horse-lovers of the family, were thrilled with this experience. While biking on our tandem bicycles, everyone but Mom and I saw a snake slither across the road.
Dickinson County Fair in Norway, MI – At this quaint fair out in the boondocks, we saw horses, huge pigs, sheep, and cows. We even got to pet a three day old calf!
Door Peninsula, WI – On this wonder of both beauty and astoundingly good food, we saw fish, on our plates and in the lake, and many seagulls.
Milwaukee, WI – While driving and touring Wisconsin we saw multitudes of Canada geese. It was interesting to note that they liked to congregate in all the cemeteries.
Racine County Cliffside Park, Caledonia, WI – This morning as we went into the showers, Lindsey suddenly screamed. On the bathroom floor was a frog. I partially closed the door and it jumped to where it would be squished if the door was closed all the way. Mom got it out of the way with her foot, and we went into the showers.
Riverside Campground, IL – Getting back to our campground late at night, Mom spotted fireflies. Dad and Mom have seen them before, and Caitlin and Ben saw then when they were little kids, but they don’t remember seeing fireflies. Mom called to us and we looked out into the blackness of the night and saw our first fireflies. I love them and can’t wait to see more as we go farther East.
Cahokia National Historic Site, IL – While walking around Cahokia mounds, we saw a blur of a deer running through the trees. On the side of the trail we saw a group of wild turkeys. After lunch, Ben found a large frog in the road. I thought it was dead, but I took pictures of it any way. Then – on accident – I dropped my camera on the frog. It sort of deflated, and I was accused of killing it. However, when we came back from the visitor center, the frog was nowhere in sight!
Grant’s Farm, St. Louis, MO – Grant’s Farm is home to over 300 animals from 6 different continents. First, we were able to go on a tram ride through the deer park. On this tram ride we saw longhorns, steers, yaks, musk ox, cows that kids call Oreo cows- you can guess why, Highland cows, bison, white-tailed deer, mule deer, "bambi" deer that never lose their spots even as adults, Arabian deer, red-tailed deer, red elk, white elk, wild mustangs, and a zebra. Finally we arrived at the farm. Just as we arrived there, a bird of prey show was starting, so we went to that. This show was like a talent competition where we saw parrots do math, talk, and climb on a jungle gym, draw, and birds of prey fly to perches. After the bird show, we toured the farm and saw huge tortoises, llamas with cool hairdos, camels, guinea pigs, chickens with weird feathers around their feet that made them look like they were wearing flares.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park, ND – Here in the Great Plains and badlands of North Dakota, we saw thundering herds of bison, black-tailed prairie dog towns filled with hundreds of prairie dogs, and seven wild horses including one foal.
Glacier National Park, MO – While hiking in this wonderland of snow, turazmarine colored lakes, and majestic mountains, we saw many amazing animals. Extremely tame Columbian Ground Squirrels and chipmunks scrambled around, and one scrambled over my foot. About half-way through our hike, about ten feet away from the trail, we saw a mama and a baby mountain goat. As we walked further, we saw a daddy and a sister mountain goat, who were scavenging for food and often traversed our path. At the outlook we hiked to we saw four more mountain goats standing on the edge of a precipice. On the hike back down, faraway we saw bighorn sheep just lounging on the hillside. Caitlin also cornered a marmot under a tree.
Yellowstone National Park, MO, ID, and WY – In this world of a mixture of hydrothermal wonders, tall mountains, rolling plains, meandering rivers, and blossoming forests, it is almost impossible that there should not be thriving variety of animals as well. Over our time here, we saw many herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and a black bear. We had meals with buffalo, elk, geysers and a lot more. One morning during breakfast, we sighted three bison, which began to swim across the river as we watched. Daddy got a video of the bison swimming. If you would like to see this video, click here.
Grand Teton National Park, WY – On Daddy’s morning walk, he saw two beavers and a mother and baby moose. He even got thumped at by a beaver’s tail as a warning that he was getting too close. As a family, we saw two herds of bison while going to our campsite.
The Cody Night Rodeo, WY – This rodeo, for some people (not me), was fun. We saw bucking broncos and other horses doing barrel racing, bull riding, and calf roping.
Devil’s Tower National Monument, WY – At this geologic wonder, we had breakfast beside a colony of prairie dogs. It was fun to watch them scurry from hole to hole. Then they would stand at the entrance to their hole and eat their breakfast, just as we ate ours.
Custer State Park, SD – In this beautiful wonderland, home to a great diversity of animals, we saw pronghorn, bison, prairie dogs, and burros. We were very excited to see our first bison. We had heard that there was a bison herd roaming around a particular place. We went looking for this bison herd, but did not find one. We decided to stop for lunch and soon we were overrun with bison. A huge herd was moving up the hill by our RV. Then some crossed the road in front and behind our RV. Munching as they moved, they joined us in our lunch. We saw a pronghorn mother and her baby running across the fields, which we thought was beautiful and graceful. Even though they weren’t supposed to, people were feeding the burros, and one was even leaning with his fore legs against the car, sticking his head in the window.
Rocky Mountain National Park, CO – High in the Rocky Mountains, I saw a herd of elk along the roadside while we were driving. Through the window of the gift shop at the Alpine Visitor Center, the highest visitor center in the park, I used my binoculars to spot a herd of elk lounging at the bottom of a glacier. Later, Daddy while hiking saw a creek with fish in it. He invited me to join him and I went and waded and saw fish, 3-8 inches long.
Dinosaur National Monument, UT – In this hot, dry desert, I saw several lizards. One small one had lost its tail. Then in the parking lot we saw the squished skeleton of another lizard. It was fascinating to me, but others in my family were quite disgusted.
Craters of the Moon National Monument, ID - Here I saw birds swooping down and lizards scurrying off the hiking paths. I thought I might find some bats in the caves we crawled through, but didn’t see any.
Grand View Canyon, ID – Driving along the highway, the road looked like it was going to go straight through a mountain of rock. However, it turned out to be a narrow canyon. As the road snaked through the canyon, something scrambled out to a rocky ledge just above our heads. At first Mom thought it was a deer. But then its horns came into view and I realized it was a mountain goat. It was awesome to see it standing there on that ledge like it was checking out its domain below.
Red Fish Lake, ID – Red Fish Lake is named for the 50,000 sookeye salmon who once made this lake their home. (They have red sides, thus the name Red Fish Lake.) Legend has it that the only fish left is Lonesome Larry. So when we were canoeing on Red Fish Lake I jumped in to see if I could find Lonesome Larry. However, Lindsey said that there were sharks in the water. This startled me for a moment and I screamed and tried to get back in the canoe. Then I realized that sharks aren’t found in natural fresh water lakes, so I returned to enjoying my swim.
John Day, OR – In John Day, deer are seen often, but, sadly, considered pests. While trying to find our friends, the Janssen’s, house, a deer ran right across the road. We all think deer are fascinating and marveled at this sight. The next day, while riding on the tandem bicycle, we passed three deer just lounging around in someone’s front yard. I thought that was a marvelous sight.
Columbia River Gorge, OR and WA- While hiking through this natural wonder, we spotted many interesting animals. We saw many small caterpillars, but we were also disgusted at a huge banana slug on the side of the path.
Corvallis, OR - While at my Grandma’s house, we saw many wonderful wild animals. In the field near her home three deer were just walking along the street. Also while taking our evening walk I saw two bunnies just sitting there.
Valley of the Rogue State Park, OR - Today was a day that was mostly ruled by squirrels. I saw at least nineteen squirrels! (My mom said that I counted a few twice, but I disagree.) Many squirrels have 'camped out' by our RV, and I have been closely studying their actions. These particular squirrels are very brave, often roaming within three feet of us. Near our RV, there is a truck, which the squirrels are exploring by sitting on the wheels, scrambling among the pipes, and hiding under. Frequently, I have seen two squirrels put their noses/mouths together, resembling our kiss. Besides squirrels, Lindsey sighted a lizard at lunch, and my dad and I saw a snake while hiking.
Lithia Park, Ashland, OR - Advised to visit this wonderful park by my awesome former third grade teacher, Lithia Park was an amazing site with many beautiful plants and animals. At Lithia Park there is a 'Swan Pond' where beautiful swans roam. While hiking throughout the park, I always stopped to marvel at these extremely ravishing creatures.
Abram's Lake, Mt. Shasta, CA - At Abram's Lake, while walking along, I suddenly motioned to my family and pointed out a group of about six Canadian Geese 100 feet away. They were just walking along, looking very majestic and at home, headed for the lake. Later, on our way back from the showers, we were chased by an evil wiener dog who would not stop barking or running after us! We started running, but soon stopped and laughed heartily over this silly affair.
