A Nice Caterpillar

We like this caterpillar Jeff found in the driveway. He matches our
kitchen!

RACING: Illustration Friday

Hermit crab racing on Guana Key has become a family tradition. On Christmas Day, we don snorkels and swim to the island. We are greeted by charming, curly-tailed iguanas and hermit crabs. We crack open coconuts and feed them before selecting crabs to race. Each racer places his or her crab in the center of two concentric rings drawn in the sand. The first crab to cross the outermost ring is the winner. Scroll down for photos from last year's race.
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SPOOKY: Illustration Friday

Driving alone across Yellowstone at night was very spooky. I would speed along, hoping to catch up with another car's tail lights.

Why Me?

Zilla is in a terrible mood after having her luxurious, plush coat
soaked in the sulphur-lime dip. Hopefully she will forgive Harriet for
having Demodex mites.

Mite-y Kitten

Poor Harri only wants to be held and babied while in the "cone of shame." Right now she thinks the cure maybe worse than the sickness. Hopefully, the sulphur lime dip will bring an end to her weeks of itchy, Demodex mite-misery!

The Sulphur Sisters

Harriet has been pulling out her fur, licking and scratching. Her coat has bare spots and patches of flakey scabs. It is obvious that she is miserably itchy. When she was spayed two weeks ago the vet did a skin scrape test and informed us that she has cat Demodex mites.
Demodex in cats is extremely rare. It is small parasite that lives in the cat's hair follicle and causes a form of mange. The only safe and effective cure for Demodex is a sulphur-lime dip. Both cats had to go in for the dip yesterday. The girls came back smelling like fireworks. They had to wear cones on their heads for the next 24 hours. We also have to put drops in their eyes twice daily for the next three
days. The total cost of this treatment for both cats was $77 so far. Our vet works hard to keep costs down so I'm sure this is a pretty reasonable price for this process. I am blogging about Demodex in hopes of helping other pet owners. If your cat is pulling her fur out, ask your vet to test for Demodex mites. Cats with Demodex often go misdiagnosed as having allergies, depression, anxiety or even a neurological condition. My vet charged $7 for the skin scrape test. They have to pinch while scraping to squeeze the mites out of the follicles. The vet said he had only seen it once before in his 27 years as a vet. He thinks Harriet has it because her immune system was lowered while fighting off Feline Leukemia as a newborn. She is the sweetest, coolest little cat though. Her kitty hugs and games of fetch totally make up for having the house smell like a fireworks stand!

Mysterious Flower

This flower popped up in our yard after a lot of rain. It has no
leaves, just a plain stalk. We have no idea what it is and we would
like to identify it. If you know what it is, please comment.

Adventures with the Yarboroughs

We stopped at this open house. It was very 90s - like something from a
Seinfeld episode. There were bees living in a wall and no realtor in
sight. Very strange.

Buck to Spare?

We went garage saling with Aaron and Jennifer today. For some strange
reason, I felt compelled to buy this deer head. It was $5. It may come
in handy for a prank.

BENEATH: Illustration Friday

From BENEATH a curtain of limestone and moss, we emerged into a chamber in the heart of the mountain. Hundreds of seated Buddahs gazed down from their perches in every cranny of the mountain. In the center of it all, under the protection of an ornate temple, a large reclining Buddah slumbered peacefully.

Wat Kirisan - Phnom Sor - Cambodia

My family had the privilege of visiting this magical place which actually exists, near Kep, Cambodia. The temple is Wat Kirisan, built into the base of Phnom Sor cave moutain. Watch our video of Wat Kirisan!