Guess What I Found??!
I was walking through my backyard yesterday, heading into the forest to feed one of my feral cats, while looking down to avoid tripping over a pine cone, when I suddenly realized one wasn’t a pine cone at all. It was the cutest little box turtle I’ve ever seen. It was only about three inches long and two inches wide. Just precious, walking slowly across the grass from my yard into the forest. I ran back to the house to get a big mixing bowl, picked the turtle up, put it in the bowl, and set it in the garage. After I finished feeding the cats, I called the Uber and said, "Guess what found?!" Then I told him to come by the house and look at it.
I’m sure when he answered his cell phone, he rolled his eyes and thought, "Ellie Mae strikes again." That’s what he calls me, because I’m such a critter-lover. Ya know, Ellie Mae Clampett from the The Beverly Hillbillies, that old TV show from the 60s. He’s known me for over 31 years, and critters of all kinds have been pouring into his life ever since. I remember a few months after we were married and living in Newberry, SC, I found the cutest fish in the creek down from our apartment building. I captured a few and kept them in a bowl in the living room. We moved to Columbia less than a year later. No fish moved with us. But a feral kitten named Kirdie did, the first of over 40 stray and feral cats I have rescued since then.
Anyway, because the Uber was traveling in Columbia yesterday he stopped by the house and proclaimed the turtle cute. Then he released it in a safe place in the forest for me while I was in the shower.
The poor Uber. I may be a Southern Belle, but because I was born with this love for critters and a special way of communicating with them, I’m not one to shriek and run the other way when I see a snake. Nope, not me. Instead I’ll run up to it and try to catch it. Before the Uber can say, "Don’t touch that….it could bite you!" I’ve already got it trapped under a pail. True, it’s usually a harmless green snake. But once in the Appalachian Mountains where I grew up it was a copperhead, and I was 15. Nope, it didn’t bite me. But not for lack of trying!
Last year somebody’s huge dog got out and was galloping through our neighborhood. The thing was so big and ferocious it looked just like one of those wildebeests from Africa you see on the nature channel on TV. The Uber spotted it on his way to work and called to warn me about it and to tell me to be careful when I go outside. "Too late," I replied. "It was in the backyard, barking at some of my feral cats, so I yelled at it." The Uber groans and asks, "What did it do?" I huffed in exasperation. "Nothing," I replied, "until I ran toward it and chased it out of the yard." The Uber groans louder. "Tell me you didn’t do that. The dog is as big as a horse." No kidding. And ferociously snarly, too. "Hey, not my fault," I respond. "I have a new litter of kittens on my porch. No way I’m letting that dog near them."
And then there are the possum and raccoon families that eat with my feral cats every night on my back porch. I’ll turn on the porch light to see who is out there and say, "Goodie! The possums and raccoons are here." The Uber will yell at me from the living room, "Don’t go out there with them. They could bite you!" I go out there anyway and feed everyone. Actually, they’re terrified of me, and everyone behaves very nicely. Of course the Uber doesn’t believe me.
So now you know another reason why I rescued the bumblebee in my car a few weeks ago. Yup, Ellie Mae strikes again (LOL). Believe me, the Uber is still saying, "I can’t believe you did that….it could have stung you!" Speaking of the Uber, now you know what he is in my life. He’s not only the man whose body I lust for 24/7, but he’s also myWhite Knight, returning baby turtles to the forest for me and trying to keep bees from stinging me, snakes/possums/raccoons from biting me, and big dogs from eating me. Kinda. Dear Goddess, I love living next to a state forest!! *big smile*
xoxo
Laura Stamps (c)
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
Laura Stamps (c)
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
Entries (RSS)
September 30th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Hey Laura…I sent you an email last week about doing a brief email interview for a class project. I am hoping you will be willing to fill it in and send it back. No hard feelings if you aren’t interested in doint it.
Interview for White Paper Project
Name:
What do you do for a living?
What is your educational background?
How long did it take to establish yourself in your career?
Can you give me a ballpark estimation of average entry level salaries for your field?
How would you advise someone wanting to enter a career such as yours?
Anything you would like to add?
Thanks for your time!!
April
September 30th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
Alrightyyyy! Thanks, April. I got it and have been hanging on to it, because I had no idea your name was April, so I didn’t know if it was spam or not. There was no personalization to it like my name or if the person who sent it even knew me, because many of the questions didn’t relate to my career.
But now that I know it came from you I will get it back to you ASAP. Thanks for letting me know!!
xoxo
Laura Stamps
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
September 30th, 2008 at 2:32 pm
Thanks=) Sorry about the confusion.
~April
September 30th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
No problem. I’m thrilled to find out it came from you! *big smile*
xoxo
Laura Stamps
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
September 30th, 2008 at 6:45 pm
Ellie Mae…LOL
Speaking of critters, a baby lizard tried to take up residence in my house today. And you know how I feel about creepy crawlies. Luckily, Hubby was home and was able to very nicely show him the exit. I just hope he doesn’t try for re-entry!
Hope you are having a great week
September 30th, 2008 at 6:54 pm
Yeah, I know how you are about critters. In fact I was thinking about you and smiling as I was writing this post. Really. LOL
Seriously, “Ellie Mae” is what the Uber calls me. Ask him about it the next time you see him, and he will roll his eyes and tell you it’s true.
Baby lizards are so CUTE!!! Glad hubby was there to liberate it safely. *grin*
xoxo
Laura Stamps
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
September 30th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
Well, if Hubby hadn’t been able to show baby lizard the exit, he would’ve ended up taking residence up in my house and I would’ve been freaked out for quite awhile wondering where it was going to end up!
Well, I am definitely not Ellie Mae. Maybe I am anti-Ellie Mae
I am so not an animal person. I tolerate them at best. Except for fish…we do love fish 
Some days I miss our saltwater tanks…just not the work!
October 1st, 2008 at 1:10 am
You know I’ve never been in the position where I’ve had to rescue an animal like that. But I’ve cried more tears over pets I’ve loved and lost than with humans…
October 1st, 2008 at 12:13 pm
You’re such a sweetheart! Yeah, I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been in feral cat rescue for 30+ years, and every time I lose one of my ferals to illness or whatever I cry for two weeks. No way to get used to that. Ever.
Much love to you!
xoxo
Laura Stamps
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)
October 2nd, 2008 at 12:11 am
We have a Wildlife Sanctuary about a five minute drive from the house – being woken up by bird calls in the morning is amazing.
Of course, not everyone feels that way at 5AM, but I liek it.
October 2nd, 2008 at 1:15 pm
My goodness, we have so much in common. Love hearing songbirds in the morning!!! Also, sex, yummy guys, dancing in cages, sex, slut outfits, jumping yummy guys like “Guy Who Blushes,” sex, etc. Are we related, and no one told me???
xoxo
Laura Stamps
Author of Paranormal Romance and Erotica Novels
http://www.LauraStamps.blogspot.com (to read excerpts from my novel series)
http://laura-stamps8.livejournal.com (my naughty Author Blog/updated daily)