Animals and Memories by Helen DePrima & Liz Flaherty



by Helen DePrima

Animals have always loomed large in my life, farm dogs and barn cats, horses and mules and my
infamous Sicilian burro Fremont whose bray rang out at dawn in two-part harmony with our Lacy Wyandot rooster. In my middle years, wild birds and animals overfilled my time, from the first baby squirrels in March and their 2 AM feedings followed by the deluge of baby birds, fed every half-hour from sunup to sundown. Second broods and litters continued into early September, interspersed with injured critters from bats to beavers to birds of prey. I’ve been retired from that gig for more than ten years and miss it only occasionally; I can actually look forward to the coming of spring and summer.



Now we’re parents only to a willful Shih-Tzu and an opinionated Maine Coon who cuddles compulsively when she’s not patrolling the house for mice. Although we’re scarcely a mile outside the Manchester, New Hampshire city limits, we’re neighbors to skunks which keep my raised beds free from ground-hornet nests, plus turkeys and possums which sweep the woods for ticks. Foxes and coyotes keep down the population of woodchucks and free-roaming cats. I haven’t seen a cat slinking along the hedgerow all summer; our bluebirds, wrens, and cardinals launched their fledglings with no cries of alarm. I haven’t met our neighborhood bear who tore down my bird feeder, but my blueberries must be a considerable temptation. So I’ll pick faster – come winter, berries from the freezer will be a sweet reminder of a New England summer.

by Liz Flaherty

Helen and I got caught a little--well, maybe a lot--unawares this month. She thought our post day was next week. I didn't think at all. But it's been a busy time, a fun time, and I have been reminded of something in the past couple of weeks. 

The weeks I just mentioned included my 50th high school class reunion. We actually re-uned twice--the icebreaker and the sit-down-dinner the next night--and had a few other activities. A girls-only dinner and, for those of us who had to miss that, a girls-only breakfast. A golf outing that ended in tiredness after nine holes. We laughed and remembered and maybe cried a little, and a good time was had by all.

I had a birthday in that couple of weeks, one of the best ones I've ever had. I had family time, friends time, and husband time and they were all good ones. 

Nice to Come Home To is a Heartwarming August book, and I've received some Heartwarming response to it. I don't care how many new books there are, they're all exciting. 

What I've been reminded of is that I need to keep my eye on the good moments and the good days. Then the years--even the ones when there is loss and sadness and unhappiness--will take care of themselves. 

Wishing you all good moments and good days.


Comments

  1. You both sound busy and productive and that's a great place to be. The days and weeks are flying by. It's good to curl up and read Heartwarming books.

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    1. Busy doesn't begin to describe my summers, from planting to thinning to weeding and harvesting. For supper, we'll be enjoying corn and squash from the garden, with blueberry cake for dessert. At least this is an "off" year for my Red Gravenstein apple tree, so I won't be making applesauce as well as tomato sauce. With luck, I will have enough extra corn to freeze, such a treat in mid-winter.

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    2. It is good, isn't it? Thanks, Roz.

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  2. Thanks for both posts--they bring back all kinds of memories of dogs and cats and birds--and those fun girls only high school get togethers! This is such a varied group of people with so many interests and such rich history.

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    1. I enjoy looking back on my years doing wildlife rehab, as long as I don't have to be the first responder again. I do wish I lived closer to the Maine Center for Wildlife so I could volunteer as much or as little as I like.

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    2. It was all so much fun. I wrote a blog about it taken from a newspaper column I wrote for our 25th. https://windowoverthesink.blogspot.com/

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  3. Helen, I’m in awe of all your years of animal care - were you working at an animal rescue center or did all of that arise from animals that you came upon around your property? The experiences would make for a good children’s picture book, or even a chapter book. :). And yes, Liz, for sure we must enjoy and treasure our moments. Congrats on your August release...it’s in my TBR kindle library!

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    1. My husband operated a vet hospital which accepted injured/orphaned wildlife in our corner of southern New Hampshire. I'm sure I could sell a book of my experiences with the critters, but contrary as I am, I have to desire to write about them. At least, not right now.

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    2. Thanks, Janice. I know I'm never going to catch up!

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  4. Aw, Helen, those chicks are adorable. And I admire your dedication to feeding the orphans. Liz, congratulations on your reunion. I just finished Nice to Come Home To. LOVED it! What great characters and setting. I was especially glad to know more about the mysterious Cass.

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    1. Wild turkey chicks are cute; they flutter up onto the woodpile to sun themselves and sometimes wander through my vegetable garden while I'm weeding. They utter soft little chirps, as if conversing in a foreign language.

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  5. Love the stories of the animals. I've tried several times through the years to nurse baby birds whose nests couldn't be found. Sadly, I've never succeeded, but that won't keep me from trying if another crosses my path.

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    1. Raising any wild babies is a tricky endeavor; better to take them to the nearest licensed rehabber. I counted myself pretty successful with a 60+ release rate.

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    2. The ones I've contacted said there was nothing they could do, so I had to try. I did find one for marine animals I have found different times, but never got a report.

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  6. My husband always says that a house full of animals is a house full of life. My daughter seems to live by those words; last week she brought a blue-tongued skink under our roof.

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    1. I rarely had to deal with reptiles other than turtles hit by cars. I did stop once to relocate a large snapping turtle crossing the Interstate. I got some strange looks and gestures from truckers who could see down into the bed of my pickup.

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    2. I've rescued a few turtles, too. I was walking on the trail once a month or so back and found one on its back. I don't know how it got that way, but once I turned him over, he took off more like the hare than the tortoise!

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  7. Oh, my, Liz...I hope you recognized more people at your 50th reunion than I did. lol. I only figured out 1 person! Not that anyone recognized me, either. :-) Enjoyed you ladies' posts!

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    1. I'm sorry now I didn't attend my 50th reunion several years ago, but we had bought tickets for Professional Bull Riding before the dates were announced. My only consolation: my best friend didn't attend either, so we wouldn't have had a got get-together before she died this spring. Still can't imagine a world without Pam's wacky laugh.

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    2. We wore name tags, but I think most of us knew each other. Some of the ones who never come to reunions, I'm sure I wouldn't know if I did see them. Sorry for that loss, Helen. I'm sure it's an especially hard one.

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