A couple years ago my husband and I were taking a walk here in Florida around dusk, and had our attention caught by some movement overhead. We were thrilled to see a flying squirrel parachuting from a branch and thought we’d witnessed something very rare.

As a jewelry designer, I’ve noticed that some animals
are a real joy to create.

Maybe the spirit of the individual is so strong and happy it
gets translated right through whatever photograph I happen to be working from.
Take this example, for instance. Need I say more?

One of my customers sent me the following story about her mule. I decided to illustrate her funny tale with a pair of my unique sterling silver mule earrings.

“My husband has always wanted a mule…to ride. Crazy to me but
he just thinks they are great and he goes on trail rides. Mules are very “sure
footed” in mountainous regions and my husband just loves to ride this type of
terrain….

Wild guinea pigs are native to South America,
where they live in burrows they either dig themselves or other animals have
abandoned. Like a lot of other rodents, guinea pigs breed readily- they start
at 2 months of age. After giving birth to as many as 6 young, mama guinea pig
is ready to mate again in a few hours. That’s just not right!

If pigs were considered to be handsome animals, I’ll bet
there’d be more kept as animal companions instead of being viewed as “the other
white meat”

Our current home in Florida
came with a pot bellied pig in the backyard named Audrey. After we closed on
our house, a home was found for her in a petting zoo, but I wonder what it
would’ve been like to keep her. Some people say that pigs are every bit as
smart as dogs. See more delightful pigs as jewelry designs.

Years ago we lived in a country home in Northern
California. Just across the road was a family that raised emus,
large flightless birds from Australia. According to
my creative daughter, their dark and vaguely sinister faces looked like
terrorists.

Photo Courtesy of Don at Mushroom Adventures

This is the long-suffering Throckmorton, blanketed by Ada’s stuffed toy goats.
Our son David named this cat after a street in Mill Valley, Ca. where we spent a few happy years when he was a boy.
Throckmorton is an extremely tolerant cat. Since she lives with David, Diana and Ada she’s subject to a continuing barrage of two-year-old exuberance. Having stuffed toys piled on her back is nothing to her.
Throckmorton has no fear. She’ll plop placidly mid-living room floor- not even a tail flinch at Ada’s pounding approach (and eventual bone-jarring “pat”). She could easily stay out of Ada’s way. She has a kitty door to freedom!
But that’s Throckmorton-more the personality of a patient golden retriever than a tabby cat! (Incidentally, Ada does get daily lessons in gentleness from her cat rescuing mommy).

Throckmorton and Stuffed Goats

Well, people who keep house rabbits have observed them doing a “a quick jump up in the air accompanied by a full body twist.” See more about house rabbits. That’s Carson in the photo.