Last Dog Days at Tod's Point

I was marveling at the 20-30 dogs that stretched as far as the eye could see down the 300 yards of beach at Greenwich (also called Tod's) Point today. Then I remembered that after March 31 no dogs (or non-beach pass holders) are allowed. I have to say, all of the dogs, most of whom were off-leash, were incredibly well-behaved. It was enough to make even a dog-neutral person like me feel fondness toward them, sort of like how the Grinch's heart grows bigger at the end of the movie. One dog did bump my leg and get it a little wet, but that's nothing compared to that dog who put muddy paw prints on my butt at Mianus River Park. Or that other one who jumped all over me and got me dirty at Mianus later that same day. Anyway, what an incredible beach/park Tod's is. I'm sure it's going to be packed tomorrow, Saturday March 31!

Click here to read more.

Stamford's ER Vet: Cornell University Veterinary Specialists

The husband went to India for work for the entire month of July, leaving me with a toddler and 9 year old English Coonhound to care for. With only a week left until the husband returned, I started bragging to friends that I'd managed to keep both the child and the dog alive for over 3 weeks. Of course, the next day the dog got into some baby ibuprofin, which in high enough doses can cause major problems like kidney damage and seizures. (This picture is of my dog, in one of her two modes: asleep or neurotic.)

Even though I was pretty sure the dog hadn't gotten much of the liquid, I wasn't about to blow my three week "keeping dog alive" streak. I called the vet, who recommended giving her hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Of course, that remedy didn't work on my stubborn hound. After another call to the vet, we agreed I should take her to the ER Vet. They'd be able to give her fluids to flush the kidneys, or keep her overnight so she'd be supervised if she had a seizure or something. So, at 8:45 on a Saturday night, I packed the dog and kid up into the car and headed off to Cornell University Veterinary Specialists.

CUVS is located in the South End, just south of Fairway. It's a pretty deserted area at night, which made me a little nervous, but once I got inside the building, wow- it's spacious and brand new. Best of all, the staff is great and really seems to have their system down. I filled out some paperwork while the woman at the front desk took our dog back to be looked at. The vet did some calculations and figured out that the dose she could have gotten was only enough to give her indigestion- whew! In just about an hour, we left the vet with doggie Pepcid (and the dog). The whole visit, including the 30 dollar phone call to Poison Control to confirm the calculation, only cost us 188 bucks. So much better than what I was expecting, which was leaving the dog overnight, her possibly being sick, and 4 or 500 bucks for fancy medical care.

I was very impressed with the CUVS staff. While I was there, a family with an injured cat came in, and the front desk lady was so prompt and attentive with them. She calmly said she was worried about how fast the cat was breathing and hustled the cat back to the exam rooms, but she was so gentle about it. She could have really freaked that family out, and she didn't. When the vet came out to talk to me and tell me what he'd figured out about our dog, he explained everything thoroughly and slowly- a nice change from many of the doctors I see who rush in and out of the exam rooms as fast as they possibly can.

I highly recommend Cornell University Veterinary Specialists if you ever need emergency care for your pet, and I think we are really lucky to have them in Stamford. Click here to read more.

Touch a Shark!

I really like the Norwalk Aquarium, and this sounds like a great event.

Visitor response was so positive to “Touch A Shark” in February that the special exhibit will return for an encore April 16-24 to The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk.

The special exhibit’s return corresponds to most area schools’ spring break week.

As similarly offered in February, “Touch A Shark” will feature live nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum), a comparatively docile species that tolerates having their backs gently touched by human fingers.

“We had a great response to ‘Touch A Shark’ during the winter school break,” said Chris Loynd, the Aquarium’s marketing director. “Visitors were surprised at the feel of the sharks’ tough skin. And, importantly to us, they also learned that sharks aren’t the violent bloodthirsty beasts that they’re portrayed as in the media.”

Aquarium volunteers will be on-hand to make sure the shark-human interactions are safe for both parties.

Interpretative graphics will provide details about nurse sharks and how they hunt and eat their prey, and also about how sharks sense their world.

Plus, be sure to bring your camera to “Touch A Shark” for a shark dive-cage photo opportunity! A real diving cage, used for safe approaches to large sharks, will be positioned next to the Aquarium’s cast model of a 16-foot great white shark caught in the eastern end of Long Island Sound in the 1970s. Step inside the cage and pose to look like you’re having a real underwater encounter with the largest species of predatory shark – a species you don’t want to touch.

“Touch A Shark” will be free with Maritime Aquarium general admission: $12.95 for adults, $11.95 for seniors and $9.95 for children 2-12.

For more details, go online to www.maritimeaquarium.org or call (203) 852-0700. Click here to read more.

CHICKENS!!!!! at Audubon Greenwich, Sunday

I hate to cut and paste from a press release, but my pukey toddler will only be sleeping for a bit longer, and this event is too good to miss. You should really, really go, especially if you are a documentary lover like me. Melina Brown, who I interviewed a couple of years ago for a Stamford Times article, will be speaking! She is both kind and hilarious and totally worth meeting.

Press release:
Sunday, March 27
"Poultry for All" Event
With the film, 'Mad City Chickens'
2:00-4:30 pm, Audubon Greenwich

Raising chickens at home is getting more popular easier every year. Come be inspired to have your own coop and learn the basics of how to get started when Melina Brown, founder of the Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup, and Derek Sasaki and Traci Torres, local experts and owners of Norwalk-based My Pet Chicken LLC, visit Audubon Greenwich to discuss the how-to of raising your own chickens and show some of the many unique breeds available. This event will include a presentation about what is involved with raising chickens in your backyard, a screening of the acclaimed film, 'Mad City Chickens', and ample time for Q&A.

Keep reading for more info about the film and how to RSVP.

Mad City Chickens is a sometimes serious, sometimes whimsical look at the people who keep urban chickens in their backyards. From chicken experts and authors to a rescued landfill hen or an inexperienced family that decides to take the poultry plunge—and even a mad professor and giant hen taking to the streets—it’s a humorous and heartfelt trip through the world of backyard chickendom.

Suitable for all ages. Tickets still available but RSVPs are greatly appreciated. $12/adult. Youth admitted free. National Audubon Society & Southern CT/Westchester Backyard Poultry Meetup members enjoy discounted admission ($8/adult). Audubon memberships will be available on the day of the event. To RSVP, contact Jeff Cordulack at jcordulack@audubon.org or leave a message at (203) 869-5272 x239. Click here to read more.

Coyotes Rampaging in Rye

It's kind of freaky that coyotes have attacked kids twice in Rye- kids who were playing in their own backyards.

An animal expert on the news said not to run from a coyote and not to curl up into a ball- you should kick it or throw something at it to teach it to fear you. He said the problem is that coyotes have lost their fear of humans.

If the coyotes I've seen in Greenwich- one trotting leisurely down a sidewalk- are any indication, coyotes losing their fear is certainly a problem.

Consider yourself warned!

I have a surprising number of posts on this blog about coyotes.

My first was when I talked about Kathie Lee Gifford, coyotes in Greenwich, and a coyote spotted off High Ridge in Stamford.

My second was about another coyote sighting and another pet doggie killed.

My third coyote post was where I grilled the pilot of my small airplane taking me from Memphis to Tupelo on the "fox" he'd seen on the runway- he eventually admitted it was a coyote.

There might be another coyote post somewhere, but I'm going to use my precious free time during baby's nap to get my life organized! Click here to read more.

SMNC: Antique Car Show and Baby Sheep

Last weekend the baby and I went to Stamford Museum and Nature Center so the husband could put the final touches on his iPhone app, Brix Builder. There was an antique car show going on (Model Ts to Mustangs Antique and Classic Car Show), so I tried to get there early since parking at Easter was a total mess.

I was not excited about the car show... UNTIL I GOT THERE AND SAW A REALLY COOL CORVETTE AND REMEMBERED THAT I LOVE CARS!!! I don't love cars like I love horses, or football, or babies, but I do like cars. Parking was fine, fortunately.

The baby and I didn't spend too much time with the cars, because he does not like cars as much as he likes dogs, plus the cars were in the hot sun. It was hot even at 11 am.

Instead, baby/toddler and I headed over to the playground, which was unsuccessful because
1) he's too little for the equipment
2) he kept trying to eat sticks and bark off the ground
3) he's really fast, so I had to chase him around so he wouldn't fall down the hill or bonk his head on one of many large rocks (see photo)
4) he's a good walker, but there were tree roots and rocks that made the terrain an unstable surface for a new walker and
5) it was hot and there were bugs.



So we headed over to the barn to see if we could spot some baby animals! There were over 15 baby sheep and boy were they cute! A volunteer brought one over to we could pet it, and of course some ADULTS crowded around, so my baby/toddler couldn't get close. Oh well.

We really like SMNC for quick outings. We paid 100 bucks for a family membership, which is totally worth it when you have an active kid who needs to get out of the house. Or should I say, when you are a parent who needs to get out of the house because you have a very active kid. Click here to read more.

Using a Dog Scooter to Help Abandoned Dogs

I went walking with some other new moms at Cove Island Beach yesterday. We saw this guy zooming along on his dog-propelled scooter:

His dog, Daisy, is a rescue- probably part pit bull, lab and Rhodesian. She's compact but very, very strong, and the scooter lets her take out all her energy by pulling along her very tall owner. The man stopped to talk to us, and when he gave Daisy the signal to get started again, she could not roll out of there fast enough! The dog clearly loves to run.
If I were a real journalist, I would have asked him name and planned a follow up interview, but I'm just a blogger. The Greenwich Time featured the man and Daisy a while ago, which is how I knew this was a fancy, custom-made dog-powered scooter. What's even cooler-
(Oh shoot! I just found a whole article about the guy! He's actually Craig Swan, a former Mets pitcher who lives in Old Greenwich.)

Anyway, what's even cooler is that Mr. Swan is working with dogs at Stamford Animal Control on Magee Ave to train them to use his scooter. That skill might give a dog a little boost as far as making it a more desirable dog to someone. I think it's great that he's out and about on his scooter, talking it up and talking up other dogs that need to be adopted.

Here's a better pic of Daisy:


It was actually pretty darn chilly at Cove, but the rest of the week is supposed to be beautiful. I can't think of a better outdoor place than Cove- not even Tod's Point in Greenwich, because that place has too many cars!

After Memorial Day weekend, you need your parks and rec sticker to park at Cove, so head over to 888 Wash, first floor, and bring your registration and $20 to get your sticker! Click here to read more.

Stamford Dog Park Open!

According to a friend: We walked up, construction appears to have finished, except for the water fountains. I walked around the perimeter to be sure the fences are safe. They are, so off we went. I don't know if it's officially open, but there wasn't any sign that says, "open June 1" or anything. Also, there were other dogs there. Keep reading to see pictures!







Click here to read more.

Otters Are $%#&@* Adorable!

If you are going to Lakeside Diner this weekend, you better get there before like, 9am at the latest. The Advocate has an article about how they've spotted otters in the pond beside the diner, which is off exit 34 on Long Ridge. The food is good, and the donuts are even better at Lakeside... and everyone loves otters, so the place is going to be crammed!

To view otters any time, go to Stamford Museum and Nature Center! They have 2 cuties there. Admission is free on Wednesdays. See my previous post about SMNC to learn more.

YES!!! I got a blog post done!!! Click here to read more.

Dogs and Snow, Photo Blogs

I am stiiiiilllll waiting for this baby, which is fine-- I trust that this baby knows when he's ready, so I'm not going to rush him-- but the constant backache is making me too grumpy to really feel like composing thoughts and opinions on anything related to Stamford. I'm mostly trying to distract myself by going to chick flicks alone at 3pm or by visiting friends.

Anyway, I loved these photos of sled dog racing from the Boston Globe's photo blog, The Big Picture. The scenery, from Alaska to Maine, is beautiful, and the dogs look like they are having a blast. The Big Picture always brings in news and images from places I'd ordinarily probably not think about. These photos took me away for a few minutes from my own little concerns- thanks another welcome distraction, Big Picture.

Don't forget to check out Stamford's local photo blog, The Advocate's In Sight, which has photos from around Stamford. Another Advocate blog, Lunch Break Chronicles, is ostensibly a food blog, but it's also really a photoblog, since the blogger/photographer, Chris Preovolos, is one of the main photographers for In Sight. LBC has food photos from Chris' travels and great tips on some local food places. (For example, this photo is from a post about goat tacos from Casa Villa in Stamford, a place I've never been.)

Back to my racing dogs: here's a little more about The Big Picture, from its "About" page:
...entries are posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday by Alan Taylor. Inspired by publications like Life Magazine (of old), National Geographic, and online experiences like MSNBC.com's Picture Stories galleries and Brian Storm's MediaStorm, The Big Picture is intended to highlight high-quality, amazing imagery - with a focus on current events, lesser-known stories and, well, just about anything that comes across the wire that looks really interesting.
...The majority of the images come from companies like the AP, Reuters and Getty Images, who license them to the Boston Globe for our use. Other photos come from public domain sources like NASA, and others from private photographers who share them with the Big Picture for one-time use.

The same guy who runs The Big Picture has a second blog, Big Picture Notes, where he posts things that didn't fit into the main blog. Coooooooooool, I like to ogle the work of talented people! Click here to read more.

No More Chimps in Our Neighborhoods

There's an editorial in the Greenwich Time from Thursday called "Ban the possession of wild animals." It's obviously about last week's chimp attack. I totally agree with this line: Keeping a wild animal poses a threat to neighbors, none of whom signed up to share a street with one, and -- as this case showed -- police, who would be the ones called when something goes wrong.

There are many terrible aspects to the chimp situation- I most think about the injured woman, the dead chimp, and his owner who must be devastated- but it's maybe more important to think about the other people who could have been hurt by the chimp who weren't even given the option of avoiding him. The chimp's owner was keeping him in a residential area- an area where children play. When Travis got loose last week, and probably on other days, he could have hurt someone who did not even realize he lived nearby. I heard from a North Stamford parent who had been playing outside with his kids when he saw the cop cars; he'd had no idea a chimp was living a few streets over. That's just scary.

Not only was Travis a wild animal, not made for domestic life, he was huge. At least a dog that gets loose will weigh less than Travis' 200 pounds; a parent would have a chance in pulling it off their child. It's insane that the state let someone keep a large animal that's known to be violent when it hits puberty.

I, like many people I know, am trying not to think about the chimp thing too much- it's overall a very sad situation. I think all we can do is move on and try not to let this happen again; banning exotic pets is a basic step in that. No one in a residential area should own a chimp, a poisonous snake, or any animal that can hurt a person.

And I just have to say, poor Travis. I obviously feel worse for the people involved, but when I look at pictures of the chimp, I feel bad he met such a violent end. He was living in an environment for which he simply was not intended. He was a wild animal, not of a species like dogs or cats whose aggression has been bred out for thousands of years. From what I read, his aggressive behavior was pretty normal for a chimp. I hope people will learn from this and stop keeping animals that are not made to be pets.

Like the Greenwich Time editorial suggests, go to the shelter and get a dog or cat if you want to nurture something. If you're looking for an unusual thrill... go skydiving. Don't get a monkey, or a prairie dog, or an alligator; they probably do not want to be with you, and it's not fair to do that to them.

Added 2/22: Advocate article: State: No primates registered in Connecticut

Connecticut officials said 11 permits have been issued since 2005 to state residents to own non-domestic animals, and none have been requested or issued to own a primate. But neither the state nor municipal animal control officers know how primates may be illegally owned statewide along with pets such as crocodiles, poisonous snakes and other exotic animals, said Edward Parker, chief of the state Department of Environmental Protection's natural resources bureau.

Nine of the state permits since 2005 went to licensed wildlife rehabilitators who wanted to own and care for raptors; one was for a licensed rehabilitator in Winsted who wanted to care for a bat... Connecticut state law prohibits ownership of certain types of exotic animals without permits, including those in the bear and wolf families and large members of the cat family such as tigers and jaguars. "People who possess these animals generally do not request a permit, and that is one of the problems that underscores what we have to deal with," Parker said.

Nope, not an easy job, because careless people are everywhere, and some of them think owning odd animals is a good idea. Click here to read more.

Camp Bow-Wow in Stamford for Pet Lodging?

"Hello," says my husband in an extremely formal voice leaving a message for our vet, "we're looking to put our dog into Camp Bow-Wow..." I giggle from my spot on the couch, where I am lying because my entire body hurts today. "...so we need a copy of her vaccinations..." I start to giggle louder, because hearing my husband say the words "Camp Bow-Wow" is suddenly the funniest thing I've ever heard.

By the end of his message, I'm crying, because hearing him throw around terms like "All Day Play Day Care" is just so wrong. Our dog is totally no-nonsense. She does not play, or fetch, or chase, unless it's a small rodent. Her favorite activity is lying on the couch. The last thing she wants to do is play and participate in camp-like activities, but our Bull's Head Pet Hospital lodging is full, so we've got to lodge her elsewhere. This afternoon we have to take her to meet the Camp Bow-Wow people at the Hope St. location, because she has to pass a doggie interview to be there.

Don't get me wrong. The place sounds amazingly attentive. I have a feeling she'll be well taken care of (even if she weren't the most human-like, independent dog on the planet). But hearing my husband read aloud from the website that our dog will be getting:
* All Day Play, Snooze The Night Away®
* Large Indoor & Outdoor Play Areas
* Spacious Cabins with Comfy Cots
* Live Camper Cams
* Bedtime Campfire Tasty Treats
* Certified Camp Counselors®
was too silly-sounding for me to handle. And he was reading it as if it weren't funny; I think that's why it was funny.

Has anyone sent their pet to Camp Bow-Wow? What can you tell me about the Hope St. location? Or, do you recommend any other pet lodging in Stamford? We've done Best Friends in Norwalk and thought it was fine, but we'd like to stay in Stamford if possible.

Update, 5 hours later: The dog totally passed her interview/trial play session, but she spent the entire 2 hours of her trial there standing atop a platform in an attempt to avoid the other dogs. Because pretty much, she doesn't think she's a dog. The staff at Camp Bow-Wow was really nice, and the other dogs seemed quite well-behaved. I did try to explain that our dog would probably be happiest if left for long periods in her cabin, chilling on her comfy cot, but you know, I think this is gonna work out fine. Click here to read more.

Could Rampaging Turkeys Happen in Stamford?

It's Thanksgiving Week, people. You know what that means: be on the lookout for wild turkeys. Not to shoot them or anything, but just to appreciate their ugly beauty. I've spotted these hideous yet regal creatures in Old Greenwich, near Perrot Library, twice. As I wrote in a last year's wild turkey post, "They don’t seem scared by my car; they strolled nonchalantly around someone’s yard both times I drove by. On first glance, the turkeys are ugly and a little scary, but I think they are beautiful. I like how they walk around, head high, with an 'I don’t give a shit' attitude."

I have not seen any wild turkeys this year, but a blog post by my friend Christopher got me thinking about them. In "Food News: Are Turkeys Mobilizing?" he recounts several terrifying, inspiring incidents of turkeys performing feats of daring including stopping traffic on the Triborough. In my wildest dreams, I'd witness this, but I'll settle for a simple sighting.

My friend Christopher blogs out of Minneapolis, and he's beyond funny. When I lived in Rye, I became best friends with him and his wife Wendy. We did all kinds of crazy things, including spying on our neighbors and eating way too much McDonald's. When Christopher was in a play at LaMama in the city, Wendy and I tried to sneak inconspicuously to our seats, and instead, got stuck in the spotlight behind the biggest name in the cast. (We didn't know she was going to enter from the back of the theatre!) Another time, we were late coming back from intermission, and we got stuck backstage with the actors. We huddled against the wall, hoping that if we closed our eyes, they wouldn't notice us. Then, like all my good friends from my first year up here, they moved away. We've kept in touch, and I am so glad, because they are amazing, amazing people.
Recently, staying in touch has gotten easier, because they both started blogging over a year ago. Christopher's Blog Harbor has hilarious random opinions about turkeys, his daughters, and college sports. His hyperactive personality shines through in his writing. Wendy blogs at My Green Side about how to live in little ways that are better for you and better for the environment. Her mellow personality shines through.

Fave Blog Harbor Posts (the blog covers everything, but these posts about his daughters made me laugh out loud):
The Simple Language of Parenting and Football Coaching
Demando and Commando
Can Two Sisters Control the Universe?

Fave My Green Side posts:
Green Shopping for a White Christmas
Cleaning Green
Fabric Softener Click here to read more.

Can Someone Confirm That I Saw a Dead Pig?

I just saw something really, really odd on the Merritt. It's 10 pm and I just got home from visiting a friend in Westchester. Just before exit 34, I swear, I saw, lying dead on the right side of the road, a huge pig. It was white and grey, and a tiny bit hairy.

It was not a deer. I don't think it was a dog, because it was big. Like, me-sized. It looked like it had a snout, but the head was thrown back, so I was only looking at the underside of its chin. What I mean is, I did not get a great look at this animal as I was speeding by at 60 mph, but I really think it was a huge pig. It looked sort of like this pig, but it was lighter grey.

I share this info in hopes that someone else saw the creature, or knows someone who saw the creature. It's not unreasonable that a pig could have escaped from a farm-ish place near the Merritt. I feel bad about the dead pig. I really think it was a pig. Click here to read more.

Spider in Lunchbag: It Was Terrifying, OK?

This is not exactly on the subject of Stamford, but human distaste for spiders is universal.
Last weekend I couldn't sleep. I went into the kitchen at 5am to get a snack. I washed my apple, got a paper towel to rub off any leftover pesticide, then saw a gigantic spider in my lunch bag right beside the paper towels I had just used. (My lunch bag is a foot tall, so do you see how big this spider is?) I leaped back three feet and crouched down a little.

"Oh my god. OK. OK... how am I going to take care of this." I said that out loud, you know, to calm myself and make myself feel like I was not alone.

I'm not ultra-skittish about spiders, but this one was large enough to scare me. Even worse, it was on a soft surface, so I was unsure I could swiftly
a) smash it, or
b) cover it with a glass and use the "glass and paper" method to remove it from the house.
You can't botch the kill/capture of a large spider, because it would be loose, near your hand.

I stood for a couple of seconds, unable to think of a solution. That's rare for me; I'm usually good at spider removal. I ran and got my camera to document the dilemma. I knew I'd want to share and analyze the situation later.

I took the photo, capped my lens, then looked at the spider again. I stuck my head kind of close for a second, just to get a look at him, because he wasn't a type I'd seen before. No dramatic markings. I pulled back to a safer distance.

Here's how I handled it:

1. Gave the lunch bag a tap to assess his jumpiness. If he had moved, of course I would have screamed, but the tap also might have put him in a more capturable or killable position. The spider didn't move at all.
2. I carefully picked up the lunch bag, prepared to throw it far away from me if he budged. That also would have been accompanied by a scream. The spider didn't move.
3. I quickly carried him to the back door, undid the lock, and threw the bag out into the driveway.

Whew. For the next hour, I swore I felt spiders crawling on my neck.

I still don't feel that good about the situation. What scares the crap out of me is, How did that spider get in here? Are there more as big as he is in my house? Click here to read more.

Missing Stamford Show Dog FOUND!

Oh no! This dog's owners need our help. Scratch that! They just found him last night. That's good news. For some reason, the article about him being found is not on my Advocate RSS feed yet, although it's on the feed for the Greenwich Time, to which I do not subscribe. Whatev.

Bailey, a bearded collie, escaped on Wednesday from his house off Newfield Ave, just south of the Merritt in Stamford. Bailey had just retired after winning best of breed at the 2007 Westminster Kennel Club show in NYC.

His breed are herders and tend to chase cars, so his owners are very worried. Bailey was spotted in Greenwich on Thursday, so please keep your eyes peeled for this gorgeous dog if you are out and about in the area. Call 977-4437 (Stamford Animal Control) if you think you see Bailey.

You can read a more detailed article at the Advocate.

Click here to read more.

Turkeys, Coyotes, and-- Bears in Stamford?!?

A reader sent me the scoop on a bear sighting Thursday at Stamford's Bartlett Arboretum- a 350 pound bear, to be exact. During the day, a neighbor just north of the Bartlett called to say a bear had crossed into Bartlett property, which consists of 91 acres two miles north of the Merritt, off High Ridge. The place was full of campers at the time, so the employees went out onto the trails to try to find the bear before it found the campers. When they did indeed come upon the bear, it got away from them as fast as it could by leaping into a swamp and swimming away.

I thought you should know about this story because:
1. The Bartlett employees seem pretty brave.
2. If you're in North Stamford, you should know what to do if you come upon a bear. Both the Bartlett and Stamford Museum and Nature Center have nice trails that you should still feel safe to enjoy.
3. The bear was pretty close to High Ridge Road, so if you are driving up there, don't be shocked if you see a fat, giant black dog... and realize, a second later, it's a bear. (This happened to my sister in high school in Virginia.)

Other wild animals you might see on your jaunts around Stamford include wild turkeys and coyotes.

Related Stamford Talk posts:

--April 13, 2008-- Wolves- I Mean, Coyotes!
--January 14, 2008-- Ahoooooooooooooo: Coyotes in Stamford
--November 20, 2007-- Wild Turkeys: New Residents of the FC ("I’ve been told I should write about more controversial topics, but all I can say is, Have you seen those wild turkeys?")

--July 9, 2008-- Bartlett's Farmers' Market: Bumpy Start
--July 6, 2008--New Farmers' Market in North Stamford
--July 9, 2008--The Bartlett Arboretum is Awesome!!! Click here to read more.

Bartlett's Farmers' Market: Bumpy Start

The Bartlett is a gorgeous spot for a farmers' market, but they've got some kinks to work out. As it opened at 10, there was very little parking up close, so cars had to turn around and park somewhere else. I don't know where, because my friend did a U-turn and drove over a curb to get us the last good spot. We walked down, trailing people carrying their reusable bags... and there were only four tents. The FM was tiny. Then... a dog ran out of the woods and ate three pies off the pie stand!

Of course, the only people there at 10:10 were oldish people and youngish moms, but one brave lady stepped forward to at least get the aluminum plate out of the rascal's mouth. Then, his harried owner emerged from the forest and dragged him away as we all scowled at her.

I had to leave at 10:20, and there was at least one more stand setting up as I left, so maybe the teensy market got bigger. However, on my previous post, Irene commented today, "They've got to work on the Farmers Market, I don't think they expected the crowd that showed up: I was there at 10:30, parking was at a premium, and some vegetables were already sold out."

The market has great potential. I am optimistic that the Bartlett will use this as a learning experience, and that with the enthusiastic crowd as motivation, more sellers will come. There was a big crowd and the Bartlett is gorgeous. There was only one produce area spread out under two tents, so I'd have to say it was... 1/8 the size of the Saturday market on Bedford? However, what the Bartlett did have looked good. There were nice-smelling candles for 10 bucks, honey from the Bartlett and robust vegetables. I only bought a pie, so I can't comment on how reasonable the veggie prices were. Were there any fruits there? I don't recall seeing any.

Check out my pics of the market on flickr. Evvvvvvvvvvvveryone was toting their reusable bags!

I, as usual, forgot mine. Click here to read more.

Coyote or Fox: You Be the Judge!

Coyotes are present in Stamford, so we need to make sure you can identify them. Some people can mistake them for a dog (like I did 5 years ago) or a fox, like my pilot did today. We were about to take off (in an un-AC'd prop plane) from Tupelo MS, when the pilot came on the loudspeaker and said, "Awlraght, folks. We're gonna have to wait here for a few minutes. We've got a fox on the runway- a large fox- you can see him right out the window. We don't want to run him over, so we'll just wait 'til they come chase him off. It'll be just a few minutes, then we'll be on the way to Memphis."

Getting off the plane in Memphis, I said to the pilot: How big was the fox?
Pilot: Big!
Me: Like, how big? (I hold up hands, three feet apart.)
No, bigger. Actually, it was coyote.

Me to sis on phone after I get back to CT: Who mistakes a coyote for a fox?
Sis: Probably a lot of people.
Me: A coyote is like, three times the size of a fox. Foxes are tiny.
Sis: I know, but a lot of people don't know what they look like.

I act all hoity-toity with my fox knowledge, but I really only know about their size by chance. I went to a "field party" in high school (Va.), and we drove down a dirt road through a corn field to get there. Right in front of us, little foxes kept jumping out of the corn, trotting along in our headlights like they were leading a parade, then leaping back into the tall grass/corn. Repeat. Hop out of the corn, trot in the headlights, hop back into the corn. It was like leapfrog; I have no idea if it was just one fox messing with us or a whole band of them. In any case, they were the size of a large cat.

Oh! I thought. That's why our high school mascot is the fox! I had never known foxes were such a presence, I guess because I don't frequent the woods at night.

Foxes are very, very cute by the way.

Um OK actually YOU be the judge. Is this photo on the right a fox or a coyote?

On this person's website, he calls it a fox, but I swear it looks like a coyote! Is this a fox-like coyote, or did that man, like my pilot, mistake a coyote for a fox? This is a photo from Wisconsin, if that helps.

Info from another website seems to confirm my opinion: Dr. Cavallini's research concludes that "body size of the red fox may be variable even within a small area," but also suggests that the average red fox, wherever it is found in the world, is a much smaller animal than commonly believed, and that even in the regions with notably "big" fox, the average fox weighs only between 13.7 and 16 pounds.

I may not know much about foxes... but it seems like I know enough. If you think you see a fox, and it's the size of a dog... it is probably a coyote.

Previous Stamford Talk posts about coyotes:
Jan 14, 2008- Ahoooooooooooooo: Coyotes in Stamford
Click here to read more.

Summer: Yellow Nails, Blues Traveler, Dead Animals

Sign of Summer 1: I don’t mean to be flip about the dead animals. Last weekend, I screeched my car to a halt on the side of the road to rescue a turtle. Turns out someone had already run it over and cracked the poor thing’s shell.

I know he was going to die a slow death after I placed him on the side of the road, but I don’t think there is anything else I could have done. Someone should have stopped long before he got that far out into the road. If there is any animal that’s easy to save, it’s a turtle. I’m sure none of you passed a turtle on Cold Spring on Saturday, because if you are the type to read this blog, you’re the type to save an easy to save animal.

An increase in animal encounters is a sign of summer. Whether it’s ticks, frogs, owls, baby deer, mosquitos, jelly fish, or snakes, let’s be on the lookout for our non-human neighbors. I’m busy monitoring a pack of young chipmunks running amok in my yard, so the rest of you need to pick up my slack with the other species.

Sign of Summer 2: Thursday summer concerts downtown! It’s got some fancy name, like Live at Five, or Alive at Five, which I get mixed up with the Fridays at Five concerts in college. All you have to know is that there is lots of beer and rock/R and B music.

This Thursday-- and I’ve already got an image of what it’s going to be like running through my head-- is BLUES TRAVELER!!!

Here’s what it’s gonna look like: all the girls are in tank tops, it’s hot as hell (although my weather widget says 77 and sunny), the music is so loud, and we’re dancing and singing along. Yeah! No coolers, no pets, etc. Just bring yourself and some cash to buy water and beer. I’d also plan ahead for parking; I’m scheming as we speak.

Sign of Summer 3: I kicked off the start of summer today by getting a bright yellow manicure. Ever since my bright blue manicure garnered me tons of attention, I’ve been picturing lime green as my next color. Zen Nails didn’t have that, so I went with yellow. It’s pretty bonkers.

Zen Nails, again, was a disaster. Understaffed, unaggressive cuticle grooming, no one to give me a massage while my nails dried... but all the equipment is new and they have great colors! Do not go there if you have any sort of time constraint. It took me almost an hour and a half to get a mani-pedi, but my nails look awesome. My toenails are magenta.

Oh- and my ATV riding neighbor who illegally rides on the street, with his kid, with no helmet? Well... now, at least, the kid has a helmet on... a helmet that’s adult-sized. Great. Just great.

Related Stamford Talk posts:

--March 16, 2008-- Spring in Stamford=Illegal ATV Riding

--April 27, 2008-- Girly Day in Stamford: Zen Spa and Nails Click here to read more.