*~*FriDaY FuN FaCt*~*

Thanks to Michelle for starting this. It's always fun to think of stuff, although sometimes, I can't think of anything. Does that mean I'm boring? LOL

My fact that I want to share today is about my love of animals and the plethora of pets I have had over the yrs. Right now, we have 3 very spoiled dogs living with us. Belle, who had her 11th b-day earlier this month, a supposed mix of dachshund, chihuahua & spitz mix, Indy, whom we rescued from the pound in Texas, and Akita/Malamute mix & Sasha, a Samoyed, who was also a rescue.
But the pet I want to talk about today is Jinx. (Sorry, I don't have any pics) Jinx was a rat ("was" because she has passed away.) She was actually my 4th rat. Yes, RAT. Have any of you were had a hamster? Well, just ignore the tail and they are about the same. Except rats don't bite, and they are trainable. They are clean(as clean as you make their cage to be). They love to play. I had Jinx when I lived by myself in an apartment. Shortly thereafter, I met Charlie. He had a hard time with the rat, but his curiosity got the better of him, and now he's a believer too. And when my soon-to-be step-daughter came to visit, she just thought it was the coolest thing! She would sit for hours and play with Jinx. They aren't scary or mean or nasty. They can be quite entertaining. And at about $3, they are about one of the cheapest pets you can get. The down side is that they have a very short life span, about 2 years.
I guess I need to explain how I started with the first rat. The first one was actually a mouse named Candy. I was maybe 10yo. My parents decided to get a snake. A red rat snake. Then they moved up to a Boa Constrictor. Well, you have to feed them. And as you can imagine, two mice make a lot of babies. So I asked to keep one as a pet. Then when Huggy ( the snake) got bigger, we got bigger food. We got rid of the snake a few years later, but I had already fallen in love with the rats.
I guess I need to also explain that my parents live on 10 acres, so we also had horses, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, even a peacock. At one time, my mom even resuced a baby red bird. She really loved that bird.
As you can tell, I got my love of animals from both my parents. And I want to pass that on to Dane. I want to teach him to love animals but to also respect them. I don't want him to be afraid of them. We catch frogs and pet them, but then let them go. He plays a little rough w/he dogs (thnks to Power rangers) but I make him hug them and be gentle with them.
I know some people just don't like dogs or cats. I couldn't imagine my life w/out them. They are always with me. And sometimes, they can be the only hug I get. When hubby & I argue, at least I know I can vent to them and they will listen :0)

SOUP OF THE DAY:
The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion which stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed.
~~Albert Einstein

DESSERT OF THE DAY:
It is better to keep your mouth closed & let people think you are a fool than to open it & remove all doubt.
~~Mark Twain