Today’s Sunday Stills theme is “fur and feathers” but feel free to add photos of your scaled and slithering friends as well.

Aero loves going to the delta
Aero loves going to the delta
Boykin Spaniel Brodie loves the water
Boykin Spaniel Brodie loves the water

Did you know today is National Animal Rights Day? Many organizations dedicate themselves to the betterment and loving treatment of ALL animals.

According to Christian author Gary Kurtz, who wrote Cold Noses at the Pearly Gates: A Book of Hope for Those Who have Lost a Pet, he writes that “pets are God’s creatures…merely on loan to us.”

With Biblical support, Kurtz suggests that all animals have eternal spirits. As a Christian myself, I believe this to be true, which gives me great comfort knowing that my past, present and future dogs, cats, birds and even fish have a place in God’s eternity. On some spiritual level, I shall see them all again.

Almost every day, I read online from friends and family who grieve a pet who has died. I often recommend this book and have been surprised at the positive responses from those who have read it.

Regardless of your own beliefs in an eternal afterlife, or not, we must treat all creatures on Planet Earth with care and respect.

Of course, I will swat a mosquito or kill a tick that crawls on my skin. Believe it or not, even pesky bugs have a place on Earth.

To illustrate my point, while camping with family two years ago, I almost fell over as I watched my little nephew stomp on an unsuspecting beetle while hiking in a national park. I asked him why he did that, and he replied, “because he was going to bite me.”

I told him that all critters and animals are protected in a national park and he could go to jail for killing bugs and animals (yes, a teeny white lie, but bear with me here). I then asked him, “What if you were just walking along one day and a giant walked up and stepped on you?” His eyes widened with the realization that his eight-year-old imagination allowed.

A little leisure education hurts no one.

Bewildered swallow looking for its nest
Bewildered swallow looking for its nest

This swallow and her mate decided to build their nest in our neighbor’s windsurf sail shed. One of the other fellows who keeps his sails in the shed noticed the partially built nest and knocked it down with a stick, complaining about bird droppings (my word, not his). Luckily it was still under construction, so no eggs or birds were harmed.

It was an abrupt decision, one that I both disagreed with and supported.

On one hand, these swallows build their nests here on Sherman Island in the delta and there are plenty of safe areas in which to build them. On the other, these skittish birds would not have succeeded trying to hatch eggs in a noisy area with us walking in and out of the shed.

In the long run, I guess there is no right way to move a bird nest. They can quickly rebuild one in a safer location.

But these incidents beg the question, how much have humans encroached on natural habitats in the name of progress, lifestyle and leisure?

To what extent do we continue to banish native animals from their own environments due to urbanization?

It is a little sad to think we need organizations to protect Earth’s creatures from harm and violence, mistreatment and misuse.

So, let’s support our fellow creatures today by posting a favorite photo of yours for Sunday Stills!

Please help me promote Sunday Stills so that we can have more talented bloggers participate in this photo challenge, now that the long-time WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge posted its final theme this week.

Sunday Stills Fur and Feathers Graphic

Link up here:

A hearty shout-out to May Sunday Stills Photo Challenge participants!

A Day In the Life
Adventures in Weseland
CactusCatz
Cee’s Photography
Debbie Scott Photography Digital Art
Field Notes From Over The Hill
Feel Purple
Heaven’s Sunshine
Hugh’s Views and News
Idaho Bluebird
IScribler
Light Words
Living with My Ancestors
Misty Roads Blog
Mucho Spanish
NorCal Zen
Now at Home
Proscenium
Retirementally Challenged
Terry’s Desk
This, That and the Other Thing
YasminKhanBlog
zestnzealblog

Terri_sig_hib1

Published by Terri Webster Schrandt

Now retired, I am former university adjunct faculty, self-published author, and retired recreation and parks practitioner living in Eastern Washington State near the Idaho border. Second Wind Leisure Perspectives is my blog about living a leisure lifestyle that includes fitness, photography, and fun.

59 thoughts on “Sunday Stills: #Furry and #Feathered Friends”

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  5. Love this post, Terri! I think you’d be forgiven for that little white lie you told your nephew. It’s important to instill a love and reverence for nature early on. Re your story about the swallow’s nest: we had a dove who kept trying to make its nest on top of our front door light. Finally we had to put something on top of the light fixture to stop them… it would have been a really bad place to raise a new family! Aero and Brodie are so darn cute!

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  6. Hi Terri, I had wanted to link up my post from earlier today until I read the Inlinkz use of data details. Although I deleted the link from my blog to yours the pingback still shows, so please feel free to delete it. Apologies for the inconvenience xxx

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      1. Thank you Terri, that is really kind of you. It is Inlinkz I have the issue with. They claim to be GDPR compliant and yet they state they collect our data to: ‘Send promotional communications, such as providing you with information about services, features, offers, promotions; and providing other news or information about us. You have the ability to opt out of receiving any of these communications’. GDPR was created to make companies such as theirs change their ways in how they treat us. If we want to receive their promotional materials we should be given the opportunity to ‘opt in’. They are still using their old ways of taking it as a given that we give permission to be contacted in this way and that if we do not want to get bombarded by their emails we need to ‘opt out’. You, as a blogger hosting a challenge using Linkinz can also be held accountable using a third party who are not GDPR compliant.

        Liked by 1 person

      2. Thank you for the heads up. I’ve been assured by Inlinkz that they are compliant. Hopefully everyone will play nice. If I find out differently, I would consider cancelling the link-up. Thousands of bloggers use it though, but it is certainly something to be aware of. You are never required to link-up. Next month, I will do a monthly shout out with links to blogs (on my post) to share those who participated. I did share you post today.

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Humans have encroached so much more than a smashed nest or squashed bug. Far too many animals are now on the endangered species lists and many will not survive. My dad used to teach us environmental awareness and animal sanctity decades before it was popular, but I will admit I have no love for bugs in my house or rats in the garage. (And I get rid of them.) Still, I think animal and environmental awareness begins in very little and personal insights as you did with your nephew. The photo of the swallow is heart rending but at least there weren’t yet eggs.

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    1. Agreed, Shari! I could have written a lengthy PSA but chose to use short examples. My parents, too, were avid campers and outdoors folks who loved animals and respected them. My brothers and I learned very young to revere and respect all creatures. Yes, I will actually gently pick up a spider stuck in the tub and let it go outside (I draw the line at black widows). I’ve set a few crane flies loose, too (look like giant mosquitos). A love of nature and leisure are so important in our lives.

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  8. Your photos are lovely as usual 🙂 The dogs looks very happy. Thank you for educating me, I did not know that it is National Animal Rights Day. Urbanization definitely cause many animals distress, when their habitat no longer are a safe, serene, place to call home. It’s definitely true when it comes to wild mustangs on the range. I’ve been observing a few herds in our neighbor state Nevada, for about 6 years now. Their habitat shrinks by the year. It gets more and more difficult to get to their water sources, as more houses, and fences are being built. I actually published a book about it a few years back. I withdraw it from Amazon, since I felt that some of the facts become outdated. If you want to see it, you can view it here http://www.blurb.com/b/4598887-nevada-mustangs.

    Thank you for the shout out!

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    1. Thank you, Maria! Someone reached out to me a few months ago about animal-related national days and thought it worked well with the theme. So sad to read about the wild mustangs. The whole world should be ashamed. I will check out your link!

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  17. Hi Terri, we don’t have pets of our own but my daughter has a gorgeous miniature schnauzer who thinks she is their eldest child. My daughter and her husband love animals and nature and are teaching my grandson Ethan the importance and wonder of nature and all animals. I’m sure they will also teach his new little brother as he grows up.

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      1. Yes I love it when Ethan shows me the ‘golden orb’ spider outside his bedroom window along with the Rainbow Lorrikeets which he calls Rainbow Lollikeets. He knows all the names of the birds it is wonderful to see.

        Liked by 1 person

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  22. This is such a beautifully written post, Terri. Our pets without a doubt take the most important spot for us, but the whole ecosystem is so important and so perfect.

    My little dog Coco tore the ligaments in his back leg last week. It’s so difficult to see an animal injured but they adapt. You need to be around animals to see how amazing they really are.

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  23. I love the idea of seeing our beloved dogs/pets in the afterlife, Terri. That book sounds intriguing! God loves all creatures great and small. As I was swatting a mosquito last night I wished they would all vanish, but realized that would likely impact the bat population. I don’t want either of these flying creatures in my home or using me as a landing strip, but they each have their place in nature. (I don’t feel bad when I kill a mosquito, though, knowing there are millions more!) Your pups are adorable.

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    1. I knew this would speak to you Molly. You would enjoy the book, it has made a difference in my own life and gives me great comfort. I’m sure when the time is right, we’ll all know why ticks, black widows and mosquitoes really exist!

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  27. Having only just arrived in Madagascar, I was completely unaware that The Daily Post was ceasing publication of prompts/hosting of challenges. Your taking on the facilitation of Sunday Stills is very timely and offers a great alternative for those looking for bloggining ideas, seeking to build blogging a community, and/or simply share their love of photography. Adorable pictures as always framed nicely by your storytelling.

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  30. Your photos are lovely and came here from Cee’s page. I was an on and off WPC participant and I would love to join the challenges. Do you host a topic every Sunday? Maybe I can join 🙂
    Nice to meet you!

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  33. Fun post Terri, loved your photos of the pups! Also loved the little white lie you told your nephew. Some day when he’s old he’ll think back on it and laugh! As I was walking the golf course earlier today I missed stepping on a slithery snake by inches. I could do without THEM but they do keep the other undesirables under control! Coincidentally I did post about our feathered friends today. You can see it here:https://travelsandtrifles.wordpress.com/2018/06/09/on-being-blue/

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  37. Well said, Terri. I always feel so mad and helpless at the same time when humans don’t treat animals as well as they should. We’re all part of the same world. Torture and even maltreatment of them, whether it’s done ignorantly or not, drives me up a wall. Like you, I’d counter with “what if someone did this to you?” Animals have feelings and know pain. Those photos of your pups are amazing. such a good life they have! 🙂

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