Close up and Personal

Posted on by Miriam

Last weekend, driving not far from home, we hit a kangaroo that hopped in front of us. There was no way to avoid it, it happened so quickly. The sound was sickening and when we stopped we were distressed to find that, not only was the mother kangaroo badly injured, but she was carrying a joey.

By the time we called Help for Wildlife the mother roo, badly injured and bleeding, had died. The baby joey was wrapped up and taken to a nearby vet but it died before it arrived. It was too small, so fragile and possibly had suffered from internal injuries.

It was such a distressing incident. Even though there was nothing we could have done to avoid it, it still shook us up. What happened stayed with me for hours afterwards and made me realise how fragile and fleeting life is.

It also made me look at my little patch of the world with new eyes and so I’m dedicating this post to those furry animals who bring me a measure of joy.

I think it’s important to focus on appreciating what we have around us – be they four legged or otherwise – and enjoy the unconditional love and joy they offer.

So here’s a close up and personal look at the furry friends in my life.

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First and foremost, there’s Harry, my oh-so-lazy but still silly dog, who appears in many of my posts.  My faithful, aging walking partner whose gentle nature and soulful eyes adds so much happiness to my days.

He picks up on my moods and is the ultimate stress relief when I’m having a blue day. He reminds me of a wise old sage in a dog’s body!

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Harry, like all dogs, through his sheer presence manages to teach us so many important lessons about being present and enjoying the moment.

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Lamborghini is growing bigger every day. Her bleating sometimes drives me nuts but she’s a little white pocket rocket of pure woolly innocence.

Every time I step outside I have to be careful I don’t trip over her. She’s constantly at my feet, following me around and runs beside me. She’s become my adoring shadow.

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Three little guinea pigs do very little but still add a certain dynamic to the household with their chatter and funny ways.

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The way they jump around their hutch and do gymnastics, run circles and squeak for their supper never fails to put a smile on my face.

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At the back of our yard live our three girls.  There are lots of foxes around so I can’t let them roam freely, but they still have a good life and provide us with fresh eggs.

And from the small to the big there’s Merlin, our Andalusian cross Quarter Horse.

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A gentle giant of a beast. A reliable steed for my daughter, strong and dependable, trustworthy and steadfast. He’s also cheeky, smiles and has a character of his own.

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Life would be dull without our animals. It would also be less complicated, less costly and less trouble when we travel. But the joys far outweigh any downsides.

Wishing you all a beautiful week ahead, filled with smiles, simple joys and pleasures. May we all appreciate what we have, right under our noses, close up and personal.

This is in response to Frank’s challenge over at Dutch goes the Photo – Close up.

112 thoughts on “Close up and Personal”

  2. Oh, Miri, I’m glad you are okay! I would imagine it’s like hitting a deer which happens here occasionally and can do a lot of damage to a car. I’m sure it was upsetting even tho you couldn’t avoid it. Your animal pictures are fabulous! ((Hugs))

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  6. I hope your week is fabulous! Love the lamb, she’s so cute. We haven’t seen her in a bit. Great post. So sorry for the accident. That is a hard one. Hope you and your family didn’t suffer any injuries, other than the hurt for the Kangaroos.

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    1. No, we were all fine Wendy, just a bit shell-shocked, that’s all. Thank you for your wishes. Lamby is doing well, just getting louder every day! Hope you have a great week too.

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  9. Pingback: Tuesday Photo Challenge – Round Up 16 – Dutch goes the Photo!

  14. I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m glad you’re all okay. You are such a critter lover, I’m sure it was terribly upsetting, and I’m glad to read that you understand there was nothing that could have prevented it. I love seeing your critter pictures. I just have to interject that I can’t imagine seeing a kangaroo crossing the road. We have deer, geese, turtles…but a kangaroo? This is another reason I love the blogging world. A midwestern American gets to travel vicariously to lands where kangaroos hop across the road.

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    1. Oh yes, absolutely. They have no road sense whatsoever, so quite suddenly will just bound in front of cars, particularly out in the country areas. We constantly have to keep an eye out for them, particularly at dusk and dawn. Thanks for reading Alexis..

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  15. So sad reading about them. I work in a hilly area and sometimes see Deer killed by the Motorists…they are so fragile and i believe that makes them very vulnerable too!

    Take care of the ones in your life.

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  16. I’m so sorry to hear about the Kangaroo and her Joey. Terrible and I’m sure it has rattled you. I can’t imagine.

    Your photos made me smile. So much cuteness in one post so I can’t help but leave happier than when I got here. We had an adorable GP once. My favorite things about Samson where his popcorning and his chatter at me while I got his dinner. He was precious. Lamborghini
    Love the nose shot of Harry and that one of Lamborghini looking up made me laugh right out loud. 🙂

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    1. She’s a rascal, that lamb, no doubt about it. Keeps me on my toes. 🙂 I had to re-read your comment about your GP, thinking you were talking about a doctor (General Practitioner!) Took me a minute to work out you were talking about a guinea pig!! lol Crazy morning here, I’m a bit slow off the mark! 🙂

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  17. So sad about the kangaroo and her baby. I am so sorry. I can imagine how that played on your mind. On a happier note, you have a beautiful family of gorgeous animals. I know each and everyone is special to you. x

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  18. I understand the experience. My daughter and son-in-law hit a deer that running across the freeway (common in Oregon). The deer managed to walked across to the other side of the freeway, but didn’t make it to live. My son-in-law’s truck took a great impact, and decided to skip the wedding they were going to attend, and turned around to head home. Their truck too, just had enough to make them home!
    Thank you for sharing.

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    1. Oh I’m so sorry that happened to your son. Fortunately, although we were late for an event, we still managed to make it. I can only imagine the impact that a deer would make, I hope they were okay. Thanks for sharing your own story. xo

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  19. Oh my goodness, Miriam! Your experience of hitting the kangaroo sounds traumatic! I can’t fault you at all for being shaken by it. I think I would have nightmares. I love the way you channeled your emotions into this positive post. “I think it’s important to focus on appreciating what we have around us – be they four legged or otherwise – and enjoy the unconditional love and joy they offer.” This line made me think of the ways that I am unconditionally loved – not only by my pets and by my parents and closest friends, but simply as a being in the universe. After all, the sun shines on all of us, it does not ask if we are worthy or not. We are all God’s creatures, and we are all invited to enjoy the abundant blessings that are all around us, whether it is the unconditional love of a pet, a fresh morning cup of hot coffee, a beautiful afternoon in nature, or a soft, cozy blanket at the end of a long day. Thank you for helping me see things in a wider perspective today, and for expanding my sense of gratitude!

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    1. You’re so right Lulu, the sun does shine on all of us and it doesn’t ask if we’re worthy or not. But we all are and we sometimes forget.
      Thank you for your beautiful comment, having you here and reading your kind words always puts a smile on my face. Take care. xo

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      1. The echidna did not survive nor did my tyre, but it is more the thought of the event that sticks. I like how you have turned this event to celebrate life.

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  23. Our pets are family. Which makes me wonder. Why do we feel differently towards the human race? To our own or extended family? I know there is no simple answer, but it still bothers me. In the meantime, keep on hugging life. You will reap the rewards. Never stop being curious.

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  24. Very, very nice Miriam. What a blessed way to give loving to your animals & to that roo and her joey. ❤ I so appreciate you. Take good care of yourself and have a wonderful rest of your week.
    ps – that last photo of the horse is fantastic. 🙂 Big smiles.

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  25. Oh sweetheart, I’m so sorry you went through that! How upsetting and distressing that must have been for you! *hugs*

    Yes, the fur babies add so much joy to our lives. 🙂 Your horse makes me laugh, he’s quite the character!

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  26. So sorry you had to go through that, Miriam. We hit a squirrel once, and were mortified. I don’t like harming even a fly. It’s lovely that you have dedicated this post to all the furry animals out there though. I particularly liked the guinea pigs – they made me smile 🙂 🙂 .

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  27. I love how the horse smiled for the camera, you’ve got some great hairy, furry and feathery friends there.
    Sorry about the Roo – you did what you could though, some you win and some you lose I guess.

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  28. There are many things I like about you Miriam, and now I can add your love of all creatures, “great and small”. Sad about the roo, but it’s hard to avoid them sometimes (I had a similar experience in 2015). When I was a kid, my Dad brought home a joey he had found still alive in his Mum’s pouch (she had passed unfortunately). For about 5 years that roo was our pet — of course, we called him Skippy. The best experience ever, and it made me very aware of nature and the importance of sustaining it. Great post and photos!

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    1. Thanks for your kind words Kim and wow, what a wonderful experience. I can only imagine how special that must have been as a kid to have your very own pet Skippy. No wonder you love nature and the environment so much.

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  30. I’m so sorry, Miriam! I’m sure that was so upsetting, even though you know though you know you did nothing wrong. The good thing is that it made you see the animals in your life a little bit clearer, and appreciate them a bit more. (And shared that insight with us, thank you.) I don’t believe that “everything happens for a reason,” (just my opinion), but I do believe that we can find some good in everything, even in tragedies and death. Take care, Miriam…..

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  32. Oh Miriam, that is so horribly awful. I can only imagine how you must have felt. Here a lot people hit deers and it can be very dangerous for the drivers. I have never hit an animal but a squirrel and its sounds was awful. Hope you have recovered and glad you are ok. Yes life is precious and I’m glad you ended the post with some lovely animal pics.

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  34. Gorgeous post (except the kangaroo bit – sorry to hear about that). You look like you have quite a farm going on there! Animals bring such joy to the world. We don’t have any pets at the moment but would love a dog one day, once I’ve got a little more travel out of my system 🙂 Such loyal and loving creatures!

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      1. Haha yeah, dogs become part of the family don’t they! When we were kids, we used to have a lamb too. Always fun feeding lambs! They are hungry little fellas 🙂

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  36. I agree with Larry, it’s great that you were able to turn this tragic event into a celebration of life. I can’t handle Lamborgini, those pictures are adorable and thinking about him following you around like you’re Bo Peep is cracking me up.

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  45. It was a sad start, but you sure know how to make the climax happy Miriam 🙂 Loved seeing up,close and personal, your furry friends 🙂 The kangaroo incident is really disheartening though. I remember once we hit a rabbit and were so so distressed, but there was nothing we could do as it was a continuous flowing traffic and we could not even pull over. For long we used to repent on it but vehicles whizzing by and the shoulder was narrow for us to pull over. So glad that you could atleast put your efforts to see if you could do something about it.

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