We just wanted to update everyone on our baby skunk.  After one glorious week our baby passed away.  It happened last Tuesday, June 30th and was very unexpected.  Once we noticed the signs that he wasn't doing well, it was only a matter of hours and he was gone.

 

It was a very tough week because we had both let our guard down thinking he was going to make it.  He had a GREAT week though ... and so did we!!  In that week he took more milk daily and gained weight.  His eyes opened fully and he played and played and played.  We loved it when he chased us around and stamped his front feet at us with such spunk.  He was a spunky little guy and had such an incredible personality :-)!

 

Our loss was profound but we are so blessed to have found him.  We named him the night before he died (wanting to wait until we thought he would make it.)  His official name was Squirrel - he ran around and acted crazy like one :-) - and his nickname was MeMe because everything was about him :-).  He is now buried in our garden and we got some colorful, decorative mushrooms to mark the spot.

 

We want to thank everyone for asking about him and making their wonderful comments on his blog posting.  He got a lot of interest from a lot of people which just shows how special he was.  We love you Squirrel!!!  We hope we gave you the love and happiness that you needed, because you certainly gave us a lifetime of memories :-)!

A couple of weeks ago we headed out to the Sierra Nevada range of California where we had a destination wedding to photograph.  Kevin used to live in these mountains and has a real passion for them ... especially Yosemite National Park, so this was a real treat for him to go back home, if even for a very short time.

 

I personally have never been to this part of the world so I was like a kid in a candy store!  Every turn revealed something new and wonderful.  We started our trip near Sequoia National Park where the wedding was to be held.  We spent the first day scouting the area and grabbing some nice nature shots along the way.  The day after the wedding we headed north to Yosemite National Park.  We were on a tight timeline as this was already Thursday and we had to be in the White Mountains of Arizona for another wedding by Saturday.  Hence, we weren't there during the best time of the day, but it was specatcular none-the-less!!  As we passed through, we stopped frequently to take travel shots (I used to do a lot of trvel photography and really enjoy it), landscape shots (duh...), and of course those must have, silly tourist shots.  We stopped for lunch at the famed Ahwahnee Hotel and then headed on through the park over the Tioga Pass to the eastern side of the Sierras. A big highlight along the way was sighting a black bear in a field feeding ... a really awesome sight!!!

 

We made our way to Mono Lake, a world-famous lake amongst landscape photographers, for sunset.  I have always wanted to take landscapes of Mono Lake and was quite happy with what we got given the tight time frame.  We had dinner in Mammoth Lakes (Kevin lived there and it is one of his favorite places) and stayed in Bishop.  Before heading home the next day we stopped in at Mountian Light Gallery which was founded by the late Galen Rowell.  He was an amazingly talented photographer.  I once attended one of his seminars when I was in college in Florida and he was nothing short of inspirational.  It was a treat to walk though his gallery!

 

An impressive view of Yosemite Valley.

 

Kevin and I love animals and we have a real soft spot for anything that has had the misfortune so early in life to be orphaned.  On Tuesday evening we came across a poor baby striped skunk that had obviously lost its family.  With little coordination and no sight, it had wandered into the middle of the road.  We are so glad we came across this little guy because had we not, it's outcome looked to be very bleak.

 

We brought it home, did some research on the internet, went to the pet store, bought some formula and made a home for him, complete with a heating pad to stay warm and stuffed animals to keep him company when we aren't holding him.  Based on our research, we estimate his age to be about 2 weeks ... he is soooo tiny.  We are already attached and are praying for a good outcome.  We will keep you posted on his status :-).

 

His first night ... he was very tired :-).

On an earlier posting when I was visiting my family in North Carolina, I mentioned that my mother had recently rescued a dog named Gizmo.  Gizmo was labled a westie by his previous owner (who wasn't really sure) but we were not too sure.  When I first laid eyes on Gizmo I was convinced he was a Schnauzer/Westie mix and my mom thought all kind of breeds.  So my mom had a DNA test run just so we could know exactly what he is and the results are back ..... Gizmo is officially a 100% full-blooded West Highland White Terrier, otherwise know as a Westie!!  Could have fooled me :-).  Love ya Gizzy!

After leaving Florida, I headed to North Carolina to visit my family.  I have been here almost two weeks now and am not ready to make my departure later this week ... but alas, all good things must come to an end.  I have no family in AZ - they all live in NC - so it is always a joy to come home ... though I don't get to do it nearly enough.

Louie, my mom's Westie, has made appearances on the blog before, but it is time to introduce our new addition ... drum roll please ... Gizmo!!  Gizmo was in need of a better home than he came from (though not from lack of the previous owner caring, which is why she gave him up.)  He came to my mom's house in pretty poor condition, but is now beautiful and thriving ... and really, really sweet.  He was advertised as a Westie, but we don't really think so.  I personally think he is a mix between a Schnauzer and a Westie.  We will find out soon though when we have a DNA test done ... we are just so curious.  Here are a few photos we took of them for St. Patty's Day :-).

This is Gizmo.  What do you think he is?