Shannon Cutts

Day 190: Cockatiel Knows Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words

No being can know for sure before they pop out of the egg whether or not they’ve won the evolutionary lottery and are going to be able to grow their own feathers. Even after you exit the egg, it may still not be so easy to tell, except by observing the bigger, older beings whoContinueContinue reading “Day 190: Cockatiel Knows Picture Is Worth a Thousand Words”

Day 189: The Lady Box Turtle

Life with a shell may set a slower pace, but it will never be dull. This you can count on. For starters, every day brings the always challenging “thrill of the hunt” as you stealthily stalk your wild prey. And then of course you have to make sure you also stay out of reach ofContinueContinue reading “Day 189: The Lady Box Turtle”

Day 188: Tortoise Knows How to Look (& Stay) Cool

When juvenile shell-less beings hang out, they have this tendency to slouch….something about “looking cool.” As a tortoise who has been cohabitating with an interspecies flock for a time, you might find it interesting to try out some of these new mannerisms you are observing. After all, you are a “juvenile” also – and “lookingContinueContinue reading “Day 188: Tortoise Knows How to Look (& Stay) Cool”

Day 187: Cockatiel Claims Best Seat in the House

It is a well-known fact that hiring a large featherless assistant comes with both “pros” and “cons.” On the “pros” side, you get catered meals, unlimited neck feather scratches, slavish devotion and even your own blog. On the “cons” side – the large featherless beings know nothing (zero, zilch, squat) about personal space. Even ifContinueContinue reading “Day 187: Cockatiel Claims Best Seat in the House”

Day 186: Box Turtle Is Stealthy & Not So Stealthy

Being small and stealthy by nature, and being able to completely close yourself up inside your shell besides, you can use different levels of visibility to your advantage. Say, for example, that you have just enjoyed your usual posh hand-catered lunch. You are feeling quite full and are ready for a restful nap. Your largeContinueContinue reading “Day 186: Box Turtle Is Stealthy & Not So Stealthy”

Day 185: Tortoise Gets the Ball Rolling

When you are lucky enough to be born a tortoise, “cuteness” can be very useful for getting your large shell-less assistant’s attention. Do something ridiculously easy that she thinks you could never do and voila – the world is your oyster (or your freeze-dried mealworm, preferably). Of course, this can backfire if you do tooContinueContinue reading “Day 185: Tortoise Gets the Ball Rolling”

Day 184: A Cockatiel By Any Other Name

When you have feathers and cohabitate in an interspecies flock, it can take some time to fully assimilate into the dominant culture. For example, let’s say your flock includes more large featherless beings than any other species (there are also two shelled beings, but who is counting those). So everyone else in the flock hasContinueContinue reading “Day 184: A Cockatiel By Any Other Name”

Day 183: Box Turtle Gets the Mealworm Munchies

Snack time can present some interesting challenges when you live in an interspecies flock. For instance, one flock member might want waffles for his snack break. Another flock member might want blueberries – and lots of them. Yet another flock member might want mealworms, live and kicking. Here, since every flock member has very strongContinueContinue reading “Day 183: Box Turtle Gets the Mealworm Munchies”

Day 182: Tortoise Destroys Zucchini

Living your whole life in a natural green space, you begin to develop an instinctive aesthetic about what should go where. As long as you are left to your own devices to garden and cultivate when you like, where you like, things will continue to go smoothly. But then let’s say you decide to takeContinueContinue reading “Day 182: Tortoise Destroys Zucchini”

Day 181: Cockatiel Finds Very Stealthy Safe House

As every top secret “black ops” agent learns in training, it is so vital to have a secure space to retreat to if things get too “hot” out in the field. This secure space is traditionally called a “safe house” in secret agent lingo. While most black ops agents opt for a traditional house forContinueContinue reading “Day 181: Cockatiel Finds Very Stealthy Safe House”