Interspecies Communication?

If you’re familiar with the book or films about Dr. Doolittle, you know that the whole gist of the story is that he is a human who can talk to animals. Not just sense what they’re saying, but actually carry on conversations. I’ve always loved the Rex Harrison version of the film; indeed, I love the whole concept. Maybe I mentioned in a previous blog that it’s one of the things I hope we’ll be able to do in Heaven?

Fortunately for me, I married a man who is also a big fan of animals – maybe not quite as sentimentally as I am, but enough to be happy to take me to zoos and aquariums all over the world. So, it’s probably not surprising that we’ve been owners/caretakers of a number of critters through our almost 42 years of marriage. In preparation for writing this, I sat down the other night and tried to make a list of all of them … not sure I succeeded, but I at least came close.

Let me give you an overview:

Mammals: We’ve had six dogs, three cats, two miniature horses, probably ten goats (we started with a mated pair, and nature took its course), at least two guinea pigs, and more than five rabbits.
Birds: one cockatiel, two emus, a quail (as a pet), ducks, about thirty chickens, and a flock of golden pheasants. We’ve also raised California Valley Quail and Ring-neck pheasants for wild releases.
Reptiles: eight snakes (of different species); four lizards, a red ear slider turtle named Tippicanoe and a California Desert Tortoise named Tyler (he came with his name, so we had to name our red ear slider what we did – it gave us Tippicanoe and Tyler too!)
Amphibians: a bullfrog and a toad.
Arthropods: two hermit crabs (these were our first foray into “exotics” – we bought them for the kids). Cutest part was the two-year-old couldn’t say “hermit crabs”; they will forever be known in our family as “heebie-dabs”.

We also borrowed a baby pot-bellied pig for three weeks to use in a production of Li’l Abner; and had a full grown, show trained raccoon named Mikey who boarded with us for almost a year.

And, if that didn’t make us just a little outside the norm, in the midst of it we began working with a local wildlife rehabilitation group – we took in, fostered and raised injured or orphaned native wildlife for the purpose of release back into the wild. Two of them, an opossum named Hickock and a great horned owl named Archimedes were not candidates for wild release and became education animals. We’ve hand raised more baby raccoons than I could tell you, plus we’ve worked with fulmers, pelicans, storks, a Nene goose, barn owls, kestrels, red tail hawks, red shouldered hawks, and peregrine falcons. And probably a few others I’ve forgotten.

This all took place over the course of about twenty-five years or so and may sound very random. Some of you are wondering if we’re certifiable; some are wishing you had our lives. And some don’t know what to think. But, there’s actually a purpose here. All of these animals, and many others, have taught me lessons of one kind or another that I hope to write about. This is basically just a background piece, so my animal stories won’t sound quite as weird as they might otherwise.

But I began to wonder if drawing life-lessons from animals was something that was a little too outside of many people’s boxes. However, I always try to pay attention when the same Bible verse appears in more than one devotion on the same day. It happened this week … two times Job 12:7-9 showed up. “But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the heavens, and they will tell you; or the bushes of the earth and they will teach you; and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?” ESV

I have to admit, as many times as I’ve read through the Bible, I don’t have a conscious memory of that verse. It was one of those moments when what should have been at least familiar suddenly appears like something you’ve never, ever seen before! I love it when God does that!!
On that particular morning, I took it as confirmation that I should be using those stories … after all, the experts say you should write what you know. So, I’m working on a story about my little buddy, Tyler the tortoise. Stay tuned …