Wednesday, June 16, 2010

Antilocapra americana

I saw my first baby antelope this morning!!! It was super tiny, and was all wobbly in the brilliant morning sunshine. So, that means it is BRAND NEW. Baby! Antelope!

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The proper name for the critters we call antelope is pronghorn, but there isn't a soul in the Rocky Mountain West that calls them that. They are antelope as far as we are concerned.

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I have never heard antelope referred to as Speedgoats, but there you go. I learned something new today!

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A colleague of mine from Denver, Colorado saw an antelope a couple of days ago and called it a gazelle. I was incredulous. (Which was a rather smug and snotty reaction, I know.) Gazelle? I find it difficult that she, in her early 50s, born and raised in Denver, had never seen or heard of an antelope, and had no idea that gazelles do not exist on this continent.

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Buster's blood work came back and it looked "fantastic!" according to the vet. I have not yet chased Buster around the yard with a soup ladle (that will be permanently retired after its final service). The truck is not really working (super!) so A. and I are a one-vehicle family which complicates the running-to-the-vet-with-fresh-pee errand. I am hoping (dreading?) to get this done tomorrow morning.

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I downloaded the songs of the Western Meadowlark, Red Winged Blackbird, and yes, the gobble of a Wild Turkey to my phone. I managed to transfer the turkey call to A.'s phone, but cannot get it set as his ring tone. I sooooo wanted to surprise him with it. Now I am stuck with it on my phone! I thought it might be endearing to set it as his ring tone for when he calls me but we call each other too often. I would go batshit crazy after one day.

I have the Meadowlark set as my wake-up alarm. I smile every time I hear it. It is a wonderful way to start the day.

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Happy Wednesday to you!

7 comments:

  1. I haven't seen any antelope! Also we keep going to the mountains and hearing all about bighorn sheep but we have yet to see one. Grump.

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  2. Oh, that is sooo coool!

    I'm jealous.

    Speaking of gazelles, once when I worked for the Forest Service I was up on a remote plateau when a group of hunters came by (in JULY) asking where the impalas were--they heard there was an unlimited season on them and they wanted to come hunt some. The completely scary part was that this turned out to be TRUE (if a little late).

    Apparently some African grazers (not impalas, technically, but something similar) had escaped a few decades before from a wildlife ranch and in an effort to keep them from spreading the Division of Wildlife said it was okay to go hunt them whenever.

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  3. Newborn animals wobbling in the sunshine is THE BEST.

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  4. He was still wobbling? Oh, so cute.

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  5. i have never seen an antelope, much less a BABY antelope!! this must be fixed!

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  6. Wow! This is so cool.
    I'm such an idiot I probably would of thought it was a deer.

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