Family is so important to pets and all living creatures as well as humans

This family of sandhill cranes was grazing in Florida this March or early April on a golf course... and demonstrates for me anyway, the way families often take care of their young.Thanks to Bob Fox for this wonderful photo.

One will often see creatures in the wild, early in spring with babies, hiding under feathers if they are birds, or in fur if they are mammals, and even some water creatures tend to stick together.

In my fish pond there is a large number of very small baby fish that must have all hatched during the earliest of thaws, or late last fall, and not grown...they hang about together. They are anywhere from half an inch long to perhaps an inch... and there are currently about 40 of them... The larger fish from two to nine or ten inches long tend to stay along the outskirts of the school of small ones, as if guarding them from prey - or perhaps since I haven't seen then all winter, shepherding the food supply. I have no idea whether goldfish are carnivorous or not...obviously.

This is a photo of a pond I created with the help of my children and neighbours'
kids as well,, taken several years ago. Many of my current fishes are adults
from that particular pond which we had a lot of fun creating.

Another water creature, but one that lives on land as well, is a turtle (photo from Mike O'Dell),

and then there is the alligator.... (video by Bob Fox)

They lay eggs of course, up to 90 in number according to "google," and cover them with vegetation... so I don't think they have much family feeling after the eggs are laid. However they are an important member of south and central American animal families. Many people are fascinated with them while of course there are many others who are repelled. But still, they too are part of this world, and a family member of the reptile clan.

And then there are pets.....these cats and kittens are no longer part of their immediate families, but have become part of a larger one, and are very fortunate to have been taken in and cared for by a kind human "mother - care-giver."

Wish I had access to my photos of the nine puppies that one of my labs presented to me many years ago... perhaps I will find it on a CD somewhere and do some follow up on pet families. Certainly nine little black puppies were a handful, but I learned a lot about family relationships in pets while watching and caring for them

And I have deliberately neglected my own children, as well as nieces, nephews and other family members, but I am truly blessed with a wonderful group of humans that cherishes the notion of family and participates in many celebrations together.

Which brings me to the upcoming celebration... Easter and Passover.... To all of those reading this little blog,  may your celebrations be gloriously happy, specially because they also bring the promise of spring and all families of the floral and vegetation families. Enjoy!