Critters, Critters everywhere...

Critters, critters everywhere, but not a one is mine.  When we left the States, we had to leave behind a much beloved sheepdog and a much maligned parrot.  The dog is too old to travel 9 hours in the cargo hold of a airplane, so he is happily warming my mother's feet in Wilmington.  The parrot, returned to my mother also.  My mother is well trained in how to avoid his "boingy" eyed tantrums.  So here we are, a home free from furry children.  But are we truly without critters?  I think not. 

First,, there was Sascha...

The girls love the neighborhood cats, including Sascha, Splotch (whom Tom calls splich, named in honor of his habit of crossing busy roads), tiger kitty, etc.  They are the perfect pet.  Someone else feeds them and clean up after them, and we get to love them. 

There are dogs EVERYWHERE.  They go on the trains, in the stores, in the restaurants, even in the grocery store.  Some stores have built in hooks in cement walls if you want to leave one outside.  They are all exquistly trained and well mannered, in typical Swiss Style.  Dogs are required by law to attend obedience school.  You even have to buy your dog a ticket to ride on the train. 

But wait, that's not all.  This is a picture of our next door neighbor, lets count the critters!

Ok, it's a little hard to see, but we have 1 goat, 2 sheep, one golden retriever and at least 20 white homing  pigeons as next door neighbors.  No, there is no smell.  To the backside of our yard I kept hearing swawking, and they are raising a goose, hopefully not for Christmas dinner. 
Don't forget the petting zoo next door either!  We have 2 very lazy shetland ponies

2 donkies, 4 goats (by the way are they just genetically inclined to climb stairs, or is something they are forced to do?)...

They have an indoor/outdoor aviary, with cockatiels, lovebirds, budgies, and one lone male cardinal.  Under strict lock and key, there is a roaming yard for chickens.  Do you know what the street value would be on them?!

All in all, this leads to some very happy little girls. 

Our yard is also filled with many new birds, and I have started feeding them.  No wonder the cats love our yard so much.  For you budding ornithologists, I have seen a European Magpie, a white backed woodpecker, and some other woodpecker which as big as the pileated woodpeckers back at home.  There are tons of sparrows, just like at home (they were imported from here), and the small songbirds look alot like those at home, with some striking differences.  This is a blue tit, who looks just like a chickadee only with a gray/blue head and a yellow body.  Viva la difference!