Summer Critters (Warning--Pictures!)

by Jill Kemerer

All summer I've been taking walks whenever possible, and I've encountered a LOT of critters! Now, I'll be the first to admit I'm a big baby when it comes to the creepy-crawlies. Spiders make me scream; snakes give me heart attacks. And since I'm a drama queen, I took lots of pictures to prove I had reasons to be afraid.

First up, I was just walking along, minding my own business when I almost stepped on this little guy. Yes, it took ten minutes for my pulse to return to normal!

This spider? HUGE. And in the bathroom at the park I was visiting. Yikes! In my mind, this is one step away from a tarantula.

In June, my girlfriend joined me on a research trip to the nearby Lake Erie islands, and we were both shocked at how late the Mayflies appeared this year. Here they are on my leg and covering a pole (they are harmless but icky!).

Also on this trip, we got to see what was under the black mats on one of the islands--it wasn't a pleasant surprise! To be fair, scientists research these snakes, so there's that.

I came across this adorable toad sunning himself while I was walking the other day. I don't mind frogs and toads. I like his pose.

Finally, in July we spent a week in Florida. We saw all three of these on the same night. The tiny crab was my favorite!

Not pictured? The raccoon that climbed the tree right outside the deck! The little guy was too fast for me...

What critters have you encountered recently? Which ones do you like more than others?

Enjoy your Monday!

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Jill Kemerer is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of inspirational romance novels for Harlequin Love Inspired. She loves coffee, M&Ms, a stack of books, and long walks outdoors. She resides in Ohio with her husband and two almost-grown children. Please visit her website, jillkemerer.com, and sign up for her newsletter.

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Our Furry and Feathered Friends

by Jean C. Gordon

Who likes pets in romances? I do. So I was surprised last week when I realized that none of the heroes or heroines in my seven Love Inspired Romances (counting my Christmas 2015 Holiday Homecoming and the book I'm currently finishing) have pets. And only one of the five books I wrote for Avalon Books has a pet in it. Why am I surprised? Because we have lots of pets. Meet:

 
Xena, our seven-year-old lab-boxer, and we think some shepherd, too, mix.



 

Cat1 and Cat2, twin sisters who really belong to our daughter, but moved themselves over to our side of the house because of the dog population on their side.




Mr. Buttons, our grandson's six-year-old lab-boxer mix.


Appa, the terrier our granddaughter brought back when our daughter and her family returned from their year in Guam.

Zori, whose heritage is anyone's guess. She looks like a miniature chocolate lab. Someone abandoned her on the experimental farm our son-in-law managed in Guam. He couldn't find a home for her, so she came back with them.




Moving outdoors, I have Baby Rooster, who replaced my old rooster, the yellows, and a Guinea fowl that was given to me. I think it's a male because I haven't seen any Guinea eggs in the year and a half I've had him. Our son-in-law also has a small flock of Guinea keets (immature adults) acquired earlier this summer.

Do you have a favorite pet in a book you've read or written? I think the next book I write is going to need a pet or two.