I do have a lot of GREAT pictures of toads, because we live near a forest and then tend to come up to the patio and chill out. Not sure who I could find that s pecializes in doing anthro toads though.

We're from the band LIMOZEEEEN-uh!

Not making that up by the way. Nintendo is very much responsible for where we are today, but by that same token it's hard to be mad at them for making Starfox 64 again. Because Command and Adventures were goofy as hell. Assault was better, but at the same time it felt very different. Smaller.

You can also watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes like this! Sadly, I have yet to find an English dub, but that doesn't matter too much since the dub contains just about everybody who's anybody in anime voice acting. It was weird to hear both Ryusei Nakao and Ryo Horikawa again in the same show.

Post a random picture, or everything will go bad in September.

that's really cool. get a photo so it can fight the hollow knight boss i found a few days ago.

Well I first knew it as a photoshop of a different horror movie poster "The Bye Bye Man" but I guess its taking on a life of its own now!

every day is a pet me until I get bored day with yva the cat

I cant believe this cat just kinda showed up outside my apartment and now she is my friend. Nearly a month together. Love you Yva.

Exhibit A

So in conclusion, the things I want you guys to take from this are the following: Love and kindness comes from unexpected places if you look for it; and every animal has a life as beautiful and complicated and difficult as a human. Be kind to them. Be patient with them. I hope you enjoyed my tale!

The frostbite harmed many ducks, scarring the wrinkles on their faces, but Bloodheart had a particularly bad case which cost him most of the front joints on the toes on his left foot. There was nothing I could do but try to feed him. He did not eat much, but thankfully made a full recovery.

While Bloodheart now had the emotional aupport and company of a family, the park does not provide a lot of good shelter for the ducks. Usually the best they can do is put leaf litter from the trees in picnic shelters. Despite these efforts, Bloodheart developed a gnarly case of frostbite.

Yet again, I am sad to inform you that the story is not over and rakes a tragic turn, albeit less so than the loss of Buffy. This part of the story is about the tenacity of life, even life that is perceived as being "less" or "less valued." The winter of 2022 would be very difficult for Bloodheart.

Bloodheart and Easy grew into adulthood during 2023. They also overcame the difficulties of their youth--Bloodheart and Easy would both be accepted into different family groups, where they now enjoy the company and support they deserve as social animals.

Bloodheart and Easy gave no sign of whether or not they missed their friend. They simply kept right on going, which helped me accept the loss of Buffy.

Unfortunately, it was not to last. January came with a brutal cold snap that year, and Buffy disappeared. I would find the body of a dead duck with white feathers on its neck after the lake ice melted. It was too degraded to know for certain, but I never saw Buffy again.

The leaves changed, the grass died, but people like me and the other duck feeders helped these animals enjoy a better quality of life. And I was rewarded with many beautiful moments such as these.

Over the next few months, as it got colder, the ducks got friendlier. Not only that, the swans decided to join in. It made me feel a lot less alone. Better still, the townsfolk were not bothered by it. So I would buy a can of oats and feed them.

Next is the star of this story, Bloodheart the Patient. Bloodheart was so named for a spot of blood on his white chest, on the left side. It healed but the name stuck, and his willingness to be pet endeared me to him deeply, like Buffy's attitude.

Over the next few weeks, I would cultivate a relationship with these three ducks in particular. I even came to name them. There was Buffy the Fearless, who had a splendid chest. He was the most assertive by far, and nibbled on my hands as a sign of contentment, but did not like to be touched.

Eventually I noticed three little drakes. Too young to be in a family group, too old to be with their parents. Without proper support these adolescents seemed to be depending on each other. I also noticed they were unafraid of humans, even friendly. So I decided I would try to feed them. And I did.

In the summer and autumn of 2021, I was in a bad place. I gradually realized that while I was struggling, the park, and its ducks, kept going as if nothing happened. So I started staying at the park on and off, to watch the ducks.

So let me first explain some things about this park. People have been feeding the ducks at this park for decades. This has contributed to many ducks being tame and friendly. And even the swan pair that lives here as well. This is where the story begins.

I think....it is time to tell the story of Bloodheart the duck.