Just Another Tuesday...

When I arrived at TRC, there was a package waiting for me from Annie's! Look at the box full of tasty bunny goodness! I have my suspicion that this is meant for Cinnamon so that she will finally come around to Bernie's (the alleged approving bunny) way of thinking.

I don't know about Cinnamon, but I sure do approve. How can I not approve of a six pack of Shells and White Cheddar? MMMMMMM. One thing is for sure, the Stitelers will not go hungry this week.

We actually had a program scheduled for this morning at The Raptor Center. This surprised me because the MN State Fair happens right next to the U of M St Paul campus where TRC is located. Traffic and parking is very tricky if you aren't used to it. I got to work with our education barn owl who is so light and dainty on the fist. I have mixed feelings about the barn owl--we don't have them in Minnesota any more so it's hard for me talk about them as well as I can about a great-horned. On the other hand, I have a soft spot for the movie Labyrinth and the 13 year old inside me likes to pretend that it's actually David Bowie that is sitting on my fist...did I just reveal a little too much with that last sentence?

After my shift, I decided to do lunch at the Minnesota State Fair and see a few of the exhibits Non Birding Bill just will not do. First on the list: try the new fair food this year--Hot Dish on a Stick.

It's a stick alternated with meatballs and tater tots covered in cornmeal and deep fat fried. It's then served with a dipping sauce of cream of mushroom soup enhanced with hamburger and a few other herbs and spices. It reminded me of biscuits and gravy on a stick, only substitute the biscuits for corn muffins. Actually, pretty darned tasty and a nice alternative to the deep fried twinkie on a stick.

After lunch I went to the Miracle of Birth Barn where the U of M has all sorts of livestock ready to give birth every day at the state fair. Here we have a calf just born this morning. All readers should be very grateful that I'm only showing the front end of the cow with the adorable calf as opposed to the left overs lurking at the back end.

If you miss the live births, there is a camera crew on hand that "gets all up in that" and films each birth. The births are then shown on a rotating basis on several flat screen tvs around the barn. This video is of a sheep birthin' a set of twins. There's also video of piglets, calves and miniature horses too.

I took a sneak peak in the poultry barn. All the bunnies from the previous week have gone back to their homes. I love these tiny East Indian Ducks. One year someone had Indian Runners, but I didn't see any this year. I would love to have one of these guys, but ducks are just way too stinky and way too unlitterbox friendly for my apartment.

Eeeep. Satanic chicken.

Ya' know, if the feathers were a little darker on top, this chicken could be called Gaiman (or should that be Gaimhen--har har). The feathery top resembles his preferred "hair style".