Animal Encounter Blessings

Why do these things always happen to us, to our family? Is it the genetic mutant animal gene? Is it because God knows we are open to these encounters so He "blesses" us with them? Things like this never ever would happen to the gardening sister, or the condo sister.

My kids and I were talking about memories yesterday.

Mom, do you remember that time we went to Florida and.....

Ah...yes.....


Our family was vacationing at Amelia Island, Florida one year, a few years back. We were collecting shells from the ocean just at that point where the waves roll in and crash. We had a system going. I would feel the really big shells with my feet, reach down and retrieve them, then hand them off to one of the kids who would take them to the beach where we could admire them and sort into "keep" or "put back".

I had just handed one off and was looking for the next, when my son yelled out...

Mom? "MOM!!! There's something sticking out of this one!"

Mind you, I hadn't really looked at it...I was kind of in a zone.... just me, the waves and the shells...

"Oh...it's OK. I'm sure whatever it is it's dead. Just put it with the rest."



"MOM! IT LOOKS LIKE AN OCTOPUS TENTACLE!"

"That's nice honey, now put it with the rest."

Obviously I was still in zone-mode and only half-listening...and that was so silly anyway...what were the chances of an octopus this close to shore?

"MOM! IT's CRAWLING OUT!"

OHMYGOSH! He was right! (I should have known...animal encyclopedias are his thing).

A real, live, unhappy octopus was crawling out of the shell --- the shell my son was holding in his hands.

But, don't call PETA yet, Prince Charming came to the rescue, grabbed the octopus in his bare hands (isn't he brave?) and tossed him back to sea.

We didn't even have a chance to grab the cameras. Prince Charming said the life of the octopus was more important than a scrap-booking moment. I'm sure Mr. Octopus thought so as well.

I hope he lived happily ever after.




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A2, the original photographer/srapbooking queen sent me this picture from her archives. This was the trip of the octopus. Maybe the Gardening Aunt will see how small this picture is and fix it. (hint)