Sunday was probably the coldest rainiest day I've interned...and slowest!  But it was still great to be working outside and being with the animals.  Having a job like this I can't believe I had interest in doing anything else.  Because it was so slow I took a lot of pics of the critters here...especially the bears.  Below is a pic of JB and Patron (the sibs) together and then Hugo.  Hugo is the most vocal when your out at bear shift...I took a pic while she was talkin to me haha.  Erin and I walked Hershey (the ramblin' reindeer!) around...he walked so good!  We didn't even use any bread which we usually use to get him to walk around.  Erin pointed out a grey spot at the top of his antler.  Right now they're in velvet so they have that soft velvet covering over their antlers and there are a ton of blood vessels going through their antlers delivering nutrients.  This is the time their antlers are very sensitive to touch...which also means we can actually go into their enclosure.  The grey spot at the top is an indication that their velvet is starting to die in preparation for the time where they shed it in late summer/early fall, a gruesome looking process (because of all the blood vessels).   Hershey is four years old and loves bread and dinner mints haha.  Who would've thought a reindeer loves mints?  I guess it's like a horse and sugar cubes.  Hershey came from a family in Palmer.  Some people call reindeer caribou, which is true, BUT the difference is reindeer are domesticated caribou so the will over time become smaller in size and tend to have smaller racks since they don't have the need to expend so much energy to grow big ones, being domesticated.  However Hershey is close to having a record sized rack!  You can see in the pic his antlers are pretty impressive.  

I also tried to take some pics of the great horned owls but it looks pretty dark with my camera.  I guess Johnathan had them trained to the point of eating out of his hands.  Really cool except for one thing..they eat mice and mice really freak me out haha.  They're dead but even feeding dead mice to them was something I had to get over when I first got here.  Usually they always wait till I leave to eat.  I throw some up in the log for Snappy (the female) and then some on the tree right next to me for Hooty (the male).  Sunday Snappy decided she was really hungry and couldn't wait because right when I put a mouse on the tree she flew down, grabbed it, and got spooked I was there so flew into the fence of the enclosure and just clung on with a mouse in her mouth staring at me.  It was pretty funny but at the time it definitely caught me off guard.  I also took a pic of the ducks who keep hanging out in Snickers' enclosure...they're getting really big.  I like to call them escape artists because they always seem to be getting out and traveling around.

Yesterday was another intern day.  It was just  Christina, Maria, and I so it was a little bit harder to get everything done.  Days go by so fast!  I had a really enjoyable bus tour, they can be really fun when you have talkative people that are really excited to be at the center.  I ended up staying later than six and cleaning out the babies enclosure.  It was relaxing to do the work outside by myself and get it done.  I also spent quite a bit of time with the babes.  Teddy was being so goofy.  He's always trying to eat my hair!  Christina and I did the 8 pm feeding and hung out in there for an hour taking pictures and relaxing with Hamm, Walter, Teddy, and Sully.  After the feeding all of us at the bunkhouse and cabins went to Girdwood to get water and play kickball and tennis.  Even though I'm pretty terrible at tennis I like to attempt to play haha so I did that the whole time...Paula you'd be so proud of my backhand! ; )  It was so great to get out from the center and be active outside....it was our first nice day in awhile.  People at the park were playing volleyball and playing music too.  

Today I'm in the ticket booth and gift store.  I opened the center today and the construction is literally right outside our gate which is a bummer.  Hopefully it won't cause people to pass on visiting today.  

8 days until I visit Michigan!  I'm ready to soak up some sun