All Creatures January/February 2021

JANUARY MARKS the beginning of a new year, for those of us who use the Gregorian calendar, anyway. It’s a time to kick off change, an invitation to wipe the slate clean and set new goals. For me, it’s always felt like an open door to opportunity and possibility. Unlike the hibernating creatures (page 46) that settle in stillness and slumber during these winter months, I’m usually motivated to move my body, take on a project I’ve long put off, make space in my closet or try something new. This January, however, I feel differently. We couldn’t have predicted a year like 2020. The Covid-19 pandemic cast a shadow of uncertainty and anxiety, risks and protocols. But it also offered perspective. I spent months in lockdown at home with my…

Some friendships are instantaneous. Others take a little time, tenderness and, in the case of Maggie the sheep and Quincy the duck, forgiveness. A fox invaded the pen the two share with other animals at Summit Equestrian Center in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Spooked, Maggie scrambled away and inadvertently pinned Quincy under her hooves. The duck sustained mild injuries, so executive director Allison Wheaton took her home to recover. Quincy soon returned, fully healed. She wasn’t afraid of Maggie at all. In fact, they became close friends. “They sit together the entire day,” Allison says. “I think they really understand each other’s energy.”…

the pond at sunrise Seven ducks sedately paddle.A doe drinks with her fawn.But you can only see themIf you get here close to dawn, When a thousand dewy cobwebsThe spiders spun last nightHang sparkling like bright diamondsIn the early morning light. Cows are lowing in the pasture,As songbirds start to sing.A front row seat at daybreakFor the earth’s awakening. Share a moment of connection you’ve had with one of God’s creatures (poems and prayers welcome). Send it to allcreatures@guideposts.org.…

MARYANN GOGNIAT EIDEMILLER of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, didn’t consider herself an artist. She had never studied art and only dabbled in graphite drawing and clay sculpture before her career as a journalist took off. Maryann hadn’t drawn anything in decades. Then, in the summer of 2017, she bought a portrait of her Pomeranian, Josie, through an animal rescue’s fundraiser. “You could have drawn that yourself,” her family told her. They had been trying to get her back into drawing, giving her art supplies and reminding her of her talent. But it was the portrait that really inspired her to pick up a graphite pencil again. “I thought I’d start by drawing people’s pets to raise money for rescues and shelters,” Maryann says. “We’ve always had a house full of special needs…

RETIRED POLICE chief Barbara Higgins now has the time for a hobby she’s always loved: watching birds. But she is not just hoping to catch a glimpse as they fly by; she’s also inviting them to visit with a unique feeding station outside her Springfield, Vermont, home. Barbara’s husband, Ron, fashioned the contraption, which resembles an umbrella clothesline, out of six spokes and a metal pole. The couple have hung close to a dozen different feeders and baskets from the spokes. The most ingenious part? Ron hooked up the pole to an old television ro tary antenna so Barbara can turn the station using a motorized control box and fill the feeders through the kitchen window. “I don’t even have to go outside to do this daily chore!” she says.…

Q My betta fish’s fins don’t really expand or fan out a lot. What’s wrong? —Katie T. , Boston, Massachusetts A Bettas usually love to fan out and show off their colorful fins. If yours is exhibiting clamped fins—holding them close to his body—something could be wrong. Fish can get sick. You may not notice a big change in his appetite or behavior, since most fish are good at masking illness, but the lack of fin movement can be a sign your fish is not feeling well. Most of the time, pet fish are sick due to chronic stress from poor water quality or improper temperature. To provide your fish with a healthy environment, make sure your betta is in a proper tank with a low-flow filter and a heater.…