Taste of Kiwi: Blog of Author Shelley Munro

During a recent evening walk, hubby and I were talking about bed bugs, which then led to other things that bite.

Thirteen Things That Bite

1. Bed bugs

2. Fleas

3. Sandflies

4. Spiders

5. Snakes

6. Mosquitoes

7. Scorpions

8. Leeches

9. Ticks

10. Cats and Dogs

11. Sea Lice

12. Bumble Bees

13. Head Lice

A few of the above things have latched on to me. I’ve had malaria, which was MOST unpleasant and as a child caught head lice. Yuck! I’m thankful we don’t have snakes in New Zealand. So far, I’ve escaped bed bugs. I hope that trend continues.

Have you received bites from any of the above? Do you have any things with bite that I can add to my list?

The Columbia River is a huge river and we spent some time driving beside it, driving over it on the Astoria Bridge (longest bridge in the USA) and looking down on it. No doubt about it, the river is impressive. So is the wildlife. This is a heron fishing in the Columbia River.

To see more photographs of animals visit Camera Critters.

One of the animals Mr. Munro most wanted to see during our last trip to the US was a bull moose. We came across this one while driving in the Grand Teton area. It was a hot day and he was ambling down the small waterway, ignoring all the tourists taking photos of him.

To see more animal photographs visit Camera Critters.

This is my eighty-year-old father’s horse Arizona. She had a foal just over a week ago. Now he’s a bit put out because he can’t ride his horse around the farm, but he’s as proud as punch of Arizona’s foal. He’s about ten days old in this photo and as yet, unnamed. He is so cute and nibbled on my fingers and clothes. Hubby and I wanted to take him home. My father wouldn’t let us.

To see more animal photos visit Camera Critters.

Mr. Munro took this photo at the Auckland zoo. When we visited Africa we saw quite a few hippos. We stayed at one camping ground by a waterhole where they came out at night and grazed by our tents. The hippo is considered one of the most dangerous animals in Africa, and the worst thing you can do is to get between a hippo and water or a hippo and its offspring.

To see more animal photos visit Camera Critters.

This photo of two otters playing was taken at Bear Country in South Dakota. They were having a fine old time and enjoying the sun.

To see more animal photos visit Camera Critters.

“Careful! Watch the knot. Do I have to go to work today?”

“Can’t we go faster?”

“Ah! Dinner time at last.”

“And maybe time for a snooze.”

These photos were taken at our local farmers’ market where they give pony rides to the children. To visit more animal photos follow the links at Camera Critters.

This photo was taken at Bear Country in South Dakota. We wanted to make sure we saw plenty of bears and this is a black bear. As well as bears we saw bison, moutain lions, and otters to mention a few. To visit other Camera Critters go here.

My special guest today is fellow Ellora’s Cave and Deliciously Decadent December author, LA Day. Check out her latest release, Greek Temptation a few posts below! Over to Laura…

First off, I want to thank Shelley for inviting me here especially during her birthday month. Happy Birthday, Shelley, I hope you get everything you want.

For those that don’t know me I love to read and write erotic romance but I have another passion and that is animal welfare. With the holidays drawing so near, everyone’s thoughts turn to giving and we all know of many needy causes. I’m not one to promote one cause over another. There are so many, most are very deserving and I know all of our pockets are a bit lighter this year.

However, there is one cause that is very dear to my heart and that is the protection and care of our four-legged friends. It breaks my heart to see neglected pets and strays roaming the streets, not to mention the number of animals euthanized each year. Every town has a local shelter or animal sanctuary in need of assistance or donations. And, let’s not forget one of the easiest and best things we can all do is have our pets spayed and neutered.

This year, my daughter and I have decided to give up some of our presents in favor of supporting a local shelter. I know this isn’t feasible for everyone but if you have a few extra dollars or maybe some room in your home remember there is not a more unconditional love than that of a loyal pet.

However, you spend your holiday season; I hope your days are filled with love, laughter and of course hot reading material.

While I don’t usually incorporate pets into my stories, I do write about animals of a different kind…the Alpha Male. Whether my heroes are shifters, vampires, spacemen or executives, they all share a few aggressive, animalistic traits. If you share my passion for two-legged animals check out my website.

Remember, Alpha Males are only a ‘Day’ away!

Laura/LA Day

Excerpt from Greek Temptation
Blog
Website

Question from Shelley: Do you like reading stories that feature animals? Why or why not? Do you have any recommendations?