Happy Valentine's Day from Animals at Tugman State Park! (+6 insets!)

(+6 insets!)

"I Caught a Salamander!"
On one of my morning walks I took a camera with me to capture some of the beautiful things I saw every day at Tugman State Park. I had a specific mission though. I made a bee-line for the Eel Lake dock because I hoped to get some pictures of a wonderful and unusual sight I'd discovered the other day. In the early morning, if you looked carefully, you could see salamanders swimming around! They were so darned cute! This is something I've never seen in my whole life! (I believe these are juvenile Coastal Giant Salamanders, Dicamptodon tenebrosus.)

Moving slowly around the wooden dock, I got some neat images of barely-visible salamanders swimming along just under the surface. I guess they must live under the dock…perhaps on the wood? In the mud under water? I don't know for sure but I was full of joy as I saw each one, cooing happily at their cuteness.

At the same time as I was there, a father and his young daughter and son were there. Dad was fishing while his kids were laying on the deck with hands positioned over the water. They were hoping to catch salamanders and had a water-filled bucket next to them if they got lucky.

"I CAUGHT ONE!!!" I looked over to see the young boy with an ear-to-ear grin, standing up with a salamander held very gently in his hands. He saw me looking with my matching smile and asked if I would like to see his new little friend. "YES!" I exclaimed and asked if I could take a picture. He said sure and I got a nod from Dad before I captured the image you see as today's main image. I love this shot. It clearly shows how gently the salamander is being held and though the salamander doesn't look exactly thrilled, it's not freaked-out, which makes me happy!

Before I turned to go, the children said they were going to catch all the salamanders they could until Dad was done fishing and then they would let them go. I couldn't help but look back on my own adventures of capturing little salamanders under bricks in San Francisco when I was their age! :)

Other Insets
I'm including a salamander under the water, a darling chipmunk that posed for me, and a close-up portrait. I'm also sharing images of a lovely garter snake I discovered on the trail. It was so relaxed that it took about five minutes to slowly make its way over the trail and off into the bushes. :)

I hope you're all doing well today! Stay safe, warm and dry on this cold, wet day! HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!

Explored on 2/13/29; highest placement #3.