You know you live in North when...# 1

Porcupines are rodents with a coat of sharp spines, or quills, that defend them from predators. The porcupines include the third largest rodent, after the capybara, and beaver, and are not to be confused with hedgehogs which are Erinaceomorphs. Most porcupines are about 25-36 inches (60-90 cm) long, with a 8-10 inch (20-25 cm) long tail. Weighing between 12-35 pounds (5-16 kg), they are rounded, large and slow. Porcupines come in various shades of brown, grey, and the unusual white. The name "porcupine" comes from Middle French porc d'épine "thorny pork", hence the nickname "quill pig" for the animal.

So the other night, we let Carson out to pee... we heard a yelp, and he came running back to the house with a face full of quills. Took him to the vet to have him sedated so they could pull them all out. Poor little guy, he had them in his nose, mouth, on his cheeks and upper jaw. He's better now, and probably even more afraid of anything that moves at night. He's been warned to only go near soft animals like CATS, mice, squirrels...

Today I'm at home with Adam. He's sick with a bad ear infection (AGAIN)! To make matters worse we wasted 1/4 of his medication last night fighting with him for him to take it. I tried everything, mixing it with juice, putting sugar on a spoon with it, pinning him down, putting it in 1/2 freezy packs with koolaid. Nothing worked. So I called the pharmacy this morning to see if they could give me a few doses extra to replace what was wasted... NOPE! We have to now buy an extra bottle at $55.