It’s here!!! My biggest Zoo Crew (ZC) adventure has FINALLY arrived! On August 11^th, 2018, I was at the airport with my family about to embark on an amazing experience. It took many long months to get here, but all began in December 2017, with an opportunity. 

In case you haven’t read my 4^th blog post, I was in the most amazing zoo volunteer group, called Zoo Crew (ZC) for 4 years, at the Houston Zoo. November-December 2017, I received an email about a possible Zoo Crew opportunity. The opportunity was to either go to the Galapagos for 9 days or to Belize for a week. Based on a survey, the Galapagos was the winner of which trip we were going on. There was a lot of interest from all Zoo Crew, so our leader made an application for the opportunity. What was this opportunity? The opportunity entailed getting to travel to the Galapagos Islands to help with conservation work with an organization there, Ecology Project International. This would be the first ZC International trip. On December 20^th, while I was working on some homeschool work, I remembered something very important. The Zoo Crew Galapagos trip application DUE DATE was on that SAME day at midnight. That afternoon, I, with help from mom, filled out the application. I had a few moments where I thought to myself, “I probably won’t get it, but at least I tried for it”. I was nervous for my odds of getting it, because I knew they were pretty low. However, I’m not a girl who gives up easily.

Well, on December 21^st, while working on some homeschool work, I got an unbelievable email. That email stated that I was 1 of 16 ZC selected to GO on that trip! My focus level went downhill fast, as I was filled with excitement and gratefulness for this miraculous opportunity. There was a lot of packing, and preparation, to do and 8 long months to do it. This trip would be a milestone trip for me because of 3 BIG things.

1) It was on a continent I’ve never explored. 2) It would add a new country to my growing list of countries. 3), It would be my first trip without my family. 

March 25^th, 2018 brought our first Galapagos trip meeting. There we met everyone going on the trip, and one of our Conservation staff leaders, Renee. May 25^th, 2018 brought another Galapagos trip meeting. This time, we met Martha, who’s also on our conservation team. We also got to meet, pet and feed our 3 Galapagos tortoises, who are about 80 years old. There was another trip meeting on August 3^rd  in the evening, where we got a special staff t-shirt and an EPI t-shirt. There was a lot to be done over the next 8 days. The excitement was mounting each day, and every time I thought about it. I was working in Zoo Crew August 10th, and how I focused with a BIG adventure the next day, I still have no clue. 

After I got home, I began to finalize my packing. I wasn’t going there alone, as a little friend was coming with me. CNA readers, meet Duffito! Duffito is a 12in pre-dressed Duffy the Disney bear, who’s always ready to explore. His name translates to “little Duffy” in Spanish. After deciding that Duffito was coming, I started charging anything that needed to be charged. I also set my clothes out for the next day, which consisted of my EPI shirt, comfy travel pants, my hiking boots, and a wide-rimed hat. My mom let me borrow one of her wide-rimed hats for sun protection (I have eczema on the top of my head and it can get burned and irritated quickly, so hats have been perfect for when if I’m staying outside for a long period of time). After a while, it was time to go to bed. I was too excited to sleep, but I eventually drifted off. I wanted to feel well rested for tomorrow’s island-sized endeavor.

Finally, Saturday came, and Galapagos-sized excitement filled me up, especially when realizing that THE day was finally here. After a family breakfast, at one of our favorite breakfast places, we made a quick stop at home to grab my bags (my backpack, camera backpack and a tote bag), Duffito, hopped in Mom’s car and we were on our way. About an hour later, we were at Houston’s Bush International Airport. I was surprised to know that I was the first girl to arrive, as all the boys were already there, and excited to see another ZC coming. After putting my stuff down, I showed Colleen (our leader) a few documents, including my passport, that she needed to see. My mom and dad told her about a few things regarding me (my medicines and health stuff), and she assured them that she’d take good care of me. I said goodbye to my family and talked with the boys and Colleen, and Melanie (our other leader). About 45 minutes later, we took a group picture, breezed through security and were ready to get on the plane. After a plane ride to Atlanta and a layover, we were back on a plane to Quito, Ecuador. I was too excited to sleep on that overnight flight. A big adventure was on the horizon and I couldn’t wait to see what was in store. 

We arrived safely in Ecuador late that night, and a bus picked us up. We were all pretty tired and ready to see our hotel. After we got there, we unloaded our stuff and got placed in our rooms. I was pretty tired after everything so I told someone to wake me up in the morning, and I went to sleep quickly. A few hours later, someone woke me up, and I got ready for the day. That day was another flying day as we were flying to Santa Cruz, Galapagos Islands. The ride over was a little different, because once we touched down the first time, we were up in the air again. After our second landing we got our stuff, met our guides, Martin (Mar-teen) and Ivan (E-vahn), and headed to a bus. Along the way, they provided us with some yummy pears, which I ate gladly. We didn’t eat much on the flight so we were all a little hungry. Some of the other travelers were sleeping, but 3 ladies were awake (Colleen, Melanie and yours truly) and looking around town. We stopped at our Air B&B to drop our stuff off and then walked to a nearby pier. We were quickly greeted by an iconic Galapagos island local, The Marine Iguana.   

When we got to the ocean-side pier, we played a fun game to get to know one another. I have worked with a few Zoo Crew during some of my shifts, but I didn’t know everyone that well. The game was that you had to say your name, an animal and do a motion/sound to go with your animal. The challenge of the game was you had to remember EVERY person’s name, animal and sound/motion that went before you. Colleen, Melanie, Martin and Ivan played the game with us, which added some extra fun. Any guesses on my animal and sound/motion? After the fun game, we walked to another pier that had a small fish market. You know what else was there? Galapagos Sea Lions. They were so adorable and were in pretty interesting places just having a snooze and living life. One sea lion was even laid-out snoozing on a bench. We went to explore a beach and got a jumping picture of the group (that we got on our first try. My family and I did this in Spain, and it was full of bloopers), which was very fun. Then we went back to the pier, that night, and saw a small shark and a Galapagos Sea Lion playing cat-and-mouse with some small fish. That was a pretty entertaining sight to watch before heading to dinner. Dinner was a delicious pasta carbonara dish (which is making me hungry now), and pears drizzled with chocolate for dessert (which is also making me hungry). Yum! The pears we didn’t eat earlier were used for the desert. 

Coming when the tide rolls in, Part 2 of the most mazing adventure. 

One of my favorite hobbies is animal photography. From 2015 onwards, I have set out for zoos, aquariums and national parks, with one goal in mind: photographing animals. Another part of my goal is to explore different zoos and discover their special species and creative exhibits. Animals can be unpredictable and as a photography lover, that’s what challenges me the most. It keeps me on my toes, but I LOVE it when I can get a good shot of animals, especially when they’re active and not camera shy. Animals also require patience, but it’s always worth it in the end. How did I start my photography adventure?

My fascination with photography started in the summer of 2015. My mom has a Sony DSLR camera and sometimes, she would let me take pictures while on our summer Europe trips. One day, I said, “I think I want to try taking my own pictures”. With that thought re-occurring, I started studying DSLR cameras, firstly looking at lots of pictures. While I was researching, I came up with a few wants for my possible camera. I wanted a camera that had the possibility to zoom in and out, was easy to travel with, easy to use, and took great pictures. I also wanted one that was in a reasonable price range. Another want was a colored camera since black would be too confusing to tell apart from Mom’s. With having Aperts Syndrome, I lack dexterity in 3 fingers on both hands (I can bend my thumb and my pinky fingers, though), and my hands are small. This meant finding an easy operating camera was super important. Another desired thing was wireless connection abilities so that I could easily/quickly download my pictures to my mobile devices. 

After looking at numerous DSLR camera pictures on the internet, I stumbled upon a picture of a Nikon D3200 camera. I was very curious about it and quickly pulled it up on the Best Buy website. That camera was sold in 2 different colors: dark red and black. I thoroughly read the camera description, picked the dark red choice and ordered it! Dad found a great camera deal at a Best Buy store about an hour from home. The set consisted of the camera, 2 interchangeable lenses (one zoom lens and one regular lens), 2 batteries, a charger, a Nikon strap (which I used temporarily) and a Nikon camera bag (which I also used temporarily). That WHOLE Nikon set was in my price range! On our way home from visiting grandparents, who live in Hattiesburg, MS, we stopped at the store and picked up my new camera. When we got home, I excitedly (and very carefully) unboxed it, got the strap on it, read the instructions (also very important, even when very ecstatic!) and started taking pictures. I took my new camera outside, got some pictures of the ducks that live behind my house, and the rest is history. 

It didn’t take long for me to dive into the unknown (thanks, Elsa) world of photography. I would go outside and take pictures of anything I could (our house is backed up to a pond, and we frequently have duck/heron/ visitors). I quickly replaced the Nikon brand camera strap with a more comfortable cross-body one. I said goodbye to the camera bag and got a comfortable backpack for my 15th birthday. For camera backpack inquiries, I use the Lowpro Fastpack BP AW II and I highly RECOMMEND it. Animal photography quickly became my new-found passion. 

Through mid-August 2018-early 2019, my Nikon had shown troublesome signs. I’ve fallen with it on 2 different trips, and now, the zoom lens wasn’t working and sounded terrible. This wasn’t good as I’ve done most of my animal photography with that lens. Early December, I began thinking, “maybe it’s time I start thinking about getting a new camera.” Knowing our future trip plans for upcoming years, I thought now was the time to start researching. At the beginning of searching, Mom brought up the idea of a super zoom camera. I quickly thought that camera type would be perfect for photographing animals. Then, she sent me an article about best super zoom cameras and bridge cameras. Bridge cameras are a camera type in which the lens is attached to the camera body. I was quickly drawn to this intriguing camera type and began my search.

My first super-zoom camera liking was the Nikon COOLPIX P900. That camera had an 83x magnification lens. I thought it could work but I didn’t know how big it was. When I first saw it in Spain, I was a little overwhelmed. The lens was probably the width of my hands, maybe a little wider. The camera felt very heavy and didn’t look easy to travel with or operate. The Nikon COOLPIX P900 was quickly deemed as a no-go. When we got home from our spectacular European Christmas, I found another contender, the Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ80. That camera looked smaller than the P900 and had a 60x magnification lens. It was roughly the same size as my Nikon. Things looked promising for this camera until a timing setback emerged. Thus, another camera was eliminated from my list. I remained patient because I knew the perfect camera was out there, and I wouldn’t quit searching until I found the right one. 

A few days after, there was a HUGE camera breakthrough! There was another possible camera choice, which was a Canon SX60 HS. I looked at it online and was hooked instantly. I also read it had a really good 65x magnification lens and Wi-Fi abilities. I was least expecting to find a Canon camera in my budget, but that camera was in there! There were even some in stock at our local Best Buy store! I was very intrigued by it so Dad and I went to go take a look. When we got there, I saw that SX60, held it, got a great feel for it and determined… I finally found my new camera!!! More than a YEAR and a half later, and I’m still over the moon with my camera. That camera has worked amazingly for animal pictures and captures so many details that my Nikon would probably blur. It’s a very reliable camera and easy for me to use. It’s a great size to travel with and I take it on every adventure. The Wi-Fi has also saved me time, as I can download pictures straight to my mobile devices. For Christmas 2019, I got a smaller Lowpro camera bag, which has worked perfectly for backpacking and small getaways. 

If I had to pick my favorite species to photograph, trunk’s down (pun intended), it’s elephants. At the Houston Zoo, there are 11 Asian elephants with 3 being young ones. Joy is the older of the three, at 3 years old, and was born summer 2017. This girl was the youngest elephant calf I’ve seen, at 5 days old, and she was ADORABLE. She is my favorite elephant of our herd and in general, to the point that I talk to her and call her “my” girl. Joy’s older brother, Duncan (born 3 years before, in 2014), was the first elephant calf I saw. He was a week old and amazed me with how small (and ADORABLE) elephant calves were. Tilly is the second-youngest elephant, and she is FULL of PERSONALITY! She is currently 2 years-old and was born summer 2018. Since getting my Canon, I’ve been determined to take pictures of those growing (TOO FAST) girls. A big reason why I love photographing Joy and Tilly, is every time is different. They have such unique personalities that are fun to photograph. Joy has become an adventurous girl and LOVES exploring. Tilly loves playing with Joy and will often playfully knock her into the pool, and vice versa. That’s one of my favorite moments. It’s been interesting seeing the herd’s dynamic change over the past few years especially with 3 playful calves coming into the mix. Joy and Tilly never cease to captivate me with their adorable antics. Now girls, please STOP GROWING SO FAST! In May 2020, Joy became a big sister when her little brother was born. His name is Nelson, and he is adorable! He had a rough start to life, but because the mom trusted the elephant team (that are amazing), they were able to SAVE him. I’m secretly hoping he’s not taller than me whenever I go back to see them, but I guess that’s an irrelephant (pun intended, again) wish.

In August 2020, I wanted to take my love of photography to a whole other unexplored level. It started when I heard about a photo contest presented by Australia Zoo on Facebook. As I thought about it (and probably drove my family nuts), I decided that there was no harm in trying. Then came a photo search of what photo/photos I would enter in the competition. After a lot of looking as well as consultations from the family, I picked three of my favorites. I’ve never put my pictures out there in this way before, so I’m a little nervous. One interesting thing about me is I get very shy showing myself, and putting my story, and photos, out there.  I know it’s a longshot, but like Sawyer said in Dolphin Tale 2, “I don’t want to look back on this knowing we didn’t even try”. Since I started photography, I have discovered how photography has given me a whole new perspective on an animal’s beauty.

I still have plenty to learn about animal photography. I’m 100% self-taught and am always trying  different strategies to photograph animals. One thing about animal photography is that you should never give up, just because you’ve taken one bad or blurry, picture. Believe me, I’ve been there and have taken thousands of blurry pictures. If I were to quit at my first bad picture, none of these pictures would exist. Another thing is expecting the unexpected. You never know how a picture will turn out, sometimes it could be your best picture.  Patience is also key, as it takes time to find the right camera that works best for what you’re wanting. Finding my Cannon camera tested my patience but the results have been well worth it. One thing I’ve kept in mind is that the greatest photographers (Robert Irwin is my favorite. Crikey! His pictures are beyond breathtaking!) started off where I am now. 

Coming up next on CNA: A wild Zoo adventure outside of the Zoo!

Since moving to Texas in November 2012, one of my FAVORITE places has been the Houston Zoo. We’ve been regular visitors, and I’ve really bonded with the animals over the years as I have watched them grow up.

In 2014, we discovered a Houston Zoo program called Zoo Crew. ZC is a program for ages 13-17 that involves volunteering in many different zoo roles while exploring zoo careers. One visit, we were at the elephants’ exhibit and saw a volunteer. Because my mom knew I would love nothing in the world more than to work at a zoo, she asked her how one could be a volunteer. The volunteer told us about Zoo Crew and how its a teen volunteer program. My mom said, “My daughter is a teen and she LOVES the zoo”. That sounded pretty amazing to me, but we were too late for 2014. We decided to look into it a little more in 2015. 

2015 brought a lot more knowledge of the program and determination to try it. We quickly found out that Zoo Crew was a competitive program with a multi-step process. 1^st step was the application process. That process entailed filling out an application to let them know more about me, and why I wanted to do Zoo Crew. I couldn’t work with animals, though, as that required being in at least your second ZC year. However, I could potentially work in 1 of 3 areas that were open to first year ZC. 1^st was Education: where I could tell guests about animals and show biofacts. 2^nd was Theater: where I (and other ZC) would put on little plays that tie into the zoo’s important conservation work/messages. 3^rd was Camp Zoofari: where I could help with the zoo camp. 

For my application, I put Education first, CZ second and T third. I filled out my application using clear sentences and punctuation and tried to be as honest as possible when talking about myself. I didn’t shy away from the truth about my Aperts Syndrome. In fact, I owned it. We had to write an essay about how we were like an animal. I chose the Andean Bear (or spectacled bear). These bears are different than other bears (smaller, look like they have glasses on, and have different habits), but they are still beautiful and interesting creatures. I submitted the application and kept positive. There were over 500 applicants for the program.  

Soon after, I got notified that I had qualified for an interview for a possible placement. I had never had an interview before. After receiving that email, my family practiced the interviewing with me. That helped me speak clearly and not mumble (Because my mouth isn’t formed the same way as most people’s, I can sometimes be hard to understand. This gets worse when I am nervous, so I needed to focus on clear speech.) It also helped me get a feel for what the interview was going to be like. Also, it gave me confidence on what to say. Interview day brought a nervous Claudia because this was something I was really interested in. I was interviewed by one of the camp leaders and focused on speaking clearly. Soon after interview day, an email came and it was official. I got in ZC and placed to help with Camp Zoofari! I couldn’t wait to see what it had to offer. 

On my first day, I was with 6 & 7-year old campers. I was a little nervous as kids these ages notice that I’m different straight away, and it bothers me when people stare at me sometimes. These kids noticed I was a little different and were ok with that. They asked about my hands occasionally, but I knew they were just curious. None of them were mean about it. I told them that I was born like that, and they accepted it and moved on. By my 3^rdday, I was watching them and asking them questions like all of the other camp counselors. I loved it and they did too – at least I think they did. We had fun playing games with the campers. On my last day, I was evaluated by one of the Camp teachers. This is a process for all Zoo Crew team members.  She said that I did a good job, but that I needed to improve my initiative. I took what the 1^stcamp counselor said very seriously and stepped up my initiative game.  I really wanted to do well with this program, so I worked with my parents to come up with ways that I could show more initiative at camp.  The following week, I did those things and was just more comfortable with my role at the camp, and the initiative wasn’t a problem again. After my third week of camp, I had finished my 2015 Zoo Crew duties and I couldn’t wait to apply again in 2016.

2016 was a big ZC year for me. That was my first year ELIGIBLE for an ANIMAL section. This time, the application process was a little different, since only a few animal spots were open. Another big difference was that I was a returning ZC member. My mom had the idea to make a resume about my experiences with animals/people. That was an amazing idea and it’s still growing today! I applied again, and then the e-mail came, and I got an interview for Hoofstock. Hoofstock is the animal category that covers animals with hoofs: Giraffes, Zebra, Okapi, Tapirs, Capybaras, Red River Hogs, Giant Anteaters, Duikers, and many S. American and African bird species. I printed out the application with my answers and the resume. I took those with me to the interview. Memory, a keeper in Hoofstock, interviewed me and asked me why they should have me as a volunteer. I spoke very clearly and showed her my resume. I was very nervous, since I had been working towards this since last year. After the interview, all we could do was stay hopeful and keep our “hooves” crossed.

We got an email the day after the interview. I looked at the email and saw I was in ZC again. However, more importantly, I GOT HOOFSTOCK!!!! I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait for that summer to begin. It was soon time for my first week. It was very different from Camp Zoofari, since instead of being there by 8:00 am, I had to be in the keeper trailer by 7:00. Good thing there’s an early riser in the family, ME! Working in Hoofstock is a physical job. I should put here that sometimes I struggle with carrying things that are too heavy and I can get tired. That didn’t stop me from giving all my effort to help the staff. On my first day, the old hose disconnected 8 times while I was trying to rinse the night area for tapirs, rhea (they’re like mini ostrich, but a different species), giant anteaters, and capybara. I think I got soaked more than the area I was intending to wash. Oh, the life of a Zoo volunteer! One of the challenging parts was cutting up banana with the peel. I had no trouble cutting up everything else, even when I had no experience cutting up things other than butter. 

The hoof-stock team brought so many memorable moments. I took many pictures, but I can’t share them since they’re mostly behind the scenes. One of my favorite memories was seeing how long 18in tongues really are. In other words, I got a licked by our male okapi Kwame (kah-wah-may), in the EAR (Giant Wet Willy!)! I wasn’t even right next to him! It felt like sandpaper and similar to a cat’s lick. That was something I wouldn’t forget anytime soon. I also quickly established my favorite areas: Giraffe and Rhino barns. We would get to feed the giraffes whenever we had a presentation. That was pretty fun, and the giraffes enjoyed the extra snack. I would always stick the lettuce, yam, or carrot, a little out of reach, so the guests could see that black/purplish 18in prehensile tongue. The tongue has that coloration to keep it from getting sunburned. An okapi fact is they share the same tongue trait and are a close living relative to giraffes. After this year of Zoo Crew, I decided to try to get stronger, and I started working with a trainer at the gym along with the running I was already doing.

Between the summers of 2016 and 2017, the Zoo Crew program underwent some big changes. Summer 2016 brought 3 new staff members to the Volunteer group. In October 2016, we welcomed our current teen supervisor. ZC was now a year-round program, and not just a summer program. For summer 2017, I applied for Hoofstock again. I then hoped again, and what comes up? HOOFSTOCK again. 5 days before I was interviewed, a giraffe calf was born. A few days into getting chosen, ANOTHER giraffe calf was born. The Hoofstock area had undergone a HUGE baby boom! I couldn’t wait to meet those “little” baby girls, a male tapir calf, an ADORABLE warthog piglet, and 2 ADORABLE female Red River hog piglets (born while I was traveling in Europe, of course). I had to replace my cuteness meter more than a thousand times! I loved working in Hoofstock again that summer.  I’ll never forget those two summers with the animals and keepers.

In 2018, I was a little sad when applying. That was my last year eligible for Zoo Crew. I was a little late filling out my application, because I was recovering from a January jaw reconstruction surgery. We hoped, and a new position came for me: Naturalist. I was interested to see what Naturalist ZC do. That gave me some new challenges as I interacted with guests and answered their questions. Other days, I shared facts about the animals with zoo guests or ran games to teach guests about the animals in a fun way. As a naturalist, I was partnered with one or two other teens for the week.  I loved seeing the guests’ reactions when they learned something. Working as a naturalist challenged me, as I worked extremely hard to speak clearly, and it worked. My last Friday was sad, as a big life chapter closed.

I’m very thankful that I got to volunteer at an AMAZING zoo for 4 straight years. In my 4 years at the zoo, I worked for 536 hours, and have learned so much about animals. Thank you, Houston Zoo for inspiring me to volunteer! We still go to the zoo quite often, and I love seeing all the animals I used to work with and the elephants. I am now about to start college, and once I know my schedule, I will be applying to be an adult volunteer so that I can keep working with such an amazing place.

My last Zoo Crew day wasn’t the end of my relationship with the zoo, however. August 2018 brought something BIG!  I’ll cover that in a future blog.

      

 

I love all dogs I meet, but would you be surprised to know that at one point in time, I was AFRAID of DOGS? Well, it’s all true. When I was a little baby, I loved them. I went through a phase where I didn’t like dogs. I had a couple of situations with dogs that scared me when I was little, and I became afraid of them.  My older sister was also afraid, and we fueled that fear in each other.  I WANTED to like them, but I was scared.  When my sister died in 2007, I became more eager to have a dog because I wanted the companionship.  However, I was scared.

In Spring 2008 (when I was seven), my cousins who lived overseas and were moving, needed someone to watch their dog.  He was a 3-year-old rat terrier/Jack Russell mix named Jack who belonged to my cousin, Rachel. Jack was born with an underbite, which made the runt of his litter. He’s the SWEETEST dog, despite the underbite.  From what we were told, Jack and Rachel were inseparable.

The plan was that we would watch Jack for two days and then take Jack to my aunt’s sister’s house where they would keep him for six weeks.  My parents were worried about these two days, since I was still afraid of dogs, but this was the only option that would work for Jack and all of the family.  

The plan was that my dad would pick Jack up at the airport in the evening and bring Jack to our house. I would be in my mom’s bed with her so that she could protect me if I got scared, and then I could gradually get used to having Jack around.  My parents were nervous about what was going to happen and I was even MORE nervous. My dad and Jack got to the house and Dad let Jack loose.  We imagined Jack timidly looking around the house and eventually coming to the bed where he would wait calmly for me to touch him.  Instead, Jack ran into the house as fast as he could, found us in the bed immediately, jumped up there and started licking my face!  

My parents were horrified thinking I would go nuts, but I just started laughing.  Then, I was hugging him and he was kissing me all over! From that night, Jack slept with me in the bed.  Mom quickly picked up her phone, called her parents, and said “Jack is sleeping on the bed with Claudia, and she is loving it”. I had overcome that fear and absolutely loved him. My love for him grew during the next couple of days. It was clear that the past was in the past!  

By this time, Jack was supposed to go stay with my Aunt’s sister’s family.  So, my mom called my Aunt and asked if her sister’s family wanted to keep Jack or if they were just doing them a favor.  My aunt said it was a favor, so Mom called and got it all settled. Jack would stay with us for the next six weeks.  

I absolutely loved having Jack for those six weeks.  He is such a happy dog and he really loved me.  We all started dreading the day when Jack would leave and go back to his family. So, we started making preparations to get a dog of our own. Our wants for the possible new family member, consisted of one that was easy to live with, didn’t make much noise, didn’t shed, and was good with kids.  I was also still a little afraid of large dogs, so we wanted something small.  A couple of our friends had Shih-tzus, and we thought that might work.  That was when she found the Yappity-Yap Kennels’ website and found some adorable Shih-tzu puppies in White, Georgia. They had a litter that was born that January. Little did we know, that in that litter, there was a life-changer.

Enter the CUTEST Shih-Tzu puppy ever! On April 5^th, my mom and I went to Yappity-Yap kennels which was about an hour and a half from where we lived. They had 2 Shih-Tzu puppies ready for homes. They brought out a white, sable, and black female and a solid darker male. The personalities were different in the two: the brother was very barky and feisty, and the little girl just looked at us and climbed into my mom’s lap.   

At that point, my mom determined that she was the ONE! Not only that, but we also decided to name her Rosie! At that point, a 2-month old-Rosie was officially ours. They had a large parrot that I was afraid of, so I waited outside while mom finished up the paperwork. After the paperwork, it was time to take Rosie to her new home. I held her the whole way and was truly smitten with her. I couldn’t wait for dad to meet her. 

She was a ball of adorableness, with fur. We stopped at Target on our way home from getting Rosie to buy some supplies.  What did my mom and I do with our new Rosie? Here’s a hint, we took her in with us. We found everything we needed. A lot of people asked us if our little one was real. Our answer: yes she was real. Luckily, she was very quiet through the whole experience.  Now I finally had the company of my own dog – all because of Jack!

Now-a days, Rosie and Jack are still going strong. Rosie turned 11 this January, and loves her naps and for us to bow to her will. She also claims any pillow and feels that she has self-rights to laps. She is TERRFIED of any kind of construction, even painting and the tape measure.  She still doesn’t bark or shed, and she’s still good with kids.

Jack is still as sweet as he was when he first got in bed with me. Even at 14, (at the time of this writing), he loves to snuggle and loves laps – when Rosie doesn’t get them first. Jack also loves my little sis, and there’s NO GETTING him out of her bed when we visit my grandparents.  

Coming up on CNA: Its time to get on the WILD side!

My first blog told about my application to a contest to be “Trainer for a Day” with Hope, the dolphin star of “Dolphin Tale 2”, which told the true-life story of this dolphin, at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA).  The contest finally ended, and the results were in. Sadly, I didn’t win. I was really disappointed, but I knew it was a longshot in the first place, so I wasn’t going to just sit around and pout. Instead, I was proud that I had finally been brave enough to share my story.  More than that, it made me proud of who I am. However, that wasn’t the end of my contact from CMA. 

I was spending that week with my grandparents going to zoo camp at the Hattiesburg Zoo in Mississippi. I was in the car with my granddad on my way home from camp and was looking at my emails via my phone. That’s when I noticed an email from someone I didn’t recognize. I am usually very skeptical of emails from those whom I don’t know, but I decided to take a closer look because the email said Winter in it. A few seconds later, I was in shock! As I read the email, I concluded that they were inviting me for special interaction with WINTER! I couldn’t believe it, what was happening? My grandfather was probably wondering what was going on in the back seat because I was squeaking and screaming in a way that he couldn’t even understand me. 

Once we got to their house, I told everyone the unbelievable news. How anyone understood me, I have no idea. Let me tell you, I was ecstatic! (I should probably explain here that I have a challenge with speech, and it is more difficult to understand me when I’m very excited. I can assure you that I was very excited at this moment!) I woke up my Aunt Missie with all the screaming, so she was the next one who found out. I called my mom, who was on a work-trip in England. I literally couldn’t calm down, and she was excited too (I think she might have screamed on her end of the phone). I then called my dad and he was excited, too. We had to figure out when to go for the interaction. We finally settled on my birthday weekend. Cue the flight to Tampa on November 8^th. 

November 9^th, 2014 was my 14^th birthday! This was our fourth visit to CMA, but this time was my favorite, since it was on MY BIRTHDAY and I was having an interaction with WINTER the next day! Something about visiting your favorite place on your birthday makes it even more magical. This was a pre-view visit, since the interaction was the next day. After entering the aquarium, I went to Winter’s area to see the girls. This time, Winter really noticed me. In fact, many times we were actually looking at each other in the eyes. I even talked to her, and she still looked at me in the eyes. Did she know what was coming? 

After visiting Winter, my family and 2 friends/family (The Clappers) went on a dolphin cruise with 2 people from the aquarium. Within the first minute of the cruise, we saw a dolphin gracefully leap out of the water. Literally 1 second after that dolphin landed, ANOTHER dolphin did a leap while spinning, and then another! This just kept happening.  We were in constant awe as we had only seen their dorsal fins before. The aquarium people were also amazed, as they’d never seen so many dolphins that active. We all joked that the dolphins knew it was my birthday so they were putting on a special show for me.

We then had a birthday party at the hotel with a cookie cake with four dolphins on it – one for each of the dolphins at CMA. One even had the tail burned off to look like Winter. The cake was delicious, and the memories were amazing. After the cake, I went to sleep, as I wanted to have plenty of rest, for the day tomorrow!   

November 10^th brought a TON of excitement, as it was THE DAY I had been anticipating for four months.  Now it was actually here! How I slept the night before, I have no idea. After we arrived at the aquarium, we met my two hosts for the day and had a short tour. Then, I met the dolphin trainer that was working with them, Cammie.  Cammie then surprised me by asking, “Are you OK doing it with Hope, too?”  Of course, I was more than OK with that! Two dolphin stars are even better than one!  Cammie gave me some safety tips and a quick summary of what we would be doing.  

Then it happened – the big moment. I was on the platform with Cammie, and Hope swam right past us while checking me out. Winter and Hope were RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! I still don’t know how I stayed calm. We took a few introductory pictures, and Cammie could tell that I knew the commands that they used with the dolphins (I watch a lot of dolphin interaction videos on You Tube).  I got to do waves, spins, bows, kisses, etc. with both Hope and Winter.  It was amazing! After meeting them together, it was time for some one-on-one moments. Winter was first, I got to feel her stump and got to kiss it! Hope was next.  Cammie let me feel her tail flukes, and told me a lot about her.

I then had some more time with Winter.  I tickled her, and her pectoral flippers wiggled as I tickled. Every time she completed a requested behavior, I tossed her a fish right into her mouth. I got to put my hand under her rostrum and give her a belly rub. When I leaned over to give Winter a kiss, Cammie had to almost catch me because I almost fell in. Then, Cammie got out Hope’s favorite toy.  It’s a giant water cannon that she LOVES to have squirted into her mouth.  You ready, Hope? 

My time alone with the dolphins ended when they did the buddy swim.  This is when they swim together like they are holding flippers. This is what they did when they accepted each other (in the movie), and it is featured in Dolphin Tale 2. After another wave and picture, the interaction was complete.   When we were almost done, they let my little sister, Molly, come out onto the platform and feed both dolphins and take some pictures, too.  That made it extra fun for our family.

Then, I saw a reporter from Florida’s TV news channel, ABC Action News. I remembered seeing a truck with the news on it when we got there. What were they doing at the aquarium?  After I walked off the platform, the reporter walked towards me with a cameraman. My hosts asked me if I would mind being interviewed for the local news.  Mr. Bill Logan asked me a few questions about how Winter has inspired me, and I told him about the surgery that Winter helped me through, and a bunch of other things regarding Winter and me. Cammie was interviewed, too. I couldn’t wait to see how I did on TV and to see the story. It was on Tampa’s Channel 2 action news that night and we got to watch it from our hotel.  That was pretty cool!

After the interaction and the interview, I was feeling a little sad that it was over. I went down to the underwater area just as Winter and Hope were doing the buddy swim. I arrived at a window and just enjoyed watching them.  After a few minutes, Hope came over to the window where I was standing, and I started casually moving my fingers around the glass. Hope put her rostrum on the glass and followed my finger all over the window. People saw this and started trying to do the same thing, but Hope only paid attention to me.  This went on for at least 20 minutes, and I enjoyed every minute of it.    

My mom and I were trying to figure out what it is that makes Hope recognize me this way. We have a theory that the dolphins can recognize me from other people because they use echolocation to “see” instead of just their eyes.  Because I have Aperts Syndrome, my bone structure is different from other people. We think this is why Hope seems to remember me so well.  I went back to CMA each of the next three years, and Hope clearly remembered me and did this same behavior at the underwater window every time.

This unforgettable morning was so special, thanks to my homemade video, an amazing aquarium, 1 trainer, 2 dolphins, family, friends, and never giving up on my dream.    

Next time……Get ready to hear about the Legendary Jack.

One of my favorite animals is the dolphin.  I love all dolphins, but two stand out from the rest – Winter and Hope from Clearwater Marine Aquarium (CMA).  

Here’s how it all started. I have Apert’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder in the acrocephalosyndactyly (try saying that word 5x fast) family, so I have had periodic surgeries throughout my life.  In January 2012, I was recovering from a very painful toe separation surgery.  I was born with webbed toes and two surgeries were required to separate them.  To help pass the time (the pain was keeping me up at night), my Mom was downloading movies for us to watch.  We found the movie Dolphin Tale.  This movie spoke to me like no other!  The movie told the story of Winter the dolphin and her determination to never give up. She learned to swim with no tail. I thought maybe I could grow up to be like her.  This really inspired me.  

That spring, I was dreading the second part of the toe separation, so my mom asked what I wanted to do for Spring Break.  Are you surprised that I chose Clearwater? My whole family agreed, and we set off on a road trip.

That spring, I got my first sight of Winter, and I really connected with her.  I adopted the phrase, “If Winter Can, I Can,” and I still tell myself this today.  I also discovered that there were three other special dolphins at CMA: Hope, Nicholas, and Panama.  After I recovered from my second toe surgery that year, we went back to Clearwater and I got to be the Trainer for a Day (my 12^thbirthday gift) with Panama – who shared a pool with Winter.  This was the closest I had ever been to Winter and it felt amazing!

In 2013, we went back to CMA for our third visit.  Sadly, Panama had just passed away of old age.  During my first two visits, I didn’t pay much attention to the smaller dolphin that was with Winter and Panama.  However, during this visit, I was much more aware of Hope and how active and playful she was.  They were filming Dolphin Tale 2 on weekdays during this time, so the aquarium was only open on the weekends.   This was the visit where I discovered what would become my favorite spot in the aquarium – the underwater viewing area.  I spent as much time as I could watching Winter and Hope both above ground and at the underwater windows.  

Since I first “met” Winter, I have followed CMA on social media.  In the summer of 2014, I saw on the CMA Facebook page that they were having a contest as part of the introduction of the Dolphin Tale 2 movie. The contest involved making your own multi-media presentation about why you should win a “Trainer for a Day” with Hope and meet the actress Austin Highsmith from the movie. I decided to give it a shot, and I was willing to do whatever I could to win that thing! 

Not only was doing this project fun, but it helped me overcome a fear. Up until this time, I hated to see pictures of myself as a young child in the hospital. My parents used to take pictures of me hooked up to tubes and with bandages all over me. Those pictures scared me, and I didn’t want to remember any of that. However, I felt like my best shot to win the contest was to tell my story and to show the pictures of how far I had come. This project brought me a realization that those pictures demonstrate what makes me special.  

My mom went on a work trip for a couple of days, and we had a babysitter that was very good with videos. She helped me to make a movie about my journey, and my dad helped at night.  This project really helped me to accept my past story and made me proud of who I am and how far I have come – which was a really important step for me. We spent hours picking the right pictures and the best way to tell my story.  We wrote a script that went along with a slideshow of my story and how Winter had helped me get through some tough times.  The end result was a 3:42 minute video with me narrating.  I worked very hard to speak clearly so that they could understand me when I narrated, because I wanted them to hear my voice telling the story. When my mom came back home, it was time to submit the video.  

We submitted it, kept our fingers crossed, thought positive thoughts, and prayed.   To find out how the contest turned out, you’ll have to wait until my next blog post.