Truth Is Stranger Than Fiction

It’s time to reveal the truth about my list of possible experiences that I posted as a response to the guidelines for receiving the “Creative Writer” Blogger Award. Thanks again for passing that fun badge onto me, Jenn!

1. I have eaten a grub. – True! Edible cheese flavoured dried worm larvae provide all the protein you could ever want. I’ve also had chocolate covered ants.

2. I have hugged a whale. – True! I once got to do an interactive beluga whale experience and waded into the water with the beautiful cetaceans. Their melons feel like hard boiled eggs.

3. I have broken a horse. – True! When I was in my young teens I visited my aunt and she utilized my patience to help halter break a foal.

4. I have worn a beard of bees. – True! Just this past summer, I was able to volunteer to do this with about 3000 of the flying insects walking around on my chest and neck at one time and another 2000 in the booth with me.

5. I have crouched with a tiger. – True! I have a photograph of a friend and me from years ago when we had the opportunity to get up close and personal with one of these huge, amazing animals.

6. I have kissed a sea lion. – True! I used to work at an aquarium and was close friends with one of the trainers. Daily behind the scenes work meant that I often got to hang out with the pinnipeds.

7. I have handled a tarantula. – True! On a couple of different occasions I have had these large critters crawling on me. Somewhere I have a picture of me with one on my head.

8. I have cuddled a python. – True! Again, I think I have done this a couple of times. Snakes don’t bother me at all, and the biggest one I handled was probably about fifteen feet long.

9. I have ridden a bull. – True! (Sort of.) It was an electric bull, but I don’t personally know anyone else who has ever done that so I still feel special saying I did it. Mechanical or not, it was hard to stay on.

10. I have tangled with an octopus. – True! Once, when I worked at the aquarium, I was with an aquarist showing a friend an octopus and it decided to try and climb out of the exhibit and onto me. It took about ten minutes to get it off because every time we would peel one arm off of me another would immediately attach.

11. I have trained a hawk. – True! I took part in a incredible falconry experience and actually got to be a part of the training process for an eagle and an owl too.

12. I have licked an anemone. – True! On more occasions than I care to admit I licked the tentacles of a sea anemone for educational purposes. You should have seen the reactions I used to get when I explained about the location of the single digestive tract.

So, there you have it! I have done all of the above! I just couldn’t resist playing with the concept of the award a little. I have to say I was especially impressed with a couple of the commenters who guessed that the bull was a mechanical one and that I had perhaps done more than one of the above activities. I really enjoyed this fun award, so thanks for playing along! By the way, I don’t recommend licking the next sea anemone you come across. There is a small chance you could go into anaphylactic shock due to the cnidocytes, or stinging cells.