Sharks, Rays, Fish, Reptiles, and Marine Invertebrates at #SharkReefAquarium

During our Vegas trip, one of the many activities we did was visiting the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. It is a public aquarium located at and owned by the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It's amazing how huge the main tank is. Can you believe that it contains 1,300,000 US gallons ? That's a lot of water!

Shark Reef Aquarium is one of the largest in North America which displays numerous different species of sharks, rays, fish, reptiles, and marine invertebrates. 

The rock fish always fascinates me.  They are beautiful.

The shark tunnel is a great feature.  Most of us doesn't really go diving and see shark so seeing those huge shark  is exciting.  You can watch the video I have posted at the end of this post.

Of all the display, the jelly fish are my least  favorite.  Although they are pretty to look at, they brings back  "burning" memories to me.  Growing up in a coastal area, jelly fish are our constant fear when swimming in the ocean.  They burn your skin and it hurts.

Octopus also bring back memory but I like it.  As a kid, I experienced  catching them.  My Mom taught me how.  They are delicious when cooked properly. 

Butterflies #HawksnestStatePark

Road trip is not always about  the beautiful place or the new location that you are about to see and discover.  When you visit a state park like the Hawks Nest State Park, you will see a lot of  beauties in their natural habitat including birds and all other kinds of critters.  

I saw  a lot of beautiful butterflies  when we went to that park.  It is something that I enjoy immensely.  Butterfly bushes  really  pulls the butterfly around during summer when they are in bloom.  That's one reason why I have butterfly bushes in my garden.  

I believe this particular butter is a swallowtail butterfly.  According to butterfliesathome.com:

Swallowtail or Papilionidae is a family  of large butterflies that  includes more than 600 species worldwide.  Most  of these large, brightly colored butterflies,  feature tails at the back of their  wings. These tail-like appendages resemble the tails of swallow family of birds, hence their name. Several species of Swallowtails are predominantly black, and share similar yellow, blue and orange markings.

Unusual Animals That Make Perfect Pets

There’s nothing wrong with dogs and cats of course, they make the most wonderful family pets. But there are other animals you can care for and bring into your home than these two species. If you’re looking for something a little more unusual then here are a couple of options to consider.

Fantastic Fish

Fish look decorative in the home, and you can get all kinds of weird and wonderful varieties and set up the tank by theme so it looks really fun and unique. If you’re a beginner, you could start with some colorful, easy to manage freshwater fish. If you want to go more complex and keep more unusual varieties, saltwater and tropical fish can look incredible. There are other species that can live in your tank too from luminous moving anemones to snails and crabs. Do your research first and choose the right setup since more can go into it than you might think. There’s loads of advice online, and you could ask the pet store when you’re buying the equipment.

Not So Cuddly Creepy Crawlies

People can shy away from insects and arachnids due to phobias, but if you’re not scared and find them fascinating why not keep one as a pet? Tarantulas, African snails, stick insects- they can be fun to watch if not a little creepy to some. You’ll need the right tank and setup, and will need to make sure you know exactly what your new pet can eat.

Chickens- an Egg-cellent Idea!

If you have space outdoors, why not keep chickens? They might not be your typical pet, but it can be satisfying raising them and plus you get the benefit of fresh eggs every morning too. You will need a good hen house with protection from cats and foxes. You’ll need to provide a good quality feed and medication such as worming and flea tablets. We all know about flea treatments from brands like Pet Lock for the family dog, but something you may not know is chickens can also get them!

Finding The Right Pet Product Company: Your Quick Reference Guide

If you have a dog or other pet that you love dearly, you probably want to make sure that you can purchase top notch pet products for the animal. In some cases, the process of locating the ideal products can seem overwhelming. If this is your challenge, this is the quick reference guide for you. Use some or all of the strategies outlined below to ensure that you can find the ideal pet product company:

  1. Read Through The Company's Website. 

 One of your first steps towards finding the right pet product company is reading through their business website. Taking this step will empower you to learn more about the company, thereby helping you make an informed decision regarding whether you should purchase pet products from them. 

Key questions that you should ask yourself as you read through the company's website include: 

•  How long has the company been operating? 
•  What is the company's mission statement? 
•  Are their pet products environment-friendly? 
• Can their products be purchased via internet? If so, what is the shipping and return policy?
•  What types of payment methods are accepted? (Examples: Credit Card, Paypal, Check, Money Order, Cash...) 
• Can I cancel my order if necessary? 

 Another question you should ask as you peruse through the pet company's business website is what types of brands are available through them. Note that Vet Products Direct sells reputable brands such as Joint Guard and Paw. Note that many pet product companies will include "Live Chat" features which enable you to speak with a customer service representative over the phone. 

  2. Check The Company's Online Reviews. 

 In addition to carefully reading through the information found on the pet product company's website, make sure that you take the time to check their online reviews. Over 80% of consumers now read through these reviews to develop an accurate understanding of the quality level they can expect when purchasing products or services from a specific company. When you find that a pet product supplier regularly receives incredible reviews from their clients, this is a strong indication that they operate in excellence and can be counted on to provide you with stellar service. On the other hand, if you note that a pet product retailer consistently receives unfavorable online reviews, consider this to be a big red flag and think twice before purchasing any goods from them. 

  3. Compare And Contrast. 

 In some cases, an individual might fall head over heels in love with the first pet product supplier they come across. When this happens, keep in mind that it's important to shop around before you settle on any one retailer. This is the case for many reasons, including the fact that some retailers offer more cost-effective pricing than others. Another reason you'll want to shop around includes the fact that doing so can help you determine which companies offer the highest quality brands. 

  Start Shopping For The Right Company Now! 

 Once you realize that it's time to purchase pet products for your furry friend, it's important to ensure that you obtain high quality goods at reasonable rates. To ensure that you can, implement the shopping strategies outlined in this quick reference guide!

Pygmy Goats, Silkies Chicken, and a Flemish Giant Rabbit

 We visited a farm with a breed of  miniature domestic  goats.  They are commonly known as  pygmy goats and they are so adorable.  I grew up in the farm but we've never really had goats.  According to the article I read online, the Pygmy goat can be used for many different things, in other words they  are multi purpose animals. The pygmy goat is quite hardy and can adapt to virtually all kinds of weather.

 My husband's co-worker has four and all of them are males but their names are all girls name.  I was told that the owners niece gave the names, hence the girl names.

 We were playing badminton at the yard when we heard some clacking sounds.  It was loud  so we go curious and investigate what it was.  It was the goats that was making all the sounds, they were  fighting at each other.  They fought hard that one of them was bleeding.

 They were kind of ornery.  They kept  chewing on  one of their playpen.

 They love the leaves  of the apples too.  We  gave them some branches of the apples and and was fun watching them  trying to get  it first.  I uploaded a couple of videos that you can watch

They have one big bunny named Paws.  She was very big and my kids wanted to  hold her but they were scared.  Flemish giant is a kind of breed that Paws is, she is really massive.

The silkies chicken reminds me of our lionhead bunnies.  Their  colors and feathers are  almost the same.  Silkies comes in a variety of colors.  I love the white ones.  The Silkie is a breed of chicken named for its atypically fluffy plumage, which is said to feel like silk, and satin.   The breed has several other unusual qualities, such as black skin and bones, blue earlobes, and five toes on each foot, whereas most chickens only have four. 

It said that although they are fair layers themselves, they only lay  about three eggs a week.  According to my husband's buddy, Silkie chickens are very easy to keep as pets and they are suitable around children, as they can easily withstand being roughly handled.  I wish that we live in a farm, I wouldn't mind having chicken and other animals.  It's fun to raise them.

Pigeons or Rock Doves

During our  vacation in Las Vegas.  One of the many things that  our children enjoyed doing was giving the pigeons some left over food.  Instead of leaving the uneaten food in the table, we   were always asking for a box so we could take the  food and give it to the birds.  

 Pigeons are also known as Rock Doves.  I find  these birds beautiful and I don''t mind  having them   around.  We  get  these as visitors in our backyard once in a while and I love watching them.  They also remind me of my  late father-in-law's house.  We lived there for about a year  before buying our own home and I would always  hear them in the morning and in the afternoon.  I have read an article of 21 amazing facts  about pigeon and  what amazed me the most and  it also answered my curiosity is that unlike other birds, baby pigeons stays in the nest   for two months  before fledging.  If you want to know more about pigeons, just visit the link I have incorporated at this link.  This isn't an ad, I just linked it up for  a good resource for info.

Pets are Wonderful

When I first came here, I have no friends and did not know anyone.  My in-laws are all welcoming and made me feel at home but I   still felt lost and different.  I think it is just normal  when you are so far away from your family and  trying to learn the  way of  life here which is totally different from what I  grew up in.   Being pregnant then did not help with my homesickness, I was always wanting to burst out in tears.  But it got better as time goes on.  My father-in-law was a huge help to me especially when I gave birth to our  first born.  He was always  there  for us.  

I told my husband that it would be nice if we can have pets. He told me that we will get one when our daughter is a little older and whenever we already have our own home.  The longing for the pet   died down  because  we have our daughter and she  kept us  occupied all the time. It is only when we came back  from from overseas  that we got one.  We initially wanted a  german shepherd husky mix but found this cute Jack Russell Terrier pup instead and my husband knew  he was the one.  We named him Champ, he is an energetic, super  hyper fur baby.  

Having pets is like having kids. You have to take care of them, bathe them, feed them, and teach them things. Just like us, their health is an important aspect of their well being because just like children, they also bring joy to the family.  This little guy right here  is now 8 years old.  

Pets are wonderful to have.  We can learn so much from our pets if we pay close attention to them. Finding the right  veterinary clinic like the   pest control prince frederick md  is important.  It is a must that their vaccination is up to date to avoid  sickness.  Just like  people, dogs or any other kind of pets get prone to sickness when they get older especially when they don't get a lot of exercise and  doesn't have a good diet. 

As our family grows, the number of pets we have also grows.  We adopted a toy fox terrier and his name  was Max.  We ended up  giving it to a loving family that also wanted  a pet.  The decision was for his own safety, our big dog was not very gentle to him.  He once broke  his leg because Bolt got rough on him so after that incident, we decided to  have him adopted.

Then my sister-in-law found a Pomeranian on the road sometime in the winter season and she gave her to us.  We named her Chelsea.  She was a runaway dog and  she keep running away from home so we gave her for adoption to one of our friends.  We had her for about a year.

 Champ is the pioneer of our fur babies' dominion.  He is  a loyal companion.  He hangs out with me  when I am doing laundry or in the garden.     Rain or shine, he doesn't leave me.

When we adopted Bolt, Champ made sure to let him know that he was the leader.  He immediately  showed  Bolt his dominance.

Having pets involves expenses but it's worth it.  When we moved out to our old house, we thought of  putting our dogs for adoption but our son fought very hard  not to.  I am glad that we didn't  pursue it, I would have missed these little guys so much.  We have other pets  like guinea pigs and bunnies but they can't measure up to the joy that our dogs gives us.  They are definitely the best!