July 10, 2023, 11:31 AM
Eyes open (with blurry vision), feet planted (wobbly at best), and with her nose pointed at the den mouth (not that she was wholly aware of that), the little puffball named Iris had begun her first adventure! There was nobody to stop her! Her sense of self was still developing along with the rest of her — but she was ambulatory and energized as she wobbled her way towards freedom!
Of course her siblings had plopped, sprawled, or crawled to various locations between here and there as well, but at best they were shady sysiphean obstacles she would have to contend with. One of them reached out to paw the air in their sleep and nearly took one of her eyes out with a toe - she felt it graze her cheek, and deftly dodged (more like lost balance, quickly bounced back because children are made of rubber, etc) and carried on her way.
The next obstacle was easy enough: she high-kicked each step and gripped where she thought she might fall, and in the process climbed over the mound of fluff that was a sibling, probably doing more harm than good (even at her diminutive size) and that was that — the den mouth was within reach!
She let out a crowing chirrup of triumph as the sunlight touched her face!
Of course her siblings had plopped, sprawled, or crawled to various locations between here and there as well, but at best they were shady sysiphean obstacles she would have to contend with. One of them reached out to paw the air in their sleep and nearly took one of her eyes out with a toe - she felt it graze her cheek, and deftly dodged (more like lost balance, quickly bounced back because children are made of rubber, etc) and carried on her way.
The next obstacle was easy enough: she high-kicked each step and gripped where she thought she might fall, and in the process climbed over the mound of fluff that was a sibling, probably doing more harm than good (even at her diminutive size) and that was that — the den mouth was within reach!
She let out a crowing chirrup of triumph as the sunlight touched her face!