Porcupine adventure

The North American porcupine being a nocturnal animal (very large rodent), its rest was apparently disturbed today. JB and I got a little lesson on porcupines since one came onto our patio, tried to get into our charcoal bag, then went up the stairs on the side of our apartment. I knew I didn't want Zephyr out there with it anywhere near, but I talked to the trimmer guy here (who had been the one to scare it from its sleeping spot to seek refuge on the stair landing) and he said they are pretty docile unless provoked. So I bravely went up the steps to take a picture of it. JB really wanted to go up the steps to see it too, but I only let him see it from the common area in front of our apartment. He said he was scared of the porcupine, but he was also very interested in it (as was Zephyr).

After the porcupine had been captured by animal control, I looked up porcupine pictures and descriptions online because JB still had it on his mind and I thought it would be a good learning opportunity. I thought it was very interesting that their babies nurse to 4 or 5 months and usually live to 5 or 6 years old in the wild. I hope this is how homeschooling will be with the kids because that was fun. Now I'm going to have JB write a short essay on the North American Porcupine.