And the Crittergators Entered Two By Two

My mother loved Noah's Ark collectibles, and so we kids often bought them for her. This past weekend, I sorted through her snow globes and knick-knacks; brought a few of them along home.

I resolved to dust them all off and find nice places in our house to display them. And so it was that I was working on doing that, in the bathroom, of course, where the best light in the house is.

The Crittergators saw what I was doing and they wanted to join in the festivities. We have two red ones and two green ones. The red ones are more like ladybugs. The green ones have longer snouts, like alligators.

They situated themselves on the ark display. We've got one red one on the prow, giving advice to Noah himself. We've got a green one down left, chatting it up with alligators (!!) and a turtle or two.

We've got a green one down right atop an elephant's trunk shouting Yeehaw! And we've got a red one even lower on the right, riding on a dolphin. Up top, we've got a rainbow, the sign of God's promises, made and kept.

This collectible is also a music box, and when you wind the metal thingy underneath, it plays How Great Thou Art. Noah holds his spyglass in his hand, and rotates. And the two dolphins down right leap out of the waves, giving that red-shirt quite a ride. (A red-shirt. It figures!)

I have to admit that I cried a little when it played its tune, I can't say why. I guess it's because I miss my mother. It's all I have of her now: my memories, my pictures, my stories about her, and her precious, beautiful things.

Our soundtrack song, of course, has to be this one: How Great Thou Art, performed by Vince Gill and Carrie Underwood. But that little red-shirt on the prow? He says this is a VIKING ship, and he and all these other critters are going to ride out and take over the world! So he wants THIS tune instead: The Hound + the Fox, with My Mother Told Me.

P.S. I think my mother would enjoy this bit of silliness. She had a pretty good sense of humor and went along good-naturedly with many of my antics. I have always felt it was my personal responsibility to help unlock (and document!) the whimsy in her and other members of my family!

Bonus: the Crittergators invade and take over yet another cherished Bible tale . . . The Legend of the Crittergators in the Manger.