Baby animals make life better

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Baby animals make life better

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August 7, 2021

Psst! It's Scottie Andrew here, subbing in for AJ this week. Let's dive into all stuff good, shall we?

Ducks are about as exotic as a loaf of white bread, and yet every time I see one, I'm thrilled. There's a family of seven ducklings and their protective mother that lives in a pond near my home, and since early May, I've watched them grow from fuzzy, clingy balls of nerves into self-assured waddlers whose size rivals that of their mom. I've long feared the day when they finally fly away from the pond — mallard ducklings usually leave the nest 60 days after they hatch. But for some reason, these ducks haven't budged. They prefer to while away the steamy summer with their mom and inconvenience the koi fish who share their pond. It's been a joy to watch them grow up in the span of a season. They may still abandon the pond for cooler waters, but for now, I'm as content as they are to stay put and enjoy their feathered company.

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A delayed dream come true
Hello, gorgeous! This beautiful bride is 94-year-old Martha Tucker, who is finally trying on the wedding dress she's dreamt about for 70 years. When she got married in 1952, the bride-to-be was banned from entering segregated bridal shops in Alabama. Her dream of donning a lacy gown with embroidered sleeves — even trying it on — was put on pause. But when her granddaughter Angela Strozier found out Martha had never tried on a wedding dress, she immediately set up an appointment for her at a local David's Bridal. When the day finally came, and Martha finally got to try on the dress closest to the one she'd pictured 70 years earlier, she looked every part the blushing bride. She'd chosen a gown with embroidered sleeves, a lace v-neck front and sequins sewn throughout. The occasion was bittersweet — Martha's husband, Lehman, died in 1975, a couple years shy of their 25th wedding anniversary. And though she said she wished he could've seen her in the dress, she was overcome with joy at the sight of herself. "I can't even explain the feeling I got seeing myself in the wedding dress," she told CNN. "It was like I was getting married all over again."

Paddling to justice
Groups of unsheltered people living along the Jordan River in Salt Lake City have no reliable way to get to court in Utah's capital, so a group of enterprising lawyers and advocates bring court to them — by kayak. Meet the members of "Kayak Court," comprised of judges, public defenders, social workers and outdoor enthusiasts who bring legal advice and services to residents of homeless encampments with outstanding cases. They do their work on the water: Case workers arrive first and assess candidates who seek their help. Then, when the lawyers paddle up, they discuss the unhoused person's options with them and take up their case right there on the river, so there's no need for the residents to return to court. It's a novel way to provide an essential service, said volunteer Allison Dupler, and one less barrier to self-sufficiency for the unhoused residents without fear of arrest. "They are an important part of the community that needs to be served, and we get to do it in a different and creative way," Dupler said.

They've got a fighting spirit

The stamina and drive it takes to be an Olympian is something the 29 athletes on the Refugee Olympic Team have in spades. The athletes on the small squad hail from 11 different countries, from Afghanistan to Venezuela, and compete in a dozen different sports. Their stories are unique — some of them left their home countries on foot in search of refuge; others were exiled — but they're bound by their will to survive. Their time in Tokyo marked the second Olympic Games for the Refugee Olympic Team, and they hope their Olympic status means something to the people of their home nations. Jamal Mohammed, who fled to Israel from Sudan, placed 13th in the 5,000-meter race. But he was focused on more than medals when he was on the track. "I'm going to compete for 80 million people around the world who left their countries to go to find a better place for them and help them achieve their goals," he told CNN Sport. "It makes me so proud to represent these people and let them know anything is possible."

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A round of applause for ...

... two incredible Olympians: Quinn (left) and Sky Brown.

Quinn, of Canada's women's soccer team, is the first trans person to earn a gold medal at the Olympics. They'd previously won a bronze medal in Rio in 2016, but this time, Quinn and their team toppled greats like Megan Rapinoe of the US and won in penalty kicks against Sweden to secure the gold. While their history-making victory is sweet, the mononymous midfielder is already thinking about the impact their win will have on future trans athletes. "If I can allow kids to play the sports they love, that's my legacy and that's what I'm here for," they told CBC.

Sky Brown is a tiny beast on four wheels. The 13-year-old became the youngest person to earn a medal for Great Britain this week, when she scored the bronze in the women's park skateboarding finals. Brown's Olympic dominance wasn't a sure thing — just over a year earlier, she fractured her skull and broke her wrist in a devastating fall. Not that you could tell by her flawless kickflip indy in Tokyo. The teen glided around the concrete with the focused ease of a seasoned skater, but once she saw her score, she broke into a gleeful smile and squeezed her competitors tightly. "Skateboarding is one big family," she said, and if sportsmanship was a competition, she'd win gold.

A bright idea

Tattoos are works of art you can wear for your whole life — as your body shifts and ages, so will your tattoos. That permanence may scare off potential clients who fear their bodies aren't the appropriate size to rock a tat. Enter tattooist Carrie Metz-Caporusso, whose floral designs follow the naturals folds and curves of a subject's body to beautiful effect. Metz-Caporusso came up with the intricate, thoughtful solution after their clients repeatedly assured themselves that they'd lose weight before getting their dream tattoo. But the beauty of the "roll flowers," they said, is the way they're tailored to a client's body. By putting something stunning on top of a body part they're self-conscious about, Metz-Caporusso said, clients find something new to love about themselves.

Customer Abby Devitt told CNN she once thought she couldn't ever get a tattoo due to her weight, but after a seven-hour stint under Metz-Caporusso's needle, she found a new appreciation for the skin she's in. "I don't have the best relationship with body, but I can't wait to show off what used to be one of my least favorite parts," she said.

You gotta see this

When you think about it, having two heads seems more practical than one when you're a tiny turtle hatchling, eking out a place in an ocean where most creatures with teeth, claws or an undiscerning appetite would like to make you lunch. Lucky for this two-headed sea turtle, it got a bit more time to muster some courage before heading out to sea. The baby was found alive in its nest on a South Carolina beach, one of three shelled youngsters that were content to hide in the sand. The astonished volunteers who found it snapped some pics, lest it be lost to legend, and then sent it on its way toward the Atlantic — the little marvel just needed an extra lift to find its true home. Here's hoping it bewilders predators out of eating it. We're rooting for you, Turtle Two-Heads!

Wanna get away?

Zion National Park in Utah is one of the most visited parks in the US, and for good reason — with its otherworldly views and ancient origins, it seems to exist out of time. Its slot canyons are perfect for rappelling down or hiking through, and the warped canyon walls resemble a watercolor painting (or an orange-hued version of the cavernous home shared by Kim Kardashian West and her former husband). At Zion, you can bike the same paths used by native peoples to hunt mammoths and bite your nails as bighorn sheep gallop down the side of a steep canyon. The park has been especially busy during the pandemic, but CNN Travel has tips for making the most of Zion and beating the crowds.

Who knew?

I'm of the mind that most animals are more complex and intelligent than they let on. Giraffes have recently proven me right. The knobby-kneed oddballs of the animal kingdom, once thought to be incapable of bonding, are actually part of a matriarchal social structure in which female giraffes build lasting relationships with each other and their offspring, a recent study found. The females in a tower — that's the (very apt) term for a group of giraffes — help raise each other's calves and mourn together when a calf doesn't survive. There's even evidence that giraffes continue to live long after their reproductive days are over — they're the "grandmothers" of the tower. There are many more mysteries of giraffe society to uncover, and maybe more that we humans will never get to see. But if giraffes have survived for this long with those unmissable necks, they must be doing something right.

To your health

If you're like me, you love to move and let your mind wander ... which makes practicing mindfulness a bit challenging. Focus? Stillness? ME? Couldn't be. Still, the benefits of being still and minding your breathing for a bit are numerous, and getting a grip on your own thoughts seems pretty cool! CNN Health sought tips from experts for newbies to mindfulness like me.

Start small. The thought of sitting completely still and just ... breathing without letting my mind race is unnerving, so author and awareness expert Mallika Chopra recommends incorporating mindfulness into everyday life in small ways. Start by noticing the way the water touches your hands while you wash dishes, or the sensation of your foot on the brake when you come to a stop sign. The better you get at the tiny stuff, the bigger the mindfulness exercises you can take on.
Walk it out. If sitting isn't your style (hello), try a "mindfulness walk." But there's no letting yourself daydream on this excursion. Amishi Jha, a mindfulness expert and University of Miami professor, suggests you focus only on your body — from the way your toe touches the sidewalk to the breaths you take on your trek.
Stretch with purpose. If you don't want to leave the house, you can lunge mindfully. Feel what happens to your knee when you bend it and how your opposite leg feels stretched, low to the ground. How does it feel when you rise to switch positions? Take note of it, and you'll get more out of an already healthy practice.

Rec of the week

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Shameless animal video

There's always time for cute animal videos. That time is now.

As a Florida woman, I am both awed by and terrified of our signature predator, the American alligator. Still, I'd love to watch a baby gator yap its way through a hunting attempt. Maybe from a safe distance, though. (Click here to watch)