the noble marmot

For my birthday, D gave me a super cool jacket from a company called Marmot Mountainworks.  We've been joking as we get ready to go out, "Grab that varmint and let's go."  or  "How's your marmot today?"  or  "Is that a squirrel jacket?"  This has led to a lot of wondering about marmots.  What are they anyway?  Are they squirrels?  Rodents?  So last night we finally couldn't take the curiosity anymore.  We looked them up online.  A few clicks later we found a world we could never have anticipated, let alone imagined.  I don't know how to post pictures from other websites on my blog (I'm still quite the rookie blogger), but I do know how to write out a link to a site.  Go check out: www.marmotburrow.ucla.edu.  You won't be sorry.  This was the most entertaining - and informative! - surf on the internet I've had in a great long while.  We laughed out loud.  You'll laugh, you'll cry... and who knows, maybe YOU will be inspired to participate in advancing marmot research or protecting the endangered Vancouver Island marmot.  Maybe you will want to be a part of the next International Marmot Meeting.  The noble, charismatic marmot - check it out!