Some animals amaze us instantly… while others almost always make us recoil. Spiders fall squarely into that second category.
And yet, I’ve never been afraid of them. Ever since I was little, I’ve watched them with curiosity, probably because my parents were never afraid of them either, and never harmed them.
I know not everyone shares my fascination with nature, and that’s not the point of this article. My hope is simply to remind you that every living creature deserves respect, even when it’s disliked or misunderstood. And if, through my words and images, I can play a small part in that, then everything I do will carry even more meaning.

Fascinating Creatures

Behind those eight legs lies a discreet animal, one that’s essential to the balance of our ecosystems. And behind what many see as frightening actually hides a unique living creature, one that simply deserves to be treated with more respect.
Spiders truly are extraordinary animals, far more complex and interesting than we tend to imagine: their ability to spin webs with incredible precision, their hunting techniques, their behaviors… Yet they remain among the most disliked animals, often victims of fears passed down since childhood.
Personally, whether at home or while traveling, I always enjoy looking for them, since they’re among those species that can vary so much in shape and color. Some, like the wasp spider, display truly stunning colors.

Others, like crab spiders, don’t spin any web at all and instead hunt by ambush, staying perfectly still on a flower, some even able to change color to blend in seamlessly.

Their techniques don’t stop there: the red-legged golden orb-weaver, a large spider found notably on Réunion Island, builds a perfectly aligned “string” of prey remains in a corner of its web. Its cousin, the golden silk spider of Florida, also sometimes decorates its web with debris and prey remains, though in a less organized way.

And behind all these fascinating behaviors often lies another surprise: sometimes all it takes is a macro lens to reveal a little “face,” one that may not fit our usual standards of beauty, but is utterly endearing 😊.

Our Eight-Legged Roommates

In France, the species we come across day to day are harmless and pose no danger to us. They can even be valuable allies, catching small insects like mosquitoes. In their own way, they help maintain the balance of life around us, just like every species found in nature.

Spiders don’t only live outdoors. Some choose to quietly move into our homes. Unfortunately for them, that choice is often a fatal one, since many people’s first reaction is to kill them.
In my house, they’re simply part of the scenery. I share my space with several species, including those small, long-legged spiders with tiny bodies often found tucked away in quiet corners of our homes: cellar spiders. But also with bigger spiders I have a real soft spot for, like certain house spiders, with their bulkier bodies and rounded abdomens. I simply let them live their lives, only clearing away the old webs that are no longer in use. Every once in a while, I’ll move one outside, either to keep it safe from accidents, or if I happen to have a guest who isn’t quite as fond of them 😉.

A Different Perspective

I’m not asking everyone to love spiders the way I do. A love of nature and animals is deeply personal, and often hard to explain. But maybe, between fear and systematic elimination, there’s another option: taking a few seconds to see things differently, and developing a bit of empathy for all living creatures. Because no matter whether they’re beautiful, ugly, frightening, or simply different from us, they all have their place, they all play a role, and above all, they all deserve our respect.
So if, after reading this article, even just one person decides to spare a spider found in their home and gently carries it outside instead of crushing it, I’ll be the happiest person 😊.
Thank you in advance ❤️.

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Ever since I was little, I’ve had a deep love for books and storytelling. The soft, magical world of children has always felt like mine too , and becoming an aunt to two adorable little ones gave me the perfect excuse to dive back into it completely. That’s how the idea for this collection was born — and how I finally took the leap. Discover the full collection on Amazon

A Collection Born from a Love of Nature

This collection is, for me, a way to bring together my love of nature and books, while offering little ones short and gentle stories that invite them to dream and express their wishes of the day. Through simple sentences and adorable illustrations, children explore their emotions by identifying with four lovable nature animals : an energetic little monkey, a cozy hedgehog, a peaceful turtle and a bird as free as the wind. A playful and imaginative way to help little ones put words to what they feel, day after day and mood after mood.

What’s Inside Each Book

Each book in the collection is available in two formats on Amazon : an ebook of around ten pages, perfect for a quick read on tablet or phone, and a paperback which includes a complete activity section : coloring and drawing pages, spot the difference game, maze and much more

Today I Feel Like A Monkey — for the days when you feel like jumping everywhere, making funny faces and playing with your friends ! Get it on Amazon
Today I Feel Like A Hedgehog — for the cozy days when you prefer to explore the world at your own pace. Get it on Amazon
Today I Feel Like A Turtle — for the calm days when you take the time to savour every little moment. Get it on Amazon
Today I Feel Like A Bird — for the free days when you feel like singing, flying and spreading joy everywhere ! Get it on Amazon

The Story Behind the Illustrations

For the illustrations, I used Canva Pro — assembling, modifying and carefully refining different elements to create scenes that feel gentle, soft and full of life. Every page was designed with love to bring joy and warmth to little ones.
Fingers crossed that they love it — the first test with my nephew was a success, which is already a great start . Order the full collection on Amazon — ebook from $2.99 | Paperback $9.99

This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for supporting NaturElfes !

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Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been surrounded by animals: chickens, geese, cats, ducks, dogs, guinea pigs, rats, rabbits, goats… and each of them has marked my life in its own way, forever.
Over the years, I’ve naturally had to say goodbye to many of them, which is always very difficult. But I hold on to all the good memories and, above all, to the fact that they were much loved. Their lives, however short, were beautiful.

This article is for all of them, whether they’re still here or have already joined animal heaven. To pay tribute to them, to thank them for all they’ve given me and all they still give me on a daily basis: a lot of love… and a little (a lot 😉 ) of worry. The quality of many of the photos leaves something to be desired, as most were taken a long time ago, but it’s what they show that’s important.

My love Toto

My big dog Tommy (aka Toto), a 52-kilo Beauceron, was as impressive as he was gentle. We had a very strong bond, no doubt linked to all the hours of hiking we spent together.

We particularly enjoyed watching the sunset, and roaming the woods to observe animals discreetly, which he did wonderfully. He also had a passion for stuffed animals 😊, and I tried to bring him one from each of my trips.

He was a very gentle dog with all living creatures, whether with my little nephew, my cat, my chickens or the birds in the garden.

I remember one day when our old Coincoin, now a little blind, flew off and landed on his belly as he slept in the grass. Toto just raised his head and looked at him with a look of both surprise and exasperation 😉!!! That was him: a quiet, yet fragile force.

Ever since he was a child, he had suffered from an intestinal disease that forced him to follow a strict diet. In February 2024, he fell ill and we thought it was, once again, his tummy. But after several examinations, the vet told us that he had spleen cancer and had only a few days to live. Unfortunately, the prognosis was correct and we had to say goodbye to him ten days later. It’s still very painful today, because I miss him so much. I find it hard to accept that I didn’t have time to see his first white hairs appear 😊, but we often talk about him, and that comforts me a lot.

The cat who fell from the sky

My cat Minou (not very original 😉 ) left me in 2020 at the age of 16. We were very close, because this cat literally imposed himself on me. He arrived one day (abandoned? lost?), barely two months old. He had taken up residence under our shed and was very wild.

We’d lost all our cats to the road and I didn’t want any more. I tried to avoid him for the first few days… but if you don’t want him, he’ll come back. So I started bringing him food, then I spent hours in the cold trying to tame him. It took a long time, but finally, he left his shed for… my bed 😊! Sleeping with him, lulled to sleep by his purrs, are among my fondest memories.

He’s a cat who’s always kept a wild side, while being very docile and gentle. He was especially apprehensive about mans. He made friends with Mina, our adorable little Shih Tzu, also abandoned by the roadside. The two of them slept and played together.

Like Mina, he died of old age. It was very painful, but knowing that he had reached the end of his life helped me a lot.

The two bunnies in love

I have two adorable rabbits living with me in the house: Poupinette, a little semi-dwarf rabbit given to me by my sister, and her darling Loulou, who arrived in a rather unusual way.

Loulou is the result of a forbidden love 😉 between a farm rabbit and a wild rabbit. He’s taken everything from his daddy and really looks like a wild rabbit. Following an attack by a wild animal, I found him abandoned, still tiny and unweaned. So I took him in and bottle-fed him for several weeks. By then, I’d already had Poupinette for two years. My Poupette has a strong character, so much so that despite her small size, she terrorizes the members of my family 😉.

As a result, the beginning between the two of them was complicated, then they finally fell head over heels for each other. They’ve now been living together for eight years… and with me 😉 ! They’re cuddly and regularly jump on the sofa to get their petting fix. That’s how I discovered the rabbits’ adorable gnashing of happy teeth.

Poupinette has a record number of emergency visits to the vet, most often at weekends… because she’s prone to intestinal obstructions. This is fatal for rabbits if not treated in time. Even though I’ve adapted their diet and brush them when they’re moulting, it continues to happen, so I have to remain vigilant.

Mother and daughter goats

I love goats, probably because they were the first pets I ever had. When I was 7, my parents brought home a rather wild semi-dwarf goat, Cigale, which took a lot of patience to tame.

She went on to have kids (the kids are so cute 😊). In her last litter, three babies were born. As goats only have two teats, one of the kids was very sickly. So I bottle-fed him in addition. I was very attached to her and my parents decided to keep her with us. That’s how Jane joined our family.

Both had strong tempers (especially with dogs), but they were adorable, loved to be petted and, above all, to go for walks on a leash… to check if the grass was greener elsewhere 😉. I spent a lot of time sitting in their paddock reading in their company. Jane and Cicada had a lovely life. They left us at the age of 15 for the mother and 20 for the daughter, a very good age for a goatie!

The feathered family

There have always been lots of chickens at home, usually accompanied by two geese and a duck (now two).

In my opinion, chickens are poorly regarded animals, often considered “stupid”… which is totally untrue! I’ve created several bonds with hens and roosters. Our current little silk hen, Paulette, is a perfect example. She recognizes her name, follows us everywhere and makes us laugh a lot (her looks have a lot to do with it 😉 ).

Pitchounette, a bare-necked hen, is one of the ones who made the biggest impression on me. When I’d sit in the pen, she’d come running over, snuggle between my legs and beg to be petted. She’s a real sweetheart!

Our first duck, Coincoin, had a special story. A friend had found an abandoned mallard egg and entrusted it to us. We placed it under a broody hen. One morning, there he was, with his adorable face! He never left, even though he flew very well. Probably because he’s always thought of himself more as a little hen 😊.

What about you? Your stories

Of course, I haven’t mentioned all the animals that have been part of my life, but they’ve all counted, and left their paw prints on me.
What about you? Who are the companions who share or have shared your life? I’d love to read your stories, your memories, how you coped with their loss. Because it’s always comforting to talk to other animal lovers and share the good times as well as the more difficult ones.

Many thanks my loves ❤️!

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Every spring, I wait for the orchids to return, and every time I do, I marvel as if I were discovering them for the first time. Over time, I’ve identified several places around my home (in Charente, France) where I’m almost certain to find them, but every year I make new discoveries, especially when I explore other regions. I don’t know why these flowers fascinate me so much, but perhaps it’s because of their originality and beauty, which is as discreet as it is surprising! To appreciate them, you have to look very closely ;). I love them so much, and have accumulated so many photos, that it was impossible not to dedicate an article to them.

I’ve divided them into three groups: orchids, ophrys and others. Since the same orchid can have several common names, I’ve included the ones I use and, for greater precision, I’ve also added their scientific name. Some orchids are hard to tell apart, so don’t hesitate to tell me if I’ve made a mistake. If you have any suggestions for places to see species I haven’t yet encountered, I’d be more than happy to hear from you ;)!

Orchids

Pyramidal orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis)
A superb orchid, very common and easy to spot. It also makes a wonderful support for insect photography.

Lizard orchid (Himantoglossum hircinum)
A very original orchid, easy to spot thanks to its size. Zoom in on the flower and you’ll see an adorable (and mischievous) little man with tentacular arms ;). What’s special about this flower is its unpleasant smell. Personally, I don’t find the smell of a goat but rather that of chemicals.

Early purple orchid (Orchis mascula)
One of the first orchids to bloom, it’s discreet and I rarely come across it.

Fragrant orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea)
An orchid I really like. Its flowers are magnificent, full of sweetness and a lovely scent. I also see a lot of insects on its flowers. Probably the most poetic orchid I know.

Greater butterfly orchid (Platanthera chlorantha)
An orchid I come across a lot, its flowers are really beautiful and very delicate. It gives off a perfume at night that attracts moths.

Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza maculata)
Superb orchid discovered in Auvergne, then Lozere in France. Its flowers are truly magnificent!

Lady orchid (Orchis purpurea)
A very pretty orchid, quite easy to spot as it is very colorful and fleshy.

Man orchid (Orchis anthropophora)
Its name is self-explanatory ;). I find it in the same place as the oval-leaved fern (see The Others). Its flowers look like cute little cousins of the lizard orchid ;).

Loose-flowered orchid (Anacamptis laxiflora)
Orchids discovered on the Oleron island in France. They grow in damp meadows and marshes. I was lucky enough to come across a field where I was able to admire dozens of them, made all the more magnificent by the mixture of classic pink orchids and white ones.

Ophrys

Bee orchid (Ophrys apifera)
The first orchid I discovered, thanks to my mom, triggered my passion for these flowers. It imitates (like many ophrys) an insect and gives off pheromones so that insects “breed” with it to carry its pollen. Often found in gardens, it can vary in shape and color, including some that are all white (hypochrome).

Fly orchid (Ophrys insectifera)
One of my favorites because of the shape of its flowers. I feel like I’m looking at a cute little alien insect! You have to be careful to spot it because it’s so slender.

Early spider Orchid (Ophrys sphegodes)
There are many sub-varieties of spider ophrys, each more beautiful than the last and equally difficult to differentiate, such as the blackish ophrys, the little spider ophrys, and many others. It’s on the island of Oleron, in France, that I’ve seen the most of these varieties. Another orchid with a unique flower shape that gives free rein to the imagination. A bit like clouds: everyone can see what they want ;). For my part, I often see the face of a crowned queen, slightly melancholy.

Woodcock orchid (Ophrys scolopax)
Superb orchid, which I don’t see very often. It’s very similar to the Bee Orchid, but with a little something extra ;)!

The Others

Red helleborine (Cephalanthera rubra)
An orchid I discovered on our trek along the Saint-Guilhem trail in France, and which I was delighted to see near my home the following year. For me, it’s one of the most beautiful and closest to the “commercial” orchids.

Sword-Leaved Helleborine (Cephalanthera longifolia)
Another beautiful orchid that I don’t see very often. Its flowers don’t open much.

Tongue orchid (Serapias lingua)
Orchid also discovered on the Oleron island, in France, in the same field as the loose-flowered orchids (see Orchids). So original that I wasn’t sure it belonged to the orchid family. Its flower seems closed.

Bird’s-Nest orchid (Neottia nidus-avis)
My discovery of 2024!!! I’d never heard of this orchid, and more importantly I didn’t know orchids grew in the middle of the woods. I’m sure I’ve missed this treasure dozens of times. Its stem looks very much like a mushroom’s and it has the particularity of growing without photosynthesis, feeding directly on trees, via a fungus.

Common twayblade (Neottia ovata)
Another very original orchid, which I see in the same place every year. It’s very easy to miss, its flowers are very small and it’s entirely green.

Violet limodore (Limodorum abortivum)
A recently-discovered orchid with the same peculiarity as the bird’s-nest neottie. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to photograph it as I’d hoped, as it was just finishing flowering. A mission for next year ;).

Helleborine
A family of orchids that I also discovered on the Saint-Guilhem trail in France, and which I found incredible! Their flowers are magnificent and very different from those I’ve known up to now. I hope I made the right identification.

Broad-leaved Helleborine (Epipactis Helleborine)

Mueller’s Helleborine (Epipactis muelleri)

Dark Red Helleborine (Epipactis atrorubens)

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Reading being one of my passions, I would love to share some of my favourite books with you. Perhaps you will make some wonderful discoveries! These recommendations are entirely personal — I only share books I have truly read and loved… Feel free to share yours with me, even though I am seriously running out of shelf space 😉!

Adventures and hikes

Tirer un trail sur le passé (Michael Dessagne)
A book about the PCT trek that I absolutely loved. I adore the author’s personality and his way of storytelling truly immerses you in his adventure.

Wild by nature (Sarah Marquis)
An incredible woman who sets out, alone, on expeditions lasting several months.
She has written several books, and this is the very first one I read. I was impressed by this woman’s courage and her love of nature.

A walk in the woods (Bill Bryson)
Another trekking story, a little less conventional and very funny.

Wayward Women (Annabel Abbs)
A lovely discovery, and I admire the stories and courage of these women.

En Solitaire / Alleen (Tim Voors)
Another PCT book (a future project? ;)), also very well written and much to my liking. I love the layout and the author’s watercolor illustrations.

Walking (Henry David Thoreau) I bought the miniature version of this book for my first trek and since then it never leaves my backpack. I love flipping through it during bivouacs, but above all I slip a little souvenir into it on each of my treks (feathers, leaves, flowers, etc.).

100% animals and nature

John Muir. My Life with Nature (Joseph Bharat Cornell)
I discovered this book thanks to this article and fell in love with it!
This ^19th century man’s love and respect for nature is incredible.
It’s magical to see your own thoughts described by someone else.

Le Grand Livre de la Nature (Salamandre)
A very well-crafted encyclopedia that I use a lot to identify birds, flowers, and so on.
This book is only available in French.

La Nature dans ma Vie (Sarah Marquis)
A book that speaks volumes to me, describing the place of Nature in our everyday life.
This book is only available in French.

Unlikely friendships (Jennifer S.Holland)
Lovely stories between animals of different species.

Painting and nature

Watercolor with me: In the Forest (Dana Fox)
This book teaches you how to paint animals, flowers… There are several volumes.
I love books that are out of the ordinary with cute illustrations.

Mes Secrets de Nature (Daniel Brugès)
The perfect book for nature and watercolour lovers. The illustrations are truly magnificent!

Philosophy of life

The Why Cafe (John P. Strelecky)
This book holds a very special place in my heart. Through its content, it is a book that makes you reflect deeply on your own life, but also because of the memory attached to it. I discovered it in the library of a Quebecer who had graciously left us his home for the night even though he barely knew us. His kindness, generosity and trust left a lasting impression on me! Thank you Danny.

The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Very well known, but in my opinion, often read too young.
The first time I read it, I was a teenager and didn’t understand the message.
Today I read it at least once a year and I love it!

Life Safari (John P.Strelecky)
After reading Why Café, I read other books by the author and this one was a real favorite!
It’s really beautiful and it helped me define my 5 big life dreams ;).

Travels

Nala’s world (Dean Nicholson)
A cute encounter between a backpacker and a cute cat.

Driving Miss Norma (Ramie Liddle & Tim Bauerschmidt)
I fell in love with this book, which I bought by chance in Quebec.
A very touching story, all the more so because it’s true!

Seper Hero (Marine Barnérias)
A lovely lesson in life in the face of illness. This book is only available in French.

Photographs

The Photo Ark — Portraits of the Animal World (Joel Sartore)
The animal portraits are truly magnificent. I was struck by the intensity of their gaze!

Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards
There are several volumes, and the photos and texts are very funny.

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