Cats and Dogs Living Together

My Father dropped a bombshell on my kids the other day. He called and wanted to talked specifically to the kids. He said, "Did you know that Santa's reindeer are girls?" I thought, yeah right, what type of crazy talk is that. I know that my dad is always trying to pull your leg and tell wild stories that are not always based in pure reality just for the effect (Thank goodness that he didn't pass that genetic trait onto me...right?). Besides, I'm Mr. Trivia and of course would know something like that..wouldn't I?

He laid out the facts: Both male and female reindeer grow antlers which are shed each year. The Bucks (that's guy reindeer to you and me) drop their antlers in early winter, like the end of November to mid December. The Does (pronounced doughs not dues to you more ungulately challenged folk) keep theirs until they calve in the spring. Thus only the females have the head hardware when it comes time to pull the big guy's sled.

Whoa, am I glad that he didn't spill that one on me when I was a kid. That would have totally messed with my brain. My kids took it in stride, though. They're such the hardened generation, nothing seems to bother them. Still, could this be true. Could the visions of sugar plums that danced in my head as a youth really be soured prunes?

I had to research and find out for myself, no matter how long it took. Thanks to wikipedia the agony lasted for a good 15 seconds. Yes, it is true that the male reindeer do generally drop their antlers early, but, and this is an important 'but', some young, strong, buff, able to fly over a continent in a single bound bucks can keep their antlers until spring. So there you have it, paradigm left perfectly intact. Thank you very much!!

But then I started to think about Santa and had the thought, "In Italian and Spanish isn't Santa a 'feminine form' word. Wouldn't the masculine be San." Maybe Kris Kringle is really short for Kristina Kringle.

Stop!!! don't mess with my mind anymore.