It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year

As many of you are probably aware, we are smack dab in the middle of day three of National Sea Otter Awareness weeK (N-SOAk)

This is traditionally my opportunity to go on for a bit about otters.  One year I will find the inner strength to resist this urge and not spend a week compulsively discussing otters with everyone I encounter.

This is not that year.

How, for example, can I pass up the chance to mention that there is not one but four different acceptable collective nouns* for our friend, the otter?

*The term for a group of whatever the noun my be.  You know, like a pod of whales or a pride of lions.  My personal favorite collective noun is for a group of ravens- they are collectively known as an Unkindness of Ravens.  Which is a great turn of phrase, if slightly unfair to the ravens.  Insert joke about Baltimore here.

The best, and therefore obviously correct, collective noun is a 'Romp' of otters.  The other acceptable options are 'Bevy', 'Family', and 'Raft' (although that one apparently only applies when they're on the river.)

There is also, as mentioned last year, a subspecies known as the Giant Otter which is badass enough to take out alligators and adorable enough to make the alligator go 'Awwww...' while he's bashing in the gators head with a rock.

Honestly - how am I supposed to resist the opportunity to talk about this stuff?  I'm only human.

Day three of N-SOAk down.  We gather here again tomorrow for day four and all the otter-related joy it will undoubtedly bring.