A week ago Friday, we babysat our neighbors’ dog and four cats over the weekend while they took a mid-winter trip to go run a half Marathon. When they were driving down the road heading out they saw a Mountain Lion run out of our driveway and head down the hill in front of them before it dove off the road.
A couple of days later we noticed that our bunny friend who lives under the carport wasn’t around. We didn’t think anything about it at first, because he or she goes on walkabout from time to time and then reappears in the old same place under the carport. But after almost a week of no bunny, we figured perhaps something had happened.
Then yesterday our neighbors mentioned the lion. Coincidence? Probably not.
Today I went for a walk up past the carport, looking for lion tracks which were hopefully not still occupied. I didn’t wear snowshoes, and should have been as the snow was a bit too deep for comfortable walking. I didn’t get very far before I returned home.
Coming back down the driveway, I was admiring what a pretty day we were having, so in lieu of a picture of a Mountain Lion track in the snow, I settled for a snow picture without any lions at all.
Sunny days like this make our solar panels produce plenty of power, charging the batteries well. It’s a free ride. Clear skies and full batteries. Another coincidence.
A Ruffed Grouse in a Service Berry bush, looking surprised. This isn't a coincidence. They always look surprised by everything.
Our exercise bike has a new home next to the windows overlooking the front yard.
I was so happy I’d gone six miles on it the other day when Dan put it into perspective. At that rate, for the 15 mile one-way journey, it would be a 5-day round trip to the nearest town, and I’d only have to camp out four nights. It’s nice having a car!
It’s actually quite entertaining riding the bike and watching the bird riot in the front yard. We have both been doing this exercise, and we tend to do it when the sun is starting to go down. There is always a riot going on in the front yard to coincide with the fullness or emptiness of the bird feeders. This last week we’ve seen a variety of top avian predators in the yard. A Pygmy Owl has been a very popular guest of the smaller birds (not!), as he tries to catch small birds and settles for the stray vole or two that tunnel in the snow under the bird feeders.
An hour after sunset a couple of days ago, while it was still not quite dark, Opal alerted us to the fact that a Great Horned Owl was sitting on top of the large Ponderosa Pine down the hill from the house. We admired the profile of the bird, while Opal complained it was in the area. It’s about time to start hearing them call.
Today a Goshawk flew through the yard, right at eye-level. And Opal complained about that one as well. She really doesn’t approve of Goshawks.
We were talking about the cold weather, in the single digits this last week, and Mishin heard us. He is taking no chances of getting cold.
Speaking of walkabout, Terry was walking around on the floor in the living room talking to the furniture like she likes to do, and I was following her, talking to her and not paying attention to the fact that the cat had come down the stairs behind me. He walked right up to Terry and they were nose-to-nose. Briefly. Everybody was surprised. I snatched him up immediately to prevent damage if Terry decided to chomp the cat, and set him down on the stairs. He came right back and went upside down on the floor in front of the wood stove, employing cuteness. But it was unsuccessful. I did not put the macaw back on the floor. That was the first time those two have been that close together. Very exciting.