Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
 Offline
|
Spot's eye is cleared up; won't need to use the topical antibiotic after tonight. He escorted me to the mailbox and back today for the first time in a while. On the way back, he wanted to be carried, but still play with the paper. It was a bit awkward, but he loved it.
The hummingbirds must be fueling up for migration. There's been a constant hummingbird ballet around the feeder the last few days, to the point that we had to refill the feeder a couple hours ago. Haven't had to refill the same day since we started feeding them. The most territorial one can't drive them all off at once, so everyone appears to be getting what they need.
It actually rained this morning; not long enough to even settle the dust, but it made the air smell nicer for a little while. I hope even more rain falls around Bastrop, to get those fires beat down.
"The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." -- Mahatma Gandhi
Czarny, black cat
Rainbow Bridge: Spotacus, Alexander the Grrreat, and so very many more
|
Hawkeye02
Texas
Full Member
Joined: 08/06/2006
View Profile
Good Sam RV Club Member
Offline
|
Glad Spot's eye is better...Tiger seems to be feeling better too. Have been giving her antibotic everynight..(not an easy task), then today they both had to have their monthly Advantage drops...They are not happy campers today ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/smile.gif "smile")
Where do you get the Melaleuca's Renew lotion?
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Cat, I send you a PM.
We have hoards of hummingbirds! Already refilled the feeder this morning. The migration is on, and so many are passing through that the territorial one isn't succeeding in fending them off. At one point, there were at least eleven feeding or hovering. We learned that they are individual migrators, not in flocks, so I wonder when the territorial one will finally go. They should all have departed or passed through by the end of September. I'll miss them.
Meanwhile, Spot lays on the coffee table on the porch, directly under the feeder. The birds ignore him; he occasionally lifts his head to watch, but otherwise doesn't move. Alex isn't interested at all; they're obviously not going to be down low enough for him to make the hunting effort.
We had a short rain this morning, not enough to register in the rain gauge, but enough to temporarily settle the dust and definitely to raise the humidity. If we're really lucky, we'll get more rain this weekend. Won't end the drought or even soften the ground, but every drop helps.
|
Dashonthedash
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 06/03/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
I'm not a cat person, but I just read through the thread, and now expect to make it my latest "must-read" (I'm retired, too, and really need a life ![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/biggrin.gif "biggrin") ). The posts are well-written, entertaining, and show the many joys and frustrations of life with cats (and countless other wildlife). Perhaps a book is in your future as well. I feel bad about Bobbi and hope that you find her someday, and hope you get relief soon from the heat and drought.
Gary Shapiro
Shadow - 7-year-old Greyhound (aka Shadow Ninja)
Hannah - 4-year-old GSD rescue (aka the Canine Tornado)
Max, Dash (GSDs), Willow, Dot, Allan, Lily (Greyhounds), and Molly(GSD Mix), at the Bridge and in my heart forever
2011 G'town 280DS Class A
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Thanks, Gary. Has Dash recovered from the thunder willies? I read the Old Fella thread first each time I log in...
It's a serious multi-hummingbird ballet around the feeder every fifteen minutes or so, with the grumpy ruby throated green one (who lives here) trying so hard to run off the migrants. Not working, especially when they all gather at once. He just can't run off a mob. Amazing what birds smaller than my little finger can accomplish when they work together. I counted three different varieties of hummingbird yesterday. Most are the ruby throated (at least the males are) green, several were tiny gray and buff/white, and at least one was a larger gray. When the birds are challenging, they spread their tails, so we're getting a good view of the tail color gradations. Man, what a great free lesson in birding.
I do miss the barn swallows, who've already left. They left some flying bugs behind, and I'm not accustomed to swatting at them. With so many bug eating birds around, we're hopelessly spoiled.
We got over two inches of rain yesterday, enough to refill the deer water trough, top off the swimming pool, clean off the roofs, and add so much humidity to the air that this morning was a pea soup thick fog. Still cloudy, but we probably won't see much more rain. Only 15 more inches or so, and we'll be close to normal...
The two fawns were completely confused in the rain - they'd never been rained on. But they do like the wet graze.
Time to go get kitty treats. The boys know exactly when it's lunchtime - they get treats. But Spot's decided he doesn't like the kind Alex loves, and we're out of Spot's.
Sigh. What we do for our fur babies.![[emoticon]](http://www.coastresorts.com/sharedcontent/cfb/images/cool.gif "cool")
|
|
|
Dashonthedash
PA
Senior Member
Joined: 06/03/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Glad to hear about the rain. Hope you get more (but not flooding).
Dash is experiencing, I believe, what a lot of senior dogs do: becoming more thunderphobic as they get older. He was not like this when he was a young dog. My first greyhound Willow (co-Heart Dog) was the same way; she was so afraid that she jumped the fence and ran away when a "surprise" thunderstorm came through while I was away. Fortunately, she was found the following day. Max, my previous GSD (other co-Heart Dog), was never thunderphobic, but he was deaf in his final years.
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
It rained again early this evening, very hard. Total accumulation was just under an inch. At one point, the deer were playing in a puddle in the meadow. Was funny to watch.
Speaking of deer, a third fawn is in the meadow, and doesn't seem too afraid of us. Not sure where its mom is. All the adult does we saw were Snort, Mama Doe, and her yearling twins.
It's still cloudy and occasionally sprinkles, so we might get a little more rain. Hope so.
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
Well, as of yesterday, we were up to five fawns in our meadow, and we still don't know where the does are. We only see Mama Doe and Snort.
The hummingbird ballet hasn't slowed down yet, but the varieties are changing. Going through nectar like mad - we've made nectar twice this week already.
A fox left his scat right between the house and garage - it was mostly juniper berries. But since he's brazen enough to be on our property, we're making sure the cats are inside for the night just at sundown. They're not happy about it, but with Bobbi missing, we're not taking any chances with them.
Long day, so it's time to read a little, then sleep. Night, y'all.
|
Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
Senior Member
Joined: 10/29/2004
View Profile
Offline
|
As you can see, Mama Doe and her current fawn are not exactly afraid of us. She's right on the edge of the north porch.
![[image]](http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l188/Expatriate9666/P9180025.jpg)
This morning, she and four fawns decided to escort Spot and me back from the gate. We had some leftover salad, not quite enough for us both, so I took the container out and planned to turn it out onto the sidewalk. Nope, Mama Doe marched right up and stuck her nose into the container, so I eased it down to the ground and backed away.
She ate what she wanted, then started grazing nearby. Her fawn spent a few minutes sneaking up on the container, then finished what was left.
Just a few minutes ago, I heard a sound I've not heard in a long time. Alex caught a small gray bird and was announcing his kill. But instead of trying to run into the house with it, he laid it in the grass, walked over so I could pet him, then he picked it up and strolled away. Even at age 15, he's still almost as deadly as ever.
I'm glad that Spot is not the hunter/killer that Alex is. I've never seen a cat as deadly as Alex in his prime -- he kept the entire neighborhood free of rodents, bugs--pretty much anything smaller than him was a lunch candidate. He even stalked the neighbors' chihuahua puppy before their kids rescued it. I am so very glad the hummingbirds don't feel the need to walk around on the ground.
Speaking of hummingbirds, we're going through a couple feeders per day now. Looks like the last of the migrants are getting here. This has been quite an education and free show.
|
KLO
Southern OK
Senior Member
Joined: 09/17/2003
View Profile
Offline
|
Not sure it qualifies as a free show, don't forget about the cost of the sugar for making up the nectar! I bet you still feel it's worth it!
|
|
|
|
