kokosfriend
Nashville, TN
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Joined: 09/06/2004
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Good story except for the crash. Hope he recovers OK
Barb
Barb and the 4 chocolates
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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Thanks, Barb. He's got the staples out of his knee and is now supposed to be stretching knee and hand, but he's still on bed rest another week or so. Then it's off to physical therapy. His three cats are thrilled to have him home all day, so there's that up side to the ordeal.
Spot has been so full of beans the last few days, that he even got Alex to play with him. Outside, he's turned into the intrepid hunter, although he hasn't actually caught anything -- but he's so cute to watch. When we're in the pool, he lays nearby and watches us.
Solo is back in our meadow, escorting Mama Doe here and there. I guess Han and Spooky have joined the buck herd, as we've not seen them the last few days. Mama Doe is babysitting two fawns that we don't recognize, so I guess the fawn day care center is back in operation.
A tiny green and yellow bird has been sitting on the hot tub, then landing in the waterfall to get a drink. Pretty little bird, not terribly afraid of us when it wants a drink. Yesterday, I was in the pool when the bird came to drink. Spot saw it and snuck around the pool. The bird was too busy watching me and the waterfall to see him, so I swam over and startled it into flying. Well, a few minutes ago, Alex came up with a kill. It was a tiny green and yellow bird. Rats. While I'm impressed with his hunting skills at his advanced age, I wish he wasn't so efficient. I really liked that little bird.
All the barn swallows are eating like mad, getting ready to migrate next month. I will miss them so much, especially morning and evening, when they all show up at once for the gab fest. WLToo is planning to build wooden nests for them, so they'll have more space and not have to jam 5-6 babies in a nest only large enough for three. He found the plans online, just needs to get on it.
About time to get the cheeses out. We're having a wine and cheese tasting for our Harley Owners Group chapter. If the weather cooperates, folks can hang out at the pool and watch Spot watch them. But if the weather decides to actually share some rain with us, that would be good, too.
Later, y'all.
"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
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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We got rain!!! A little over an inch, which helped refill the pool, but it doesn't put a dent in the drought.
We changed out a hummingbird feeder and now have a few more tiny ones feeding on the south porch, while the larger ones fight it out on the north porch. They are so entertaining.
Spot and Alex got their Advantage Multi application yesterday, so they were inclined to just sleep in the music room all day. Alex slept on the futon, and Spot stretched out on the piano. Today was also a lazy kitty day.
Han and Spooky are walking the fence line again. Guess they didn't join the buck herd after all.
I see a scorpion. Must get out the flip flop o' doom. Later, y'all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Living with wildlife can sometimes become surreal. The most recent example came just days ago.
Mama Doe came limping up to the south porch for some apple slices. I saw a 2” cut on her left foreleg, not bleeding, though, and it looked clean. She looked hungrier than normal, so I gave her a few hands full of deer corn as well. While she ate, I went out the north door to cool off in the pool.
I hadn’t completed the first lap, when the vegetation below the pool suddenly shook. Spot exploded out of the plants, fur puffed up to twice his size, ran up the slope between the house and garage, and disappeared. The neighbor’s black cat poked his head just above the pool deck edge and looked right into my eyes at his level. I quietly said, “Go home, black kitty,” and he whirled around and shot down the hill toward his home.
I started on the second half of my first lap, when I heard a deer snorting. Mama Doe was standing by the flagpole on the east side of the house, looking at me and snorting repeatedly, with her injured leg held up. I made another lap, she becoming more insistent, before I figured out that Spot had startled her and she wanted me to do something.
I climbed out of the pool, walked between the buildings, and there was Mama Doe on the driveway, looking toward the far edge of the garage. Spot was nowhere in sight. I moved in the direction Mama Doe was looking, and she paced along with me. Then I saw Spot underneath the RV, resting all but one foot in the undercarriage. I spoke to him for a few minutes, but he didn’t seem interested in coming out.
I turned to Mama Doe, who was intently watching, and said, “Thank you,” and she immediately limped back to her interrupted dinner. Just as she got to the feed pan, Spot came running onto the porch, and I let him inside. Mama Doe calmly watched him go back in the house and finished her food.
We’ve known for a while that she considered us and the cats part of her herd, but this kind of direct communication is a first. I wonder if we should rename her Lassie?
The barn swallows have migrated already, and I miss their noisy exuberance. But we now have so many hummingbirds here that they make up for the swallows. We have three feeders out, and must refill every day, sometimes more than once. They are mostly rufus and black chinned, but the occasional ruby throat joins the scrum. We have lots of yellow wildflowers in the meadow and plenty of bugs still, so they should have all the food necessary to bulk up for their long trip south.
Alex is doing Monorail Kitteh on my chair arm, impatiently waiting for his 1700 feeding. He doesn't want to hear that it's an hour away. Never in my life have I had a cat so food oriented that he could give Scarlett O'Hara a run ("I'll neveh be hungry again!").
WLToo's calling for my assistance in installing the new ceiling fan. Later, y'all.
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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We're up to two refills per day in the hummingbird feeders. The resident rufous has moved from the tree to the shallow perching feeder, where it can launch a quick attack on any other hummer trying to feed at the shallow feeder or the hover feeder, then take up station again. The larger perching feeder is far enough away that the rufous doesn't go on the attack much there. So it features a several times daily hummingbird ballet, as they all take turns. In fact, we saw two hummers sharing an individual perch this morning. Naturally, by the time WLToo got the camera, they'd moved on.
I'm watching the rufous grooming itself right now. Fascinating little critter.
Spot has a new hobby. We're having some electrical work done, and wherever the electrician is, Spot's there watching. He climbed the electrician's ladder to join him in the garage attic -- but WLToo grabbed him before he got all the way up there. He supervised the repairs to the RV hookups, and he thoroughly inspected the inside of the electrician's van. Now he's sleeping on the north porch, after wallowing all over me and taking a short nap on my left arm. Fifteen pounds of wallow makes for a sore arm...
Haven't seen Mama Doe today, nor any of the main herd. Guess it's too hot to move about much. A cool front is coming in tomorrow, so the highs will only be in the low 90s, with night lows in the 60s. If it keeps up, we'll be able to open the windows at night.
WLToo saw several black headed vultures swooping low a bit ago, and did notice the smell of death. Hope it's not one of the critters we know.
We now have two working 30 amp RV power boxes, and the fourth will work as soon as WLToo gets the outlet -- the electrician only had two with him. The all new one is a 50/30/20, so relatives and friends with 50 amp rigs can now visit. Being able to keep the air conditioners running is very important in RVing down here.
Time to rig up something for supper. Later, y'all.
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WandaLust2
TN
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Joined: 11/14/2008
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We haven't seen any hummingbirds around our flower garden this year. Come to think of it, no woodpeckers or mockingbirds either. It's been several years since I've heard a mockingbird. I'm reminded of Rachael Carson's "Silent Spring" I had to read when in HS. And yes, the does become so tame when they know no one will harm them.
There was a mother doe with twins around earlier this summer. I haven't seen her now for awhile.
Mrs. WandaLust. Retired. Middle TN
1999 Fleetwood SouthWind 32'
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WandaLust2
TN
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Joined: 11/14/2008
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....
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Wanderlost
Texas Hill Country
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Joined: 10/29/2004
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The mockingbirds live here, WL2, in vast quantities. Haven't seen a whole lot of woodpeckers, though I hear them. We live under the central flyway, so this time of year through October, we'll see a wide variety of migrating birds.
Real windy today; the hummers are all trying to use the perching feeders, so they will have a grip and not get blown past the feeder.
Spot likes the breeze on his fur, so he's staying on the porches. Good, maybe the wind will blow some fur off and it won't land on the sofa or our bed...
Alex doesn't like wind in his ears, so he's spending the day on my lap. Had to trim his claws again after doing so just a few days ago; his grow very fast and he's diligent about keeping them needle sharp. My legs, left arm and shoulder are covered with evidence of his diligence. Sigh.
WLToo's calling, needs me to hold the ladder steady. Later, y'all.
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Dashonthedash
PA
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Joined: 06/03/2003
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There's a huge bull elk hanging around, one of the biggest I've ever seen. His rack is so big that it gives me a neck ache just watching him carry it around. He's already got a fairly good-sized harem around him, and he's looking for more. He's been bugling for several days now, and I haven't seen or heard any other grown bulls for a while.
Just got a couple pictures of him:
![[image]](http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/Dashonthedash/100_0856.jpg)
![[image]](http://i104.photobucket.com/albums/m187/Dashonthedash/100_0855.jpg)
* This post was
edited 09/26/12 05:51pm by Dashonthedash *
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
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