Critters of the Night/Trail Camage

One of the fun things about the trail camera is that it never sleeps.  

Thus, we get to see things we slept through. 

Like the activity of possums

and cats

and deer

(probably) bunnies

and whatever this is.

Trail Camage 10

Camera looking up.

Bird of prey heading up.  (It's hard to see but there are several deer in the background.)

We hear coyotes all the time.  Is this the one who's been leaving poop on the trail?

Young Bloodhound ponders a scent.

The finial on this flagpole has been broken since we moved here.  This Blue Jay makes a cool living finial!

Trail Camage 9

This a fork in the trail.

Here we have a doe minding her own business.

Now she's running with another doe.  From what- we don't know.

Later, another doe and her fawn pass through.

The cute factor on that fawn is pretty high.

Trail Camage 8

A catbird hangs out in this cool sort of grapevine cave.

Here's what it looks like through the "entrance", that is, the opening that can be seen from the trail.

The inside is fairly small- three or four feet in diameter.

You can see the wall of the grapevine cave on one side

On the other side the wall is covered by a wild rose hedge.  (I wish I'd taken this picture a month ago.  It was full of white flowers.)

Skunk.

Groundhog.

?!

!?

Trail Camage 5

No critters this time.  This area is rather boggy so you expect little foot traffic.  What's cool is the way light and shadow and color change as the day turns to night.

Fallen Log Trail Camage

Set up the camera a bit further off trail this time.

Deer fleeing the scene.

Gray squirrel.  (On the left atop the log.)

Red squirrel well camouflaged.  (Look to the left in front of the log.)

Here he is again, this time trying to lift up the log?!  (Near the center, framed by branches.)

Here we have a mysterious critter.  See his tail left of the log.

Here's his head and body. 

And this is freaky.  Is that black plastic partially buried?  Somebody hiding a body? 

Don't Spook the Deer

The line to vote began at the door and coiled over and over many times before entering the roped section.  Serpentine.  It reminded me of an enjoyable figure skating drill.  Gliding across the ice, crossing one foot over the other, opposite edges of the blade back and forth.  This voting serpentine was slower without ice, needless to add.

It was strangely pleasant packed in that way in this small town, small building.  Strangers and neighbors calmly sardined in line to fulfill a civic duty. 

When the election results came in, Trump won.  "That's not fair!  He didn't win the popular vote!"   Must we review the electoral system for whiny disappointed voters every time they lose?

Now it's time to be sure the PRIVATE PROPERTY, NO HUNTING,  KEEP OUT signs are in place.  Deer hunters are making ready.  When Mabel was alive I used to worry that some over enthusiastic hunter would mistake her for a deer.

I have no delusions that I can protect the deer around here but I sure don't want some lout tromping around my back yard- that includes the neighbors with whom we share a tree line.

One particularly unpleasant tree line neighbor believes that if you fire a gun close to the start of deer season, it will spook the deer.  Yeah.  Sure.  The deer who live around here hear gunfire everyday.  Of course they will be spooked by gunfire in November. 

Never argue with a crazy person.  Our guns are silent.

August Blahs

All the wild raspberries and wild blackberries have been picked.  The rewards for venturing out and sweating like a horse are different than they were a month ago.

August has always been my least favorite month.  As a kid, it was because school would be starting soon.  As an adult, it is because here in southern Michigan, August is the month most likely to offer conditions closely resembling an Amazon Rainforest. 

Still, there are some pleasant things about August.  Remove the bra, wring it out, step into the cool house and from the window, watch a doe and her twin fawns scrounging for apples.

Come to think of it, I haven't had that much moisture under my top since the peak of menopausal hot flashes.  Bah.  Let's return to some nice things about August.

 

Maybe the Lake Effect goes on vacation in August to rest up before snow time.

Snow is nice. 

Happy August everybody!