Another Tribe of Big Birds

It's been a long time since I've seen Tom and Jerry my oldest turkeys who stuck off last spring with a bunch of their sons. Was good seeing them again. I could see that they remembered me since I could walk among them. It's mating season so all the birds should be coming around again. Last year there was some 50 birds. So far there has only been about 20 birds of various ages. Some rather young, less then a year old, a chicken on stilts. I could see that Tom and Jerry were the big birds and were getting more of the red bumps on their face and neck. I was worried that some animal had eaten them. It still looks like rain. I think we had a couple inches this last storm. I heard today that another storm might be coming also. Whether it will bring rain is another question. This last storm really dumped rain in a short period of time. The rainy season has started late and has met the average rain fall. I hope this winter won't have large dumping storms like the past couple years. Then again, I hear that the amount of rain and snow have lightened up. The snow levels have gone higher in the mountain. Before it used to snow at this elevation and the snow used to stay all winter. So much has changed in these mountains over the last hundred years. I'm sure man has a hand in the change in the weather. In the 60's people discounted pollution in the oceans and water ways. I remember Lake Erie used to catch fire. Most people forget that happened. I think these matters needs to be in our history books to prevent the damage of the future of our environment. We can't trust big business to police themselves.

Bush plans to kill poor people

Bush plans to keep cutting services to the poor saying that they would die off with out medical aid and food. This would help pay for the tax cuts and the hand outs to corperate friends. Since there is no way they can figure out how to exploit the poor anymore it's time to remove them from the food chain. Since the republicans can't cook the books anymore when they claim the economy is great they need more tax cuts to pay for the war. Cheney said, "Hallaburton hasn't made enough money to give him the big kick back he wants." Other corperation stated they didn't have enough free money like Hallaburton's getting.

Critters in the rain

Raccoon stopped by for dinner. Stinkers didn't know what to do with those two large guys eating kitty food with him. No odderoma just a couple threatening jumps at them. Since they didn't move he ate a little and came back later to finish eating. He was here right after sunset and chowed down then so I think he was just topping off for the night. I got closer to the window in the door to watch the raccoons. I can get right up to the skunks so seeing them still is fascinating but these are new critters. I have to spend some time letting them get to know me. The first raccoon I seen up here took several month for me to get close enough to feed him by hand. He would eat the corn from the grain mix and leave everything else. It looks like there are four raccoons in this family, mom, dad and the kids. When they saw me at first, when they came around, they would run off. Now they tolerate me looking at them through the door window. To bad it's so cold at night the first one used to come around in summer so it was easier to sit outside with him. After seeing me several night he saw that I wasn't threatening, disregarding me sitting there. Mom with her kids is a different matter. She would be more protective of the kids then by herself.

 

Raining again, not hard but constant. I like this better then the last couple years where it came down all at once in a few days. I had creeks running through the yard. The creek was really flowing and washing anything loose down river. I need to rake up the leave and get a burn pile going. I'd put the leaves some where but there is only so much space in the forest to keep the place clean. The leaves would make good mulch but where to put it.

 

Those paint fumes are getting to me. Think I'll have to paint outside from now on. Well I might sleep good at least.

Bob the Cat came by

The Bobcat came through but the turkeys chased him off. Nothing like attack turkeys. Bob the cat must weight about 75 to a 100 pound. I grabbed the closest camera which was a film camera with an 85 mm lens. I was hoping to get a closer shot but o'well. Still it was rather exciting to see the bobcat since he only comes around about once a year. He was most likely looking for something to eat and following the sound of the dogs yelling out, "dinner here." People don't get it, they think that a dog barking doesn't attract carnivores. It's like putting up a sign saying, "eat me." or a sign that says, "easy food here." Then when their pet gets eaten they don't understand you can't leave a pet outside in the mountains.

 

I could hear coyotes tonight off in the distance. The deer were apprehensive like usual. Any time they can hear something that can eat them the are very alert.

 

House smells of The Stinkers. George Clinton and Pooh-butt got into it on the porch. I turned on the light so they could see and it seems to calm them down. Now my front room has that aromatic smell. Such a trip watching the little guys. I can look out the door at them for hours. During the summer I can lay on the floor with the door open. The skunks walk by me, sniff and keep looking for food. I do like it when they look up at me with those little eyes.

 

The raccoons were here at least one of them which I saw. Little guy liked the cat food but not the pork scraps. Something will eat them before the nights over.

Herd of birds

The turkeys are here, about twenty two of them. Don't know where the group of males are. One of the young females has something wrong with her foot because she's limping. She won't put any weight on her foot. She's doing okay as far as getting around. The birds headed down to the creek to get bugs. They left the one limping bird behind.

 

Need to get a burn pile going and get rid of some of these leaves.

 

The bandits were here last night. I seen four of the fur balls scooting around. There could have been more but they don't like me looking at them even if I'm inside. Three skunks showed up also a little later. Marty was here again last night. Nothing like a good seven point deer as a friend. Still haven't Seen Big Buddy in weeks. I hope he's okay. I had to nurse him back to health after he broke his leg. Haven't seen Grumpy the stumpy deer. He's full size but with short legs so he looks smaller. Think that gives him his attitude.

 

I need to get outside but the limping hen is still eating. The other birds tend to push her out of the way when they want to eat. Well she moved to the road side of the house to eat some grass. I'll have to put out some seed and corn on the north side of the house so I can do some work on the sprinklers, not that I want to right now, it's a bit cold out. Well, I better get moving before the sun sets.

Forest Friends

How cute, the jack rabbit and the young female deer are out eating together. It's really cold out tonight only 31 degrees out. The stars are out, real good. The rabbit is rather shy and the deer wants to see how it is. She doesn't want to hurt the rabbit but it scares the little rabbit, the deer is so much bigger then the rabbit. Just like me going outside, the deer, skunks and squirrels see me standing up and they think, "Oh Bear." Then they run off. As long as the deer can see me wave to them or hear my whistle they won't run off. The squirrels will run up the trees and hide on the other side of it. Then poke their little heads out to see where I am. Saw Marty and Mr. B tonight which I haven't seen since the rut started. Was getting worried about the big deer being gone for so long. Alright, Stinkers is here. Was getting worried about the skunks not doing so well in the rain. I left some pork scrapes out for him. Hi tail is dragging on the ground so I can't tell which one it is but I think it's Stinkers. Going to have to check the weather to see if it's going to be dry for a while or not. One thing good about the cold, you can walk outside in your slippers ant the turkey dropping don't stick. Took a couple nice pictures of the squirrels today. Have to get a remote control for the camera. Not just for taking steady shot but to set the camera with a power supply to take remote shots from inside. Looks like I need another salt block. Have to bring in the speakers before they get wet, so far they are covered but they still could get wet the way the rain was blowing.

 

Just checked the USGS site and there was a quake near Big Bear. It was a 4.1 and 2.5 miles deep. Shallow. Going to have to keep an eye on things. There was a 4.1 near Mammoth and a few after shocks. I felt that one here. Thought it was the drugs or being tired. There was a lot of activity a few months ago but is went quiet for a while. Now it looks like it's picking up again.

 

Time to turn in the drugs are kicking in.