Today, I'm a Grouch

I hate being plugged-in and turned-on.  With my computer, I can easily turn it on and off, and can switch web sites and I always try to keep the "Chat" turned off - when I'm on my PC, I'm concentrating on doing specific things, and hate being constantly interrupted by obtuse conversations.  I like straight e-mail, or speaking with a person face-to-face.  I dislike telephones, whether it's my land-line or emergency cell phone - but some people can't seem to grasp that fact.
  I was up at 5 this morning, and was on my way to work before 7:30.  I had several stops to make, and three sets of dogs to walk, which meant I walked about 15 miles all total today.  I usually take a 90 minute nap in the afternoon, so I can get up and go again in the afternoon and evening.  Today, my landline phone rang six times while I was trying to nap; and my cell rang twice.  Both of my numbers are posted on the National Do Not Call list, and were listed the day I received them, so I shouldn't be getting many stupid phone calls.  I looked at the caller identification for all calls - I was awake, because of the ring, after all.  I did not recognize a single number, name, or place that any of the calls were made from.  And that angers me.  I purchased the telephone itself, and I pay for the use of the wires and voice mail on the land line, and for the use of air-time on my cell.  Complete strangers call me and ask me who I am.  It's none of their business.  Why do I keep getting off-the-wall calls when I'm on the No Call List?
   I guess seeing the dead raccoon with it's head sticking out of the driveway culvert put me in a bad mood this morning.  I know that a lot of people don't like raccoons, but they were put on the earth (or evolved here) for a reason...  I told the guy who owned the house that he had a dead raccoon in his driveway, and his response was, "Good riddance!"  I told him the body was stuck in the culvert pipe of his driveway, and he started cursing.  Why blame the poor dead critter for dying in an inconvenient spot?  The man owns three dogs that are allowed the run of the neighborhood, and I thought he'd be happy to remove the carcass before his dogs decided to make a meal of it.   Oh, well....
   I was able to watch  a bunch of cottontail rabbits playing, and several male flickers trying to romance their ladies.  Saw several hawks flying and a group of about 100 Canada geese were flying northwest very early this morning.  he squirrels are beginning to chase each other like crazy in the trees, so mating season is upon us...  Just be careful about interrupting skunks - they spray like mad and have party orgies in the early hours.
   Be safe!

Wildlife Babies - Photos

More Spring Baby Photos

Coyotes, Cougars, and Skunks

Gee, it's been a busy day on the wildlife front - carousing coyotes, a curious cougar, and rabid skunks - what a crazy mixture! There have been multiple reports of rabid skunks in the northern areas of Colorado lately. Skunks have been reported chasing horses in pastures, and acting aggressively towards pets and humans they have encountered. Several skunks have been trapped after reports of aggressive behavior, and, unfortunately, each one has been confirmed to be rabid. Please be certain that your pets and livestock are up-to-date on their rabies vaccinations. (Yes, there are rabies vaccinations available for horses, cattle, goats, pigs, llamas, alpacas, rabbits, etc.)
  Yesterday, while we were having such a chilly and snowy day, a fat, good-looking pair of coyotes spent several hours along my sister and brother-in-law's back fence line. They spent the first couple of hours hunting, playing and patrolling on the north side of Kathy and Jim's back fence, which is an open area. Then they hopped the fence and stayed in back yard for another couple of hours. Jim had to put covers and curtains in place over the back patio doors, as Mona and Boo really wanted to go out and remove the interlopers from the property. They left the area just before dusk. Jim said they were a "very handsome" pair.
  This morning, a young lady was walking her dog (leashed) on Flagstaff Mountain near the Sunrise Amphitheatre. She and dog suddenly became aware there was a crouching mountain lion less than a yard away in snowy brush. The woman raised her arms above her head, with the dogs leash around her wrist, and started talking very loud. She glanced around and saw an outhouse/bathroom not too far away, so she started backing towards it. While the mountain lion did not attack, it seemed curious, and advanced as slowly as the woman and dog retreated. The pair got inside the bathroom and bolted the door. The young cougar stayed in the area for about five minutes and then disappeared back into woods. The woman had called 911, and wildlife officers arrived, but the mountain lion was long gone. As the cat had not actually acted in a menacing way, and paw prints confirmed a younger, smaller individual, officials decided that the cat was simply curious.
  Officials want to remind you that with the dry, and now cold, winter, mountain lion sightings will probably multiply. Make yourself appear as large as possible, and make loud noises. Do not run away - you then become prey. Unless an animal is rabid, or defending it's young (not at this time of year!), it will not attack you, a larger and extremely vocal creature.

Police Assist Skunk

My knees are chilly. I know I should close the patio door to help get warmer, but at the moment I can't spot Banichi inside, and I don't want to close him out. Folks in Denver are getting excited since today the Rockies begin their first play-off game and also because the Denver Broncos are undefeated. The Avalanche, the local NHL team, also won their opener. It's 42 degrees outside, but the weatherman says we'll hit 72 today; but struggle to reach 40 as a high tomorrow - and, yes, we're expecting snow tomorrow. The Loveland Ski Area opened today at 8 our time, and the Arapahoe Basin is due to open Friday morning. I know that my fingers are babbling; please excuse me. I feel that two police officers in Colorado Springs deserve special thanks from lovers of wildlife - yesterday was trash pick-up day, and a lot of people put their trash out the night before due to an early pick-up. Soon after 8 yesterday morning, someone called the CS police department to report a skunk with a peanut butter jar stuck on its head. The two responding police crept up behind the skunk, and while one held the creature, the other popped the jar off its head. They then placed the skunk on the ground and ran as fast as they could. Neither were sprayed by the skunk, who wandered away from the area about 20 minutes later. ... Oh, good. Banichi just appeared and I can close the door.

I am still trying to convince my PC to download my photos... I hope to be able to do so soon. Yesterday, USA Today reported that a 9-to-10 ton crane fell off a barge in Smith Mountain Lake in Franklin County, Virginia. I have a single question: How? ... My sister and I are feeling that we have to concede to our age and gravity after Saturday at the horse show - there was a large straw bale that was a little higher than our waists, and we assumed that we could easily jump up and sit on it. Nope. Kathy finally got her heinie on the edge of the bale, so I grabbed her around the knees and pushed her backwards onto the bale. (We were both giggling hysterically.) Then I was able to put my tush up against the side of the bale and "walk" up the side of another nearby bale, until I could flop my bottom down on top of the straw. From that vantage point, we were able to see 15 of the 21 cross-country jumps that were then being contested. Then we had to laugh again - we had maps of the course and a list of the 121 competitors; after the Training group jumped, an employee mistook us for jump judges, and came to ask us for our paperwork and number of refusals overall. We had to point him toward the three real judges and their reports. ... And I highly recommend the Italian bakery and restaurant in Parker that is named Gaspare's - their food is stupendously delicious. (Stupendously delicious meaning that I could easily eat myself sick with food from either the restaurant, or goodies from the bakery...)