recent close encounters

07 Friday Oct 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in cabin living, wild life

Tags

coyote, encounters with wildlife, fog, fox, friends, mist, moose, mouse

The last mornings have been foggy, giving our walks on the trail a dreamy quality. Earlier in the week, Lucy and I encountered a large buck moose, just to the right where this picture was taken. It was on a misty evening and the moose and I watched each other for quite some time until Lucy (oblivious and sniffing around in the tall grass) finally noticed the moose and went running towards him. She didn’t chase him far, the way she does with the deer. Instead, she seemed more sober and respectful of this great majestic animal. It was a magical encounter and I regretted leaving my camera at home on that particular evening as I would have been close enough for a good shot.

Also last week, as I was working on the blog, I watched as a large red fox ran down my driveway and out into the back woods. It was graceful and beautiful and so quick on its feet!

Then, driving home from the city yesterday, I saw a large coyote in the ditch on the side of the road. The grass was shorter there so I had a very good look at this beautiful, wild creature as I passed by.

And finally, today there were close encounters with mice. (eek!) This afternoon, I took some friends to the garden to choose a pumpkin. As I lifted the tarp that was protecting the hardening produce, a mouse darted out from under it and ran towards little 3-year old W, over both her little feet and then kept on running. We all laughed with her in delight of this close encounter. Then the mouse ran over to T (husband) and he jumped and again we all laughed. Meanwhile, a second mouse was running towards my dear friend F, and this time the laughter turned to ear-piercing shrieks and a funny lop-sided jig as she tried to jump out of the way. And there I was, clicking away and catching it all on camera (as I was taking family photographs outdoors with them this afternoon at the cabin). Yes, deep belly laughs and memories made -and captured!

recent encounters with winged ones

16 Tuesday Aug 2011

Posted by Delena Rose in birds, butterflies, cabin living, wild life

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

Arctic Fritillary buttery, Boloria chariclea, dragonfly, hawk, orange butterfly, red dragonfly, ruby throated humming bird, turqouise dragonfly

Each day that I live out here is full of close encounters with wild plants, insects, and animals. Each day, I never know what I will see or bump into. Some of these encounters are rare (like the Great Horned owl last fall or the tiny Norther Saw Whet owl, the size of my hand, this winter), and some are daily encounters (hawks, a wide variety of birds at the feeder, frogs, deer). Often, I do not have my camera handy or am too slow. But sometimes I am lucky and can capture the image. Whenever I can, I will share these encounters with you and we can enjoy the beauty of our natural world together. Today, I will share a few shots of winged ones taken just this week…

An Arctic Fritillary buttery (Boloria chariclea), adding a splash of color to my morning…

A ruby throated hummingbird at rest just outside the diningroom window (near the picnic table). I see them everyday as they love my flowers, but I have never seen one perched and at rest before. They are so tiny!

There are two hawks that live in the field where Lucy and I hike twice a day. I am not sure exactly what kind of hawk as I only get a good look at them when they are flying overhead and my field guides show them perched from the side. Most days, the hawks fly up and cry out as Lucy and I walk underneath their nesting tree. They are so huge that I once mistook one of them for a Great Horned Owl (from a distance). I made up a song in thier honor and sing it for them every time I see them:

Oh, kihew, oh kihew, you are chosen by Creator

to carry our messages up through the smudge smoke

I honor you this day and treasure your existence

may your children be blessed to the seventh generation

Here is a little sharp-tailed grouse. They are sometimes close to the trail and Lucy and I have startled them twice this week. There are four young ones. I got a good look at mama when she flew towards me to distract me from her babies. Lucy was good and left them alone.

There are also thousands of small red and large turquoise dragonflies that fill the evening skies on our walks. They dive and bomb and swirl around me, feasting on the misquitoes that my body attracts.