Our mountain is teeming with 'critters' this time of year. Some are welcome some are not.
Our deer are a welcome sight. We are still feeding a small herd each afternoon. We now see the mothers bring their fawns out in the open when they come. It is always fun to watch them chase, play, and interact with each other, just as all children do. I even notice when mom has had enough, and gives the little fellow a bump' with her nose to show her disapproval.
The little bluebird couple are still hanging around. They chose a box in the backyard to raise their little ones. These babies are now on their own. She never seemed to be too concerned about them, and he did a lot of the childcare, or fledgling care, while she sat at our window and looked in. We can count on seeing her each morning at our bedroom window. Then, in the afternoon she joins us at the living room window while we are reading the paper. The couple seem to be leaning towards housekeeping in the box on the porch. That is just about as close to the house as she can get without moving inside! I have become accustomed to seeing her each morning as she joins us for our first cup of coffee. I expect she has been up since first light, has eaten her breakfast, and is wondering why we are such sleepyheads, staying in bed until 6 in the morning! This little couple is welcome to share a few early morning moments with us.
Speaking of early morning! We always see a family of rabbits scampering around the backyard when we look out the kitchen window while pouring that first cup of coffee. If we are quiet, they will stay until we let the dogs out for the day. Other than nibbling a few green shoots in early spring, they don't seem to bother the garden too much. They are welcome as long as they eat only their share.
And then there are the UN welcome ones---
One night this week as I stepped out on the porch just before going to bed, my eye caught a shadow undulating across the yard toward the porch. Being familiar with the movement and scent, I realized that Mr. Skunk was making a visit. I called for Jack, though I knew we were not going to do any kind of confrontation with the critter being that close to the house.
And close he was! After shinning his light around under the porch, Jack declared him gone! I think not! I went to the back door to close it and heard a scuffling sound very near. Mr. Skunk was checking out the dog food bowl! Or, at least checking to see if we had accidentally left it out, as we had done the night before. Fooled him! Again, I called Jack to come see. His light revealed no critter on the back porch.
Then, I went to the side door close it. From the scent of things, Mr. Skunk was very near, and I saw a form scuffle away from the door as I again, for the third time, called Jack to bring his light. Mr. Skunk was obviously playing a game of hide and seek around the porch with us. Jack never saw him. I saw him three times that night.
Because skunks, even those with a playful sense (scents) of humor are really not welcome around here, Jack set out a trap--Have-a-Heart, of course. He baited it with dog food dipped in barbecue sauce (sounded good to him) and placed it in a place not too near the house, but within the path he had come the night before. The next morning the trap was empty, but the barbecued dog food was gone! Mr. Skunk is such a joker!
The next night, same trap, same bait--no skunk! But it was very obvious he had left his "mark"! On the third night, Jack moved the trap a little further from the house, thinking we may have made him a little wary of us! Ha! I doubt it! Mr. Skunk isn't worried about us!
End of story--We never were successful in catching Mr. Skunk, who hasn't been heard, seen, or smelled of since. However, that next morning when we checked the trap, a very large brown raccoon was puffed up and very mad about getting caught. (I think Mr. Skunk tricked him into crawling into that trap.)
The rest of the story--Jack relocated Mr. Raccoon down on Possum Trot Road. Yes, there is a Possum Trot Road. Just come up here and we will take you there! You may even see Mr. Raccoon--and, of course, a possum or two!
When the sun has slipped away and the dew is on the day,
Then the creature comes to call (that) men malign the most of all...
All he asks is that men let him be.
Robert T.Coffin
