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For Older People with Sense

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Comments

  • chabba
    chabba Member Posts: 3,600

    Ginger, the Cayotes are quite bold around here too, even more so than the racoons.

  • Gingerbrew
    Gingerbrew Member Posts: 1,997

    We had a ton of raccoon trouble back in Illinois but not out here. This cayote stood and looked at me yelling and clapping my hands like I was stupid. I guess he gets that a lot though.   

    All our apples were gone from the apple tree today I wonder if Cayotes eat them? We are pretty sure the deer took tghem down. We forgot about them while trying to provide no food sources here for predators or prey.  

    I wanted some animals here but I wasn't thinking wild!  

    Hugs Ginger

  • QCA
    QCA Member Posts: 1,150

    Beautiful photos, Chabba and Lisa!  Thanks.

    We don't appear to have many wild animals here that I've seen, although I understand some have seen some coyotes.  I think sometimes I hear them at night--sort of a mournful howl.  Know I don't want to run into any, that's for sure. 

    Kathy

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,963

    We had a coyote/dog mix once and she would eat anything. DH saw her eating cherries and spitting out the seed. I think it's more likely the deer ate the apples.

  • ptdreamers
    ptdreamers Member Posts: 639

    both deer and crows have a feast on our apples.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    A mournful coyote howl is a beautiful thing!!! It's when you hear the feeding frenzy of a pack attacking that your bowels turn to liquid!! Quite a sound....!! We once had to listen to a rabbit get killed right outside our bedroom window one summer!!! Rabbits scream like humans...very eerie!!

  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 4,860

    We used to have a couple coyotes that lived on our property.  It was enchanting to watch them crossing the fields below us.  Our dog (before he died) would go crazy on occasion, and we knew the coyotes were nearby (the dog was securely fenced in so they couldn't get at each other).  A couple years ago, a neighbor's dog went missing and he (the neighbor) thought it was the coyotes. (Very doubtful, as the dog out-weighed the coyote by a good measure).  Anyway, he complained to animal control and they removed the coyotes. 

    We still have some quail, but the feral cats have killed most of them, I believe, so now we just have squirrels, raccoons, opossum and birds.  We do have both golden and bald eagles that roost somewhat nearby, though, and I love watching them.

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,963

    DH's birthday and mine are only a week apart. Our present to each other is to go out of town for the weekend. We're going to Winthrop, WA and haven't decided whether to risk the North Cascades Highway. It's a mountainous winding 2 lane highway that closes in the winter, usually some time in Nov. And they may get snow tonight, so we're waiting till tomorrow to decide. We're going to relax and read in front of the fire. The cabin has no phone, TV, or internet. We do have cell phones and Winthrop is a cute little town. Directions are to turn right at the stop sign (there's only one).

  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 4,860

    Wren - the pass is still open, but latest status says there is snow on the road.....  If you go, drive carefully!!!  It surely is a beautiful drive, though.  We hadn't been over that pass for a long time, (when we don't take Snoqualmie, we generally take Chinook Pass) - but we decided to visit Winthrop this summer.  Unfortunately, we didn't know the Jazz Festival was that weekend, so it was PACKED, and we ended up just continuing along our merry way.  (Neither of us like crowds).  It sounds like a really cool birthday treat, though!!

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    My DH and I have birthdays a week apart too!! We often do stuff like that. My sister is presently driving from Portland to Montana and this is what she posted on Facebook:

  • chabba
    chabba Member Posts: 3,600

    Barb, I've been across Snoqualmie too many times when it looked like that or much worse. I am sure that Highway gets just as bad.

  • Gingerbrew
    Gingerbrew Member Posts: 1,997

    We had cayotes howling last night. My DH hears better than I do and he was really complaining about it. I couldn't hear them. DH has seen some of the cayotes work and doesn't like them one bit.  

    I drove out to Leavenworth in the spring and was so surprised at how high the snow was up on the sides of the pass on the way here. The snow was up 16 or 18 feet. I don't even know how they cut it away like that, surely the plows aren't that tall!   

    How do you spell cayotes? I keep changing my spelling. lol

    Laters Ginger

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    coyotes

  • Gingerbrew
    Gingerbrew Member Posts: 1,997

    Why thank you. I think my "a" comes from some southern twang in my background.  

    Thanks Ginger

  • Dilly
    Dilly Member Posts: 394

    It's a funny word Ginger - coyotes - it's intuitive to spell it with an a... 

    We have some behind my neighbors and can hear them at night but I rarely see one. 

    We have mountain lions in our neighborhood - a female had a pair of cubs?kits? a couple years ago and several neighbors spotted the trio - it's thought that the big cats are what killed one neighbor's goats, and several local house cats.  One friend felt "stalked" and saw the tail in the bushes while she was walking.  But, bears on the porch is too close for comfort.  Although my dog weighs in at 135# and we are "fenced", I still keep him in at night - I do think his size and bark are known to the local wildlife like deer & bear and they mostly steer clear of our place.

    We had a rabbit the other day - he found a place behind some wood DH had stacked and was settling in.  When DH moved the wood and found the bunny, we put dog up in the house while we had to insist that this was not a good winter bunny home and had to shoo him away.

    We are at about 3000' and expect some snow tonight.  A good night for split pea soup and hot biscuits.

    Stay safe and warm everyone.

  • Elisimo
    Elisimo Member Posts: 1,262

    Ooooh, that sounds so good LC.  I think I will make some when I get back from FL next week.  I am so excited to get to go see BarbA in the morning.  

    We have deer, raccoons, squirrles, beavers, foxes and an occasionally wolf. Some people think they are coyotes, but they are actually wolves. Our biggest problem is with the foxes as a number of them have been found to be rabid. We love watching the deer come get a morning and evening drink from the little pond behind our house.  We also have a very big hawk that stays in a tree on the dam side of the pond. We have watched him hunt small animals in the area.  When Daisy Dog was a puppy we would not let her outside without us being right beside her.  She was not much bigger than a rabbit and we were afraid that the hawk would get her.  She is big enough now that she is safe from him.  He could not pick her up and fly away with her now.  How long to hawk live anyway?  This one has been around for about 10 years.

    Does anyone know how to get rid of all the doves that seem to have invaded our backyard?  They are destroying the feeders and eat all the food we put out for the other birds.  They have even run some of the smaller birds away from the feeders.  They are the bullies and I want them to just go away.  DH says he will get me a BB gun and I could do some target practice, but I don't really want to kill them, I just want them to go away.

    Well I think I will try to go get some sleep, but I doubt that I will get much since I am so excited about getting to go see BarbA in the morning.  Hugs to all, AJ

  • QCA
    QCA Member Posts: 1,150

    Have a great time, AJ, and tell BarbA hello for all of us!

    Kathy

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    Does anyone know why these are called Live Oak Trees

  • chabba
    chabba Member Posts: 3,600

    Joking, she says, Maybe because it is a wonder that it seems to thrive with so much moss growing on it?

    Beautiful, picture!

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    I took that near Charleston SC I should have asked someone there

  • wren44
    wren44 Member Posts: 7,963

    That's just their name. It probably came from the fact that they're evergreen. I googled it and it said Old Ironsides was made of live oak.

  • socallisa
    socallisa Member Posts: 10,184

    Who knew, thanx

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    That is creepy!! I just asked my DH last week why did they call them "LIVE" oak in the book I was reading!!!! Like, you don't say LIVE pine tree. What IS the answer??????

    Ginger, re: snow plowing....they don't wait until the snow stops to start plowing...they scrape it away AS it falls, so they aren't ever dealing with 10 foot drifts...hehehehehehhee One year in Barrie, we had piles of snow as high as the hydro wires!!!! At my DH's barbecue on the back deck, there was an area of melted snow around where he cooked, but the snow was even starting to make a roof!

  • gardengumby
    gardengumby Member Posts: 4,860

    Live Oak and Oak are two completely different species.  :)

  • marywh
    marywh Member Posts: 1,433

    Not to change the subject but getting back to deer, My daughter hit a deer tonight in her little car. Thank God she wasnt hurt and my grandson wasnt in the car with her, but she did about 3000 dollars worth of damage to her car, and killed the deer. Its dangerous driving around here this time of year!

  • chabba
    chabba Member Posts: 3,600

    We just got our first snow--er, make that snowy, of the season.

  • chrissyb
    chrissyb Member Posts: 11,438

    Wow!! Gorgeous bird!!!!! Thanks Chabba!

  • Alyson
    Alyson Member Posts: 3,737

    Just to say that DH has been telling folks that we are going Canada for our trip next year. Probably about September and we will go down to PA to see my aunt - yeh. Have a friend in Amherst MA who we want to see and I want to go to Prince Edward Island. So folks this is a warning that I would love to meet up with lots of you.

    A purring ginger moggy is telling me that it is certainly time for food. Not that he is starving at all.

  • barbe1958
    barbe1958 Member Posts: 7,605

    Aly, will you be coming Toronto-way???? There are a bunch of us here that would love to greet you in Ontario!!!

    Chabba, the largest snow owl I've seen was 4 feet tall and was harrassing a neighbourhood and attacking people in Vancouver when I was about 8 or 9. Very scary!!!!

    maryh, I had a deer hit ME!!! The side of my car had the damage and it's hoof swung over and hit the hood. I was able to prove to the insurance company that I was hit and they paid up! I mean really, how can I hit a deer with the side of my car??? Very scary sound, your poor DD must be traumatized!! Give her a hug from me!! My deer ran out of fog at the side of the road and hit me, what was the damage on your DD's car?

  • chabba
    chabba Member Posts: 3,600

    barbe, The insurance adjusters around here don't even question damage from deer running into the sides of cars.  Even though we do have deer that are so accustomed cars that they stop and look both ways before crossing the street we also have hundreds that will come dashing out of a wooded lot into the side of your car.

    Edited to add, You should see the damage a buck can do.  A few years ago a woman had a doe dashed out in front of her. she missed the doe but the buck that was chasing her broadsided the car!