Formal portrait…
In profile…
Bear’s favorite lookout spot is on my bed.
He has a great view of the woods. He must deal with Bob’s scent and Bob must deal with his – I’m ever hopeful they will decide that it would be more fun for all of us if they got along….
Yesterday, Sunday, I found Bear watching with his feet crossed. I told him to stay and ran for the camera…
Bear sits for his portrait.
A snowpack that is 150% more than “normal” and a wet spring have filled Montana’s rivers, streams and lakes to the brim and in some places to overflowing.
And instead of their normal blue-green color and clarity that allows seeing down into the water four to six feet…the water in rivers and streams and even the lake shore is a muddy brown from the fast flow that is eroding shorelines as it careens down from the mountain tops.
Fortunately, this Spring has also been cool so the snowpack has been melting at a slow enough pace that flooding has been minimal most places. And I’ll take the cool! I LOVE the cool. It can continue until Fall for me :)!
And hopefully, with all of the moisture falling from the sky and the remaining snowpack to melt, there will be enough moisture in the wilderness areas to make our fire season another mild one.
As I was looking at the muddy water, I noticed something swimming…not an otter…
…a beaver…a LARGE beaver! I’ve seen evidence of their presence but this is the first time I’ve actually seen one. He looked to be about 5 feet from nose to tail. And not skinny. And not disturbed by Bear or me.
So…I heard Bear jump off the bed….
…and then some whining…
Bob had been looking at the other closet first thing Friday morning. I suspected that we might have a small visitor…
When I saw and heard Bear at the other bedroom closet, my suspicions were confirmed.
Bob was aware that something was happening….
I wonder what Mousie was thinking when paw of Bear made its appearance under the closet door?
I opened the closet door, moved the A/C unit which was blocking Bear’s access to Mousie…
Mousie hightailed it for the open air and Bear got him – Bear is VERY quick and VERY athletic! I thought there was going to be a swallow, but instead, it was a spit-out…a wet and nearly dead mouse which I scooped up and put out of its misery.
Bear was a bit nonplussed at the entire situation but, I think, relieved that it was over.
Bob’s reaction…”I am retired…that darn dog can have the mice…”
Heh…
The first ever movie of Bob in Action!
Got 1 minute 23 seconds? See Mr. Bob the wonder cat, playing with bubbles in the bathroom sink. Narrated by yours truly :)!
Last Friday, Bear and I took a lunch hour break for a walk at Wayfarer’s. The lupins were blooming in full force!
In my woods, 7 miles north of the nearest lake shore, the wildflowers are typically a week or two behind those that have the extra humidity and warmth of a lake shore locale.
But this morning, in my very own woods, I spotted some beginning blossoms…
Made sparkly by overnight rain.
…my inner wood nymph skipped through the woods…tra la, tra la, tra la…the lupins are blooming :) !!
Preview at Wayfarers…the show is just starting in my woods.
After 2 days of pouring rain and temperatures 10 degrees below the normal for this time of year, we had a “Summer” weekend of mid-70’s and sunshine. Saturday, I caught up on yard work but Sunday I headed south along Flathead Lake about 26 miles to Yellow Bay State Park. The park has a few camp sites and a small trail system compared to Wayfarer’s, but the beach area is wonderful and there were very few people around.
Bear got a drink and cooled his feet in the lake while I took photos and just enjoyed the air and sky and views.
That squarish patch is one of the cherry orchards that line the hills along the lake. Cherry orchard with a view!
Snowmelt from the mountains turned a creek that is often a trickle into a waterfall and rapids…
And there is a lot more snow to melt. Rivers and streams are near flood stage and with more heavy rain, followed by warm temperatures, the valley is not out of the woods for spring flooding.
But Sunday, the air and light were as clear as I’ve ever experienced. Layers of foothills and mountains were visible in a way I don’t remember seeing before. It was a perfect day for a drive to Yellow Bay.