Posts from the ‘Nature’ category

Back in the woods

Several weeks ago it was reported through the neighborly grape vine that a female grizzly and twin cubs were in the area. I started avoiding the 40 acres of state land that is part of our walking loop – it is brushy without any real paths, contoured enough that it is hard to see over and around … it just seemed prudent to avoid that area for a bit. It is/was unlikely that she would stick around – there is no food source and too much (relatively) people activity to be comfortable. At any rate, it has been weeks and no more sightings and more importantly no scat to be found…and believe me, Karl would find it if it was there. Bear scat is his most favorite doggie cologne – it is incredibly rank…

The “maps” above show the lay of the land here. On the plat – the yellow block is my 8 acres. The loop to the “right” (east) goes across subdivision land that is 5-10 acre parcels. There is only one house and no sign of any other activity – I hope for some time. The home that is there is only occupied occasionally. The homeowners also own several of the other parcels and ok’d my walking there when they are not in residence. That is the part of the walk with the spectacular mountain views and meadows as the original developer went a bit crazy with tree clearing.

The loop to the north (top of the map) is on the 40 acre state land. That parcel is landlocked and so only adjacent owners and people granted access by owners are out there. I have seen another person(s) twice in nearly two years and never any tracks but my own in the winter. The state selectively logged this land several years ago – nicely, leaving good, healthy trees. The land has retained its natural look. The selective cut made the area more fire-safe as well as healthier.

Karl and I are back to walking the full loop. The “neighbors” have gone to their full time home, the bears to their summer home.

…somebody lives there, but we did not stop to visit or inquire…

…somebody slept there – actually several somebodies as there was a group of spots…probably the deer as some very small spots and there are a number of does with fawns around.

It is nice to be back in the woods.

On eagles wings

From the Front Porch takes off in a slightly different direction today. I have removed ads and closed comments. I was starting to get too concerned about what my “audience” might like, feeling like I needed a post up every morning – usually putting one or 2 together at night whether I felt inspired or not. It is time to get back to the root of my writing and photo shooting and editing so I’m taking away my motivation to please anyone other than me.

I very much appreciate the community of readers and bloggers and hope that when any of you choose to visit From the Front Porch, you find something of interest, beauty and meaning. My email is ann at beardogco dot com for any personal communication.

I will be writing, shooting and editing from my heart as often as I feel inspired to post something that I want to remember and share – mostly a simple chronicle of my daily life and thoughts, illustrated by photographs more often than not.

Young (immature) Bald Eagle – Wayfarer’s Park, Bigfork, Montana – June 30, 2008

1st verse and chorus from “On Eagles Wings” a song composed by Michael Joncas in 1979 based on Psalm 91. The 91st Psalm was a favorite of my first Sunday School teacher and to this day I can see her face, smiling with Joy, as she taught us this Psalm.

You who dwell in the shelter of the Lord
who abide in His shadow for life,
say to the Lord: ‘My refuge,
my God in whom I trust!’

And He will raise you up on eagles’ wings,
bear you on the breath of dawn,
make you to shine like the sun,
and hold you in the palm of His hand.

Summer moon

The moon is just past full. I walked out with Karl this morning about 4:30 a.m. Coyotes were singing of a successful hunt in the eerie, high pitched, keening song that tells of their success and another’s demise – the circle of life in the wild. Usually this would send Karl into a sympathetic or empathetic ?? – howling song of his own, but he stood still and just listened. We started our walk down the driveway and the still nearly full moon was visible in a hazy circle through the trees.

As the sky lightened a bit, the coyotes grew quiet and the morning birds of summer started singing.

The sun rise behind the mountain was a firey hot pink by 5:20 and the first rays turned the wispy clouds overhead a lovely magenta.

The first full day of summer begins here in Northwest Montana.

Early morning

I am a morning person…it doesn’t matter what time zone I’m in or what time I’ve gone to bed, I am up with the chickens…maybe before. This morning it was 4:25 a.m. And this time of year, it is getting light by then. Sunrise is about 5:30 but there is light in the sky, behind the mountains, through the trees.

Karl and I walked down the driveway and across the front property line and back to the house through the front part of the woods – our usual beginning of the day little walk. I carry my first cup of coffee (AND the pepper spray…) and enjoy the morning air, the birds singing and the quiet.

We end up on the front porch where I like to sit for a moment and watch the day grow. This late spring, early summer ritual is a joy to me and I’m grateful for every beautiful morning and also for the circumstances in my life that allow me to start my days in this beautiful place.

Keeping the garage door closed

This is a true story. It happened at my home in rural Kalispell, Montana in June, 2007.

Chapter 1 – Who stole the garbage?

I don’t have garbage collection at my home. The county has green box areas – fenced areas with a lot of those green garbage bins placed so that you can drive up and empty trash from a pickup or car. There is a trash truck there at least once a day to empty the green boxes. From my home, no matter what direction I head, there is a green box area on the way. I take whatever trash I have whenever I go out and drop it at one of the green box places. Trash in the garage too long is an attractant to animals…and makes the garage stinky!

I often leave the garage door open during the day as tools, garden implements, my hiking poles and other things I use outside are stored there. On the day this story begins there was one bag of garbage about halfway back in the garage, in a plastic bag, in the wheelbarrow. There was also a bag of grass seed, unopened, sitting the spreader by the door of the garage. The bag of grass seed plays a part in the story.

About 5 p.m., I stopped work for a break, collected my walking poles and called to Karl to go for a walk. It was a beautiful spring evening so I walked my “long” walk – heading down the driveway, around the edge of the property, around the edge of the adjoining vacant 30 acres and also around the edge of the adjoining state land – another 40 acres. The loop ends approaching the garage from behind and takes about 40 minutes by the time Karl and I meander around and stop to look (me) or sniff stuff (him).

As I came around the garage at the end of the walk, I saw the bag of garbage in the woods. It was torn apart and the contents scattered around. Rats! – there had been some dogs belonging to visitors in the area, that had been wandering on to the property until Karl suggested otherwise. I guessed that one or more of them had come around while we were walking and messed with the garbage. Then I saw the grass seed bag had been torn open, but it was still in the spreader. Odd…dogs usually would not mess with grass seed. I picked up the garbage and shut the door…muttering under my breath about people irresponsible with their pets.

Chapter 2 – Who is in the ravine?

The next morning the boys (Karl and Bob) and I were out early in the morning…6 a.m.ish or so – full daylight here. Karl and I have a treat ritual – he gets about ½ his treat allotment for the day and he puts them places around the yard…buries some, hides others. When he gets the munchies he goes and gets one – I don’t know why – he seems to like having them “in the bank”. So…he has a treat in his mouth, standing there deciding where he’s going to put this one when he comes to full alert – treat still in mouth… barks – kind of muffled ‘cuz he’s not dropping the treat.. – nose straight up in the air sniffing. That is the bear sniff – it is not done for deer or coyote or turkeys or anything but bears. He was near the back of the house looking down a small hill/ravine between my house and the neighbors’. The neighbors’ house is maybe 150 yards from mine through trees that we left thick for privacy.

Chapter 3 – All of our questions answered.

Later in the day….

Phone rings….

It is the neighbor. They called to tell me that they had arrived home from a shopping trip to find a black bear curled up on their front lawn with the remains of all of their bird feeders scattered around him. He barely woke when they came in, just rolled over and got more comfortable. Finally they tooted the horn and reved the engine and he got up and ambled off into the woods.

So, it was a bear in the ravine AND in the garbage and grass seed…and we never saw him.

Now, the garage door stays closed.

For a Colorado bear story from later in June 2007 while visiting my folks in South Fork, CO – Barely a bear .

Almost back to Spring

Yesterday morning started out about 35 and drippy with a lot of snow still on the ground. But the sun came out, the temperature rose to nearly 60 and by 8:30 at night, the snow was finally gone!

The midday walk was a lot different yesterday than the day before.

Night before last, Karl, Bob and I were on the front porch when I heard what I thought was a gunshot. Karl barked instead of heading for the house. Gunshots send Karl for his closet hidey-hole. There were 2 more “shots”/cracks… Today I found 3 broken trees from the direction of the sound.

This tree fell and/or broke at the root.

This poor tree just broke…you can see the part that stayed in the ground to the right – it is about 5 feet high.

This is the very sad part of a June snow storm. I’m sure my damage was minimal compared to parts of town that have oak and other old deciduous trees. I lost the coleus that I planted in the tree root, but the alysum and lobelia seem to be ok.

The brief Winter wonderland is almost back to Spring.