Category: Pets

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Thursday

Thursday already!

We three members of the fambly Summers all “rise and shine” in our own unique ways…

Late yesterday afternoon, the temperature rose above freezing and stayed there overnight making everything a drippy, soggy mess. So, while not really cold enough to send a bear dog to his pillow, it is wet enough. And no, he doesn’t want to come in – he is free to come and go at his choosing.

Bob has the same freedom and chose a spot indoors.

It should be noted that both of them have been out on their morning rounds…

Me, I start with checking food and water bowls, loosing the boys to the outdoors and then coffee and a nibble: this morning, homemade rustic rye toast with peanut butter and my own cranberry-orange marmalade.

The snowthrower arrived home in working order (HEY, they had given me an incorrect belt – I feel a little bit vindicated in my repair efforts :)! ), a big storm is due with the forecast being 4-10 inches of snow, my pantry and frig are full, the work project deadline was met.

It is Thursday – hope all are having a good week!

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Happy Thanksgiving from the Front Porch!

I love to cook and I love to cook Thanksgiving dinner, but this year decided to do things differently. Work and Karl and typical weather (which we GOT!) all made me decide some time ago that this year’s holiday celebrations would be celebrated at home – the three of us.

I recently read something on the order of there are people who get energy from being around others and people who get energy from solitude. I definitely fall in the solitude camp and find it exhausting to do much of the “people” thing. I know…it explains a lot :)!!

So, this year, the fambly Summers Thanksgiving Day will not only be intimate but I also decided to depart from the usual turkey dinner.

We are not departing from a cozy fire in the woodstove, though – Bob would never allow that to happen!

On top of the TV is my Thanksgiving bread on the rise – it is Broa, a Portuguese corn bread according to the recipe. Not southern cake-like cornbread, it is a crusty – chewy bread made with some cornmeal. And I’m adding the recipe’s Thanksgiving variation which includes dried cranberries and orange zest. I think it will go perfectly with the pumpkin stew that will be simmering on the stove this afternoon. A green salad and some fizzy apple cider will round out my dinner with Nantucket Cranberry Pie for dessert.

There will be leftovers, just like the usual turkey dinner, as I find it impossible, no matter what my intention, to make a small pot of soup or stew…

A large gift box of the Meyer Lemons arrived last week and some of them will join the cranberries to become cranberry-lemon marmalade. Meyer Lemons are a hybrid lemon-mandarin orange (might be something else from the orange family) cross – slightly sweeter than a regular lemon, thinner skinned and rounder. And fresh off the tree – beautifully fragrant…a wonderful gift!

A little snowthrower maintenance is also on the “menu” – rats! My own fault as I decided to do some cleanup in the dark, hit a few rocks and the auger belt broke. Also, it needs an oil change. I’d have it picked up and serviced except it is snowing…

..kind of constantly and supposed to keep going and another storm so will see if I can get all in working order today.

Karl in his closet looking concerned that I am in there as well AND pointing the camera at him. It is the last weekend of hunting season and the guns were on the loud side this morning. Both he and Bob will join me at the table when the food is ready. No one misses a meal at this house!

Seriously, Thanksgiving – I have so much to be thankful for – Karl and Bob, this warm and comfortable house, good food to fix and enjoy, good work, friends and family – all is good and well.

Happy Thanksgiving from Karl, Bob and I to all.

***EDIT*** And I’m thankful for my neighbors, Mike and Nancy. And I’m REALLY thankful for their backhoe :)! I had just hit Publish for this post when Mike and their backhoe headed up my driveway…takes the pressure off the snowthrower repair.

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Bear and Beardog

That is a bear. That is a black bear. I think it is a yearling cub. It is not Karl.

It is not Karl, because Karl is next to me and the black bear is down there…

Karl was just in front of the front porch, noshing on a treat as I was unloading groceries from the Jeep. The Jeep was also just in front of the front porch…to the south of Karl.

Karl suddenly jumped up, did his scent gulp thing and started the bear bark alternating with nose in the air scent gulp thing.

I grabbed Karl’s leash and went back out. I think that Karl knows that he is not 100%…he waited. I leashed him. The cub was still there. I dashed back for pepper spray and camera and we went to the edge of the ravine…watching for Mama.

Karl kept up the bear bark. Once I was there for backup, he strained at the leash. I took the photos. We came inside.

A black bear, although exciting, was not the only adventure of the day.

A nap for Karl, a glass of wine for me.

Bob??? He is in front of the woodstove – the woodstove which has a small fire crackling merrily… Our Saturday…partly!

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Black bear

Yesterday, early evening, Karl and I were outside enjoying the evening. We had been playing soccer but were on a break – standing and watching down the drop behind the house toward my nearest neighbor. Suddenly, several deer, at a dead run, ran from our right to left on the game trail at the bottom of the drop. Karl was excited in a different way than just deer…And then I saw the bear. The bear was not chasing the deer, but was on the move and the deer ahead of it….

No photos. I took Karl with me inside – got my camera, but didn’t see the bear again and I think it crossed the road vs turning and crossing my property.

But last year, on September 10, is when I saw a bear last…

Mama black bear and twin cubs – on the same game trail except they made the left turn and crossed my property, south of my house – between my house and the road. I was inside working. Karl was in the side yard. Karl sounded the bear alarm which is different than deer, different than squirrel, different than FedEx/UPS is here…different enough to get my immediate attention and I saw them.

I tore outside grabbing my bear spray (pepper spray) as I went. Karl had seen bears before, but always when we were both inside. He has smelled them and their scat on the trail. But this was the first “up close and personal” kind of encounter and a female with 2 cubs…I didn’t want any kind of confrontation.

Turns out, I needn’t have worried.

Karl barked the entire time and followed but did not chase them. It was exactly as I would have liked – I wouldn’t want him too close and I didn’t want him making them run – they need whatever food stores and fat they have – and although I love seeing them, I don’t want them getting the idea that around houses and people is good as that means their death sentence. Karl herded them across and off the property – barking and moving close enough to keep them moving, but not so close that they (or MAMA!!!) felt seriously threatened. Perfect!

Karl was out with them – I had only voice control, but I never had to invoke it. Karl, Karelian Beardog, did his job and did it well.

When I saw how Karl was working, I ran inside for my camera…but as for me and my job as photographer…I didn’t have the same success. You can see that they are bears though….right????