Bobcat and Canine Joy

I think that the bobcat heard about the trail camera photo contest that I'm entering. He came around last night, visiting his favorite scent post. This was the best photo of the series.

And, here is a short video of his entire visit, showing him scraping the ground and leaving his mark.



I didn't tally the results from yesterday's photo choice yet, just in case anyone still wants to weigh in on which bear photos are the best. Thanks to all of you!

Our mornings have dawned freezing and sunny. The golden meadow awakens with a layer of ice crystals on the dried wildflowers. K humors me by waiting patiently as I try to capture the glittering beauty of the ice in the rising sun.

I also gazed at the Snowberries again. Two of you have confirmed that these are called "snowberries" (Symphoricarpos rotundifolius).

Then, I turned my attention to K. Tomorrow is the big day. Her cast comes off, and then, if the surgeon approves, we immediately do a physical therapy session. I'm excited and she is too!

K gazed into the distance, imagining the adventures that our future holds. They will start with short hikes and gradually grow from there.

I didn't get any time with R on the trails today but I did yesterday. The boy is simply amazing. He was in a particularly "obsessive" mood yesterday, chasing rodents in a frenzy. But, on two occasions, I broke into his consciousness and asked him to do a "down". Both times, he slowly dropped to the ground where he was standing, like a zombie who had just been pulled out of a trance and into reality. I was SO happy. In the past, I sometimes haven't been able to break through to him when an obsession has taken hold.

We did some obedience training on the trails. A recall...

And, a sit-stay. You can see that he surveyed the area for rodents during his entire "stay" but he did indeed stay! I gave him a jackpot of treats. I think that he's starting to see me as relevant, even when rodents are scurrying around him.

As we rode, the mountains began to clear, mystically appearing from behind the clouds. The mountains look unique each day, and I never tire of gazing at them.

On my solo bike rides both days, I did some "exploring", which is code for "I rode my bike for a while and then walked around trying to find new trails or animal signs". Yesterday, I never found the trail that I sought but I did find a mountain lion latrine. A BIG lion had left scat in the middle of an animal trail on at least two recent occasions. As I investigated it, I kept peeking over my shoulder and wishing that K or R were guarding my back. I'll spare you the photo. Take my word for it, it was huge and filled with fur. It was in terrain like this, with golden grass, a narrow trail, and pine trees all around.

Today, when I arrived home from my mountain bike ride, I heard loud snorting coming from the next room. I rushed in and found R having an ecstatic conniption, wriggling on his back with his legs kicking in the air. His wild abandon and joy were obvious. We humans have much to learn from our canine companions!