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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

K Zooms (and Bobcat Night)

K and I meandered our forest during the only sunny part of the day today. We saw the sun rise over the clouds oozing up from the plains toward our mountains.
K happily soaked up the sun, although the air still chilled us to the bone.
I've been giving K short off-leash times during our hikes, allowing her to gradually rebuild the strength in her paw. Today, we saw one of her favorite people during a hike, and K broke into zoomies, with her butt tucked like a puppy's. She zoomed and zoomed around in circles, bucking like a filly. She acted happier and younger than I've seen in months. I laughed loudly and gleefully!

Our vet visit still didn't illuminate exactly why she has a lump and swelling above her amputation site. We're going to continue antibiotics for an extra three weeks. If it hasn't resolved by then, we'll start on the fancy diagnostic tests to reassure ourselves that there's no smoldering bone infection despite her powerful antibiotic cocktail.

Today, I went for a mountain bike ride that started in sunshine. I passed a deep blue reservoir.
As I labored up a hill past a meadow, I felt eyes on me. I scanned and guess who I saw?
All elk eyes were on me. The herd of more than one hundred elk wanted to cross my path but weren't sure if it was safe to come out into the open. The herd surged forward and then paused, awaiting my next move.
I quickly pedaled on so that the herd could stop worrying about me.

On my way home, I checked a couple of wildlife cameras. At a bobcat scent post, a stocky cat had investigated the pee-mail at about 10 PM.
He exited the clearing using exactly the same route as the mountain lion who visited this spot a couple of weeks ago.
To my delight, I discovered that the bobcat, presumably the same one, had visited our clearing later in the night... a little after the lunar eclipse reached totality. I wonder what the animals think of an eclipse?

This photo is for Stella, who has been clamoring for a front view of the bobcat for months!
The photos from next to my house are in color, even at night, because I use cameras with incandescent flashes close to my house. In contrast, I use infrared flash wildlife cameras out in the forest to avoid spooking animals in their own environment.

A coyote had also visited our house earlier in the evening. He broke into full howling just as the eclipse started. Did any of your dogs howl at the eclipse?
The mystery animals from yesterday's post were a bear and a bobcat. I have to agree that the bear looked a lot like R in closeup! We've had a very odd winter so far, with little snow and many warm days. I think that, unlike most years, some bears are still wandering in slow motion around our forest.

24 comments:

  1. The image of K The Puppy SO made me grin - I would have been laughing with you!

    Khyra applauds the khytty's nice tail and pantyloons!

    The coyote calling - oh wait, this wasn't a Thin Lizzy song -

    Nice pics!

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  2. The three main posts about my injury are here, here, and here.

    :)

    Kira

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  3. Loved the pictures of the elk. And the bobcat. And the coyote. Those wildlife cameras are great. I think I'll start researching them, and install a couple around my house in the new year. I often wonder who visits when I can't see. No bear or bobcats here, though.

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  4. Stella will be happy with the Bobcat, but we loved the coyote shot!

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  5. At the end of a long day, I have so enjoyed my visit to your blog to see your magnificent pictures!! I'm glad that K continues to feel regain her strength and spirit! I'm just sorry she has to continue on the medications--Hamlet continues on his too, I wonder which of them will be taken off first?

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  6. The weather has been kind to you so far, look out, it can change and leave you snow bound. Good luck with K's leg, running is the best medicine.

    Mogley G. Retriever

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  7. That picture of the reservoir is beautiful; and I loved your comment over at The Thundering Herd about your labs breaking out of the kangaroo enclosure!!

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  8. Love hearing about K's zoomies...a sure sigh of continued healing! Also love that first picture!!! I'm incredibly infatuated with clouds that hug mountains like that (I know they have a real name...I should find out...)

    Paws still crossed for good news about K's lump. I have a similar paw lump on my finger. It's a cyst that no one seems to be worried about. I guess they sometime form at trauma sites or places that experience chronic irritation. Perhaps K's lump is something similar?

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  9. Love to hear K is feeling so well. Great photographs.

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  10. Woooo! I guessed right!

    K looks like she's pretty pleased with herself. We are still hoping for the best for her. She seems like she's feeling better, in any event!

    I love that picture of the blue sky and lake, wow!

    Tomorrow night we get to take a break from the Christmas festivities and go to a birthday dinner instead! Woooo! More dreams of people, pajamas and dogs!

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  11. What cool pictures of the wildlife. We love the coyote howling
    Benny & Lily

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  12. Woooo, I like the front view Bob Cat! He/she looks kind of ornery, but husky and healthy! Thanks!

    Our Scottie Otis had a lump on his paw, and while we were at the vet, I was showing him where it was and inadvertently pushed on it, and it exploded! Pus, blood, lots of it all came out. We had to soak it in warm water and something for a while, he got a antibiotic and all was well in a short time. Just sayin'! Good luck to K on hers.

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  13. Christmas and bears still wandering around. Global warming or climate change ? Take your pick.

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  14. Ahhhhhh...da vision I had of K acting likes a puppy was priceless and delightful!

    Ya'll haves so much wildlife...is they not fearful of da hoomans?

    Puddles

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  15. zooomies are so fun! glad that she is feeling good!
    KB, the pictures are just stunning....i yearn for the mountains, but can get a small fix through your blog..:)
    again, thank you so much for your kind words of support, they have really soothed my soul...:)
    xoxo

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  16. Ahhh the zoomies. They never get old. I love watching our pups feel so good! I am with the Herd on the coyote pic. I love it!

    Mamma Heartbeat

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  17. Sooo glad to hear K broke into zoomies at the sight of her friend - that is so cool. Weird that the swelling hasn't gone down, but you must be delighted that she is offleash a few short times? Views of scenery and animals, as alway, are beautiful, gorgeous, spectacular! Whatta life! We LOVE the coyote howling - that's a keeper for sure!
    Hugs xoxox
    Sammie and Avalon

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  18. Kia ora KB,
    I know what you mean about kids being on school holiday and broadbend speed, or in my case, even getting ON the computer!
    Hope all is well with you and your clan, the photos certainly indicate a bit of joy. My thoughts are with the lump being just a hitch in the road. Love the photo with the blue lake. Awesome.
    Had to put off my mountain trip with my oldest son as the weather here turned with a big low sitting over our relatively narrow island bringing humidity, rain, gale force winds and clouds up on the tops. The forecast is looking much better around Christmas day, so we may leave early that evening and camp.
    Wishing you a most happy, healthy, and lovely Yuletide KB. Thank you for your continued inspiration and love of all things wild, and for your grace and compassion to all. Kia kaha.
    Aroha,
    Robb

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  19. I think K's zoomies are a good sign. Glad to hear it. Poor sweetie girl has been through so much.

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  20. Love the picture of the lake and all the wildlife! How magical, to come across 100 elk at once like that. I love ending my days with your adventures.

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  21. AC and Stella,

    Thanks for your questions/thoughts on the lump. Unfortunately, it's a super hard lump that feels like a lump of bone (not good news). We can't even consider aspirating some of it to identify it. So, if it doesn't get better soon, we'll probably get an MRI of it... just to make sure that we're not letting an infection travel up her leg bones while we sit and "watch".

    Thanks to both of you!

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  22. Puddles,

    The animals are afraid of us. The bobcats and coyotes come close to our house only when no one is around. The other animals almost never come close to our house. My cameras only capture the mountain lions, for example, in the deep forest.

    thanks for the question!
    KB

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  23. I love the coyote howling!
    I heard Owls hoot at the eclipse...
    did you?
    i am keeping my paws crossed for K,,,always have them crossed
    love
    tweedles

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  24. There is nothing better than a good scooting run!

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