A glorious day and a feline treasure

K and I started our day with a glorious mountain bike ride. It was warm enough for me to wear short sleeves and shorts. Ah, what a treat!

K romped through an aspen grove, seeming only slightly subdued despite her infection. We've learned that the bacteria infecting her is actually called MRSI, and it is resistant to all but the most harsh antibiotics. MRSI is closely related to MRSA but is the form that appears more often in dogs. Because of the potentially dangerous side effects of the strong antibiotics that can kill this bacteria, we're doing another culture to make absolutely certain that K has MRSI. In the meantime, we're doing some more benign things to try to keep the infection from growing.

You can tell in this photo that K has no idea that vets and other people are stewing over her health.

Before I dropped K at home, we took some goofy photos. It was the kind of day when neither of us really wanted to go indoors for an instant so we played in the aspens.

After riding with K, I headed out on a ride of my own. I felt fabulous. It was one of the best rides that I've had in months, as I felt a surge of energy and optimism that has been absent since my back became so painful early in September. The docs are continuing to do tests but I think that the more powerful anti-inflammatory drugs are doing their job.

Near the end of my ride, I found a treasure. A large, very territorial, mountain lion had passed two of my trail cameras. I say that he was "very territorial" based on how many times he scraped the ground with his hind paws as he walked the animal trail. He left his calling card all over the trail. I think that we've seen this lion before, and he rules the territory.

He didn't have a radio collar, and his stomach looked full based on the bulge at his waistline in the next photo.

He walked briskly onward past that camera, clearly a cat on a mission.

To give you an idea of how big a mountain lion is compared to a bobcat, here's a photo of an almost full grown bobcat kitten taken by the same camera with the same perspective.

I also have a video of a bear in this exact spot for comparison. You can view it here.

Another of my cameras captured the lion's image a short time later as he walked past a bear whammy tree.

This time, however, he stopped briefly, perhaps sniffing the tree that has been scent marked by a bear recently. I find it surprising that the cats, both lions and bobcats, are so interested in bear whammy trees. While the lion stood still, the scars on his left thigh and flank became apparent. Being a predator of large mammals is dangerous business.

After reading the bear's pee-mail, the lion continued his march through the forest. I wonder if he had a successful hunt last night? I saw no further signs of him beyond this point.

It is amazing how the sight of a mountain lion photo taken by my trail camera infuses me with pure liquid energy. I felt like I could fly for the rest of my ride.