Our Bobcat Family

You might remember the bobcat family who we glimpsed earlier this summer as the mother moved the kittens from one den to another. Now, the kittens are out and about with mom all the time.

The family visited a dried up water hole. Although we got tons of moisture in the winter and early in the summer, it still dried up very early, probably because it will take more than one year to recover from our drought.

Mom did something that confused me at first. It looked like she was eating grass but, as far as I know, cats don't do that. Then, I realized that she might be licking water droplets from the tall grass. That makes sense, especially if she came to this water hole hoping for a drink.

The kittens seemed curious about what she was doing and crowded next to her.

I put the trail camera clips together into a short video. I hope that you enjoy it!

The Hachi Chronicle

It hasn't been smooth sailing with Hachi recently. He seems to be becoming more fearful, which leads him to behave badly. We've heard snarls and growls from him, directed toward the Labraduo. It's been an unsettled phase in terms of our pack, including lots of time in the LabMobile in the high mountains (more about our management strategies for that in a future post) and my dad's cancer. I have no doubt that our worries about my dad affect Hachi so I'm trying not to focus too much on the setbacks.

In contrast to his behavior toward the Labraduo, Hachi seems even warmer and more affectionate with us humans. He wags his whole body when one of us returns home. And (drum roll, please), he finally lets us put a harness on him without acting terrified. We've been using counterconditioning to teach him not to be afraid of his harness. Hachi is finally over that fear.

The yellow flowers were blooming wildly on mountainsides in the high mountains. Believe it or not, snowfields were still melting there, and spring flowers sprouted in their wake, even though it was August. What a display!

You can see the sweetness in his eyes. That shows me that we have lots of reasons to hope for more progress. 

Black Dog Sunday

I haven't mentioned here that our Black Dog has a condition called laryngeal paralysis - a very common disorder in older Labs. It's been slowly developing for years, and it's reached the point that he's prone to inhaling liquid and could lead to aspiration pneumonia.

Due to the risk of aspiration pneumonia, our vet gently suggested that either R needed to stop swimming or perhaps he could wear a flotation device to help him keep his snout up out of the water (hedzuppets.com). Of course, we chose the latter. R loves swimming too much to stop doing it.

His "lifesaver" hasn't diminished his love of diving and swimming. I was astounded when he took a flying leap into the water just after putting on his lifesaver for the first time.

 His joy was palpable.

Our next worry was whether he'd be able to find the tennis ball when in the water since he is now almost completely blind. As long as we didn't throw it too far, he seemed to follow the sound of the ball landing on the water and could usually retrieve it without a hitch. Occasionally, he couldn't find the ball but that didn't dampen his spirits. Here he was bringing the ball to shore.
He is the best role model for rising above physical hurdles to keep doing what he loves. His laryngeal paralysis and blindness could easily making retrieving and swimming seem too hard to him. But that's not who our Black Dog is. He loves life, and he'll keep playing like a puppy for as long as he possibly can.

Happy Black Dog Sunday.

Shyla Saturday

Shyla's heart soars when she sees water. All remnants of the shy and retiring dog who we first met disappear. She wants to fly through the air, land in the water, and swim!

Nothing makes me smile like seeing Shyla burst out of her shell in a haze of joy. She is so happy when she's swimming and retrieving. Look at her eyes!

This girl has taught me more about courage than any dog.

Moose mom and calf in a thunderstorm

What do a moose mom and her calf do when it pours rain and even thunders?

Well, they are moose - so they hang out in the water!

Funny, the lifeguards wouldn't let us do this back when I was a child. Standing in a pond during a lightning storm seems crazy!

Then, the calf gave us a nice selfie, taken with my trail cam.

Check out the short video.

Thankful Thursday - For the Stars Above

Events this summer have made me slow down and feel gratitude for the simple things - like the fact that places dark enough to see the Milky Way still exist.

I took this image in a clearing within a towering pine forest high in the Rocky Mountains.

Thank you, Milky Way, for being so glorious.

Wordless Wednesday

Coyotes Siblings Romp Together

More from outside the coyote den...

These siblings are best buddies. They wrestle and they play chase, just like our dog puppies! Enjoy the video.

The Hachi Chronicle

Life with Hachi isn't as we expected when we adopted him off the streets in Texas. We've had to adapt to meet his needs, which are outside anything that we've had in a dog before.

But, despite it all, we do love him.

Nothing bad has happened in the past week. But I find myself sometimes resenting all of the accommodations that we need to make for his unpredictable nature. Then, I spend some time alone with him, and my heart tells me how much I love him.

We will do our very best for him. He is getting better but it's almost imperceptible on a week-by-week basis.

Black Dog Sunday

A quiet evening in the brilliant colors, spent with our Black Dog. That, by definition, is a favorite day of the year.

The best abstract art includes our Black Dog!

Happy Black Dog Sunday!

Shyla on Saturday

Do you recognize the trick that Shyla is doing despite the photographic distortion?

Here is the next step.

Happy Shyla Saturday.

Is Brownie the bear cub a bully?

The wrestling and playing by the bear cubs continued on and on. In this video, Brownie bit Blackie on the back as they relaxed in the water.

Then Brownie reared up as Blackie also rose.

Brownie used her greater strength and size to pounce on Blackie.

To be honest, I'm feeling just a little sorry for Blackie - I think that Brownie is a bit of a bully. Now I understand why Blackie is staying so close to Mom a lot of the time. I hope that mom defends him and that he gets a lot to eat and catches up to Brownie in size.

Check out the short video.

Thankful Thursday

I am so thankful for the natural beauty that I live in.

Just outside my door, a short walk takes me to places that awe me. I feel so thankful to have found a place that feeds my soul.

Wordless Wednesday