Fighting the blues

It probably hasn't escaped your attention that my spirits have been low lately. The fire, the camera thefts, other unethical behavior by fellow humans, and back pain have dragged me down and left me exhausted. I started my day by reminding myself that many wonderful people, dogs, and places surround me. I usually can keep perspective and remember how lucky I am. I'm hoping to regain that ability soon.

K's soulful eyes in the photo below, taken in the dwindling light of sunset, remind me of the good in life.Today, I thought that I would shake the blues that have possessed me for a couple of weeks. It was a glorious, warm, and colorful autumn day. I had both halves of our wonderful and lovable Duo with me for a mountain bike ride through blazing aspen groves.
We started early, when it was still crisp and the smoke was down. The stunning mountains met us at the top of the world.Both K and R donned muzzles to prevent 'shrooming. I heeded advice from the comments and tried loosening K's muzzle. Unfortunately, it didn't improve her disposition but it did look more comfortable.
When I briefly took off the muzzles, they both looked relieved but K even more than R. Although they are both full Labs, their temperaments are a study in contrasts. Almost nothing fazes R but K is extraordinarily sensitive and insecure about any change in her world, especially changes that make her feel less able to protect herself.
Shortly later, as I pedaled through an aspen grove, I spotted bear tracks in the sand. When the Duo hit the same spot, they jolted awake like they'd just had espresso injected into their veins. I already had my camera out so I captured a photo of K as she accelerated to warp speed.
I was SO pleased that they both pivoted and sprinted to me when I called them. It's bear hunting season so the ursines have a lot to contend with. Their metabolisms are sluggish as hibernation season approaches, and armed people are stalking them. The bears don't need the added stress of dogs chasing them - so I'm thrilled that the Duo behaved so well.

When we passed that spot again on the way home, R gave a lot of though to investigating the fascinating scent but he again heeded my call. What a good dog!
After I dropped the Duo off at home, I went to check a wildlife camera. Immediately, my eyes were drawn to five shallow slices on the locking cable. The inept thief barely dented the surface of the cable, and I spent the next hour moving the camera to an extremely remote location. In fact, I hope that my GPS did a good job of marking the spot or I may never find it again! Thwarting evil feels good! That was the only camera that was posted close to a place that humans occasionally visit - now all my cameras are in very hidden places.

Shortly later, I found a campsite, with camping gear set up in it, but a knee-high campfire unattended. Wind out of the west whipped the flames. All around, bone dry grass and trees beckoned the flames. The campsite sat in terrain like the canyon shown in the photo below. I find it hard to believe that people are so utterly clueless and uncaring. A huge wildfire is still burning nearby. Isn't that sufficient reminder to pay attention to a campfire?
After finding the campers and using great restraint to remain polite while talking with them about their fire, I managed to let the incident roll off my back. It was a glorious autumn day, not one to be squandered while continually fulminating over a few bad people.

At another wildlife camera that I checked on my loop, I found that a mother deer and fawn had passed through at dawn. Here, the mother is ahead of the fawn and noticed my camera.
In a few steps, the fawn stood, barely visible behind the doe. The fawn's eye barely reaches her mother's shoulder. According to my reading, a mule deer fawn stays with its mother for almost a year. I was surprised by the long dependency.
I finished my ride by rolling down this spectacular autumn trail. Although the day started cold, the warm sun kissed my shoulders as I whooshed along the buttery trail. Most of life is good.

A deep breath

We're finally relaxing in my area with the knowledge that the firefighters are getting the big fire under control. The neighborhood lookout points no longer harbor groups of people fire-watching, as the remaining flames are out of our sight.

Yesterday evening, the Duo and I did another hike up to the highest summit around here to survey the scene. We saw a haze of smoke but no obvious sources. That's a huge improvement.
The setting sun highlighted the reddish chocolate in K's fur. You can also see the "golden" dry grass behind her. This fire season is scary. Several new fires broke out again yesterday but were quickly extinguished. I wish that people would refrain from having campfires when the world is bone-dry.
We eschewed human trails on the way home from our lookout point, searching in a section of seldom-visited forest for animal trails. The Duo pointed out, with their wildly intense sniffing, a giant mountain lion scat. Each segment was about 1.5" in diameter and full of fur. I guessed that the lion had deposited it more than a month ago.
Then, next to it, I noticed a much fresher bobcat scat. Now, that's an audacious bobcat! He weighs about a tenth of a lion but dared to try to mark over top of the lion's scent mark. That act shows why I admire bobcats so very much. I'd like to think that I have the spirit of a bobcat!

Speaking of bobcats, my new camera had another bobcat visit! Now, two ostentatious bobcat scrapes and scats sit directly in front of my camera. In the photo below, the new scent mark is closest to my foot while the one from a few mornings ago is further to the left. In the newer ones, the scrape marks left by the cat's hind paws are most obvious near the top of the photo where he started to kick backward.
Indeed, my trail camera captured his image just after he left his calling card.
A couple of days ago, I asserted that there had been no bobcat scent post at this site before I set up my camera. Although I usually try to spend as little time as possible at a camera site to minimize my lingering scent, I investigated the area today. I discovered a very old scent post just a few yards away. It looked at least a year old. So, my best guess is that I called the bobcats' attention back to a site where they used to mark. When my new scent showed up there, they started marking the site again.

I think that the most recent visitor was a different cat from our previous visitor based on different spot patterns on their front legs, different tail carriage when not marking, and slightly more muscle definition in the first cat. Here's the first visitor for comparison.
The scientific literature says that bobcat marking activity is most intense near where two animals' territories meet. I suspect that I've lucked out and found a bobcat territory line.

This morning, K and I headed out for a mountain bike ride pretty late when the sun had already warmed the air. I'm bone-tired from the stress of the past few days and couldn't get moving this morning. K still has to wear a muzzle, as mushrooms litter the forest floor. Some of you asked how long the mushroom problem will last. I don't know the answer because we have more mushrooms poking out of the soil this year than anytime I can remember. My guess is that the K will be stuck in a muzzle until the first snow, which could happen anytime now.

Poor K - she hates the muzzle. Notice how she holds her head down when she wears it. We met some strangers on the trail today and they acted like she had contagious plague even after I explained why K wore the muzzle. K loves making new friends so she acted utterly pathetic after being rejected so completely.
I took the muzzle off to lift her spirits, gave her some hugs and treats, and then sat with her for a while. Before we resumed our ride, K stood tall in front of our mountains. At least the muzzle effect wears off quickly.
During our ride, I noticed that the autumn colors are deepening and taking over the forest. Even some wildflowers, in this case sulfur flowers, are turning auburn before going dormant.
And, a few aspen trees shined in their golden glory. It's selfish, I know, but I keep thanking mother nature for sparing my forest. Without it, I wouldn't want to live here. I feel like the luckiest woman on the planet.
I also feel heartbroken for the people who live on the other side of the canyon that protected us from the fire. They had a huge fire 20 years ago, and one of the people who I met has now lost two houses to wildfires. However, as we gazed at her hillside together, she didn't bemoan losing her possessions - she shed tears for the loss of the natural beauty around her homesite. I understood exactly what she meant.

Dust in the wind

By some kind of miracle, our situation seems stable despite howling winds for 24 hours. The amazing fire crews (900 total fire fighters plus the planes and helicopters) have battled furiously against the winds and kept the fire 30% contained. The winds are supposed to die down soon, and I don't think that the fire perimeter grew during them. I'm very thankful that we've come through the last 24 hours without more major losses although I'm mindful of how much has already been lost.

On our road, there's a fire lookout point that gives a good perspective of some of the evacuated houses. I've visited that spot a number of times over the past few days to check on the fire's status, and I've stood next to strangers straining through binoculars to see whether their house still existed. Some discovered the horrible truth as I stood nearby. My heart broke for them.

Yesterday evening, spot fires were breaking out all around us due to the low humidity and high winds. Each one seemed to be completely unrelated to the main fire - caused by campfires out of control or downed powerlines outside the original fire perimeter. The Duo and I did a fast hike up to Hug Hill in wailing winds to check out a smoke plume that a neighbor had seen. No one was sure if the fire fighters had found the source of that particular plume. So, I checked on it, and it was gone. The Duo and I could relax after that good news!
R still strained to catch every scent on the bursts of wind.
Do you ever feel like a speck of dust caught in the powerful forces of the universe? I do. And, K looks tiny in the wider backdrop of our natural world in the photo below.
Perspective is everything.

Sunset and distractions

Yesterday evening, the Duo and I hiked up to Hug Hill for a view of the sunset and the fire. The light dwindled much faster than I expected, and we arrived to a glorious sunset.
For a few minutes, I focused on the sunset and the Duo.
It was one of the most spectacular sunsets that I've ever seen. The smoke doubtless contributed to the brilliant streaks of light over the jagged peaks of the Continental Divide.
To my northeast, I could see fire trucks zooming around the fire zone. One house had four trucks surrounding it, and another house had one truck next to it. I'm learning the lingo - the firefighters were doing "point protection" - specifically defending a residence against nearby flames. I could barely see the flames on the other side of a ridge. It was too dark for photos by that time.

Overall, both last night and this morning, the fiery front closest to us looked more benign than it has in days.
However, red alerts are being sent to everyone in our area to prepare to evacuate. A wind storm is moving in and will bring up to 50 mph winds. We're being told that no one can predict where embers might fly so a gigantic swath of people must be ready to leave.

For this morning, I forgot about all of that. I enjoyed my girl K, during our mountain bike ride. I whispered reassuring things to her.
And she gave me a kiss in return.
I noticed that, despite my distraction with the fire, autumn is marching forward. Some trees wear their full fall colors.
Each leaf is a jewel.
Yesterday, I showed photos of a bobcat. He checked out the ground in front of a camera that's in a brand new location, pointed along a very faint animal trail. I've read that the faint trails tend to be made by non-hoofed animals, like cats and bears, so I staked one out. There was no bobcat scent post in front of the camera when I first placed the camera. However, yesterday morning, a bobcat carefully sniffed my scent before marking the spot with his scent (see his posture in yesterday's last photo of him).
He left behind a classic "scrape" of dirt, created by him kicking back with his hind paws. Then, he deposited scat in it. I have video from when a bobcat marked a trail previously showing his motions.
This is a classic example, I think, of how it's impossible for any person to observe natural wildlife behavior without affecting it to some extent. When I visit my camera, I leave scent behind. That scent triggered the bobcat to reassert his authority over the area in the classic cat way, with a scrape and scat. I wonder if he'll visit this spot on his next patrol, to tell me again that it's bobcat territory.

I didn't realize until recently how much animals respond to the scents of other species. Previously, I assumed that they only attempted to communicate with their own species via scent. However, I have video of a bobcat rolling all over the area that a bear had just scent marked. The bear rubbed his back on a marking tree and probably simultaneously dribbled urine as a further signal. Then, the bobcat came along and rolled in the grass at the base of the tree. I've also noticed that our local coyotes leave scat on top of my dogs' scat, probably a subtle territorial message. So, I guess that I shouldn't be surprised that the bobcat marked the area where my scent was.

I wonder what the mule deer think of my scent. Below, you can see a well-used animal trail that I'm monitoring, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the bobcats or lions whose tracks I've seen here. A mule deer doe passed through yesterday afternoon. You might remember, a few days ago, that a deer rubbed her face on a tree near one of my cameras. I've since learned that deer have scent glands all over their faces, and the doe was undoubted scent marking her territory. I wonder if my scent provoked it?
My dogs and wildlife keep me well distracted in these tense days. I arrived home from my mountain bike ride today to a note saying "If you evacuate today, take the brownies.". I had to crack a smile. Priorities, priorities! I think that if we can get through tonight without the fire turning on us, we might be through the worst. We'll see... but my thoughts remain with the people who have already suffered devastating losses.

Many, many thanks for all of your thoughts and reassuring words.

Trying to find normalcy

I'm at my friends' house again, putting up a quick post. Apparently, our internet tower is in the midst of the fire so I may not have internet for weeks.

We're trying to pretend that life is normal in some ways. K and I took a mountain bike ride this morning. K seemed much happier today, perhaps because we're starting to calm down a little.
After the ride with K, I went on a solo ride and checked my wildlife cameras, finding a bunch of action. A bobcat checked the area in front of one camera, sniffing carefully.
Then, he marked the area, kicking back with his hind legs and leaving a "scrape" in the dirt.
At another site, a pair of velvet-antlered mule deer posed for the camera.
It's funny that despite the pervasive smoke, the animals don't seem panicked. Maybe they don't know what it means.

Later in the ride, I caught some views of the fire as the wind started gusting in our direction. Apparently, one of our access roads was closed for a while due to the change in wind. Fortunately, it settled down soon thereafter, and we now have the peace of mind of more than one open road for fleeing.
The fire started marching west, and a slurry bomber dropped a line of red retardant. You can see it almost exactly in the middle of the photo below.
One view showed the gorgeous autumn leaves with the scary fire behind it.
Our fingers are still crossed that the fire doesn't jump the canyon. It is still 0% contained but hasn't grown much in last 24 hours. However, close to 100 buildings are known to be lost.

I'm sorry that I can't read your blog posts right now. My internet time is very limited... Thanks to everyone who is thinking of us.

Update

Thanks to all of you who have sent us good wishes. The fire is still 0% contained and has grown to about 11 square miles. However, the winds have been persistently blowing it in the opposite direction from us. Of course, that means that other people's homes are in grave danger, and I feel terribly for them.
As we watched the fire from a lookout point last night, we saw houses literally exploding like torches. Then, as soon as the combustible gas in the house was exhausted, the fire would dwindle slightly, revealing a house frame. I literally felt sick watching it.
We have no internet service, a by-product of the fire. So, this will be short because I am imposing on a friend.

This morning, K and I went out for an easy ride. Heavy smoke permeated the air so we took it easy on our lungs. Because it was early in the morning, the heaviest smoke still lay in the gulches and canyons, as you can see behind K in the photo below.
K acted incredibly worried on our ride this morning. Her head hung low and she didn't exude any joy at all. She's such a sensitive dog. I did convince her to hold her head high for one photo.
Normally, the view below extends endlessly out onto the plains. This view gives you a glimpse of the terrain that the firefighters are working in.
By the end of our ride, even a 14,000' peak was enshrouded as the rising wind drove the smoke out of the valleys and into the mountains.
Aircraft buzzed around us, giving me the feeling that the authorities were hard at work.
However, by the end of our ride, the skies looked as bad, if not worse, than yesterday. The smoke wasn't any closer to our house but extended forever, as far as I could tell.
Please don't worry if I have no update tomorrow. Our internet will be down "indefinitely" so I may not be able to post anything. Also, have no worries, if we're told to evacuate, we will. We are not planning to stay with our house to the bitter end. Better to lose a house than a life.

Fire photos

Photos from near my house. My stomach is doing flips.
Sudden explosions kept erupting in flames.
I've seen images like this in the news before but never with my naked eye from my home.

The good news is that I saw tanker planes working... so the wind has died down enough for them to work for a couple of hours before dark.