Wordless Wednesday

It's still winter here.

River Otter at Labrador Valley (for real, this time!)

A little while ago, my trail cam began picking up new-to-me mammals moving along the mostly frozen creek in Labrador Valley. It took me a little while to realize that the first videos were of a mink. Mink are considered to be semi-aquatic, and they love to eat fish. The mink in our creek was diving below the ice, presumably fishing.

I really wanted to discover that river otters were in our creek. They were considered to be gone from Colorado. Then, the state reintroduced them in 1976, and they've been expanding their range ever since then. 

So, you can imagine my glee when my trail camera picked up a large mammal on the ice atop the creek. River otters weigh 10-30 lbs which is about ten times the weight of a mink. I checked with some experts, and sure enough, it was a river otter!

It's a very short video because the otter turned around just after the camera spotted him. Check it out!

The Hachi Chronicle

It's been another back-and-forth week. I sometimes think that this constant change is slowing Hachi's progress too much. I've been reading about dogs with his genetic make-up, and behaviorists tend to say that reactive dogs like Hachi want a set schedule in their lives. They want to be able to predict what will happen next and when it will happen. Hachi doesn't have that right now.

Then, when I see him at Lab Valley, I know that this phase is totally worth it. He is a different dog at Lab Valley - far more care-free than ever before. Also, getting lots of off-leash exercise helps him immensely.

This week, we felt that his response to strangers was more muted than in the past. He still reacts - but his barking seems less intense - and he recovers quickly. The thing that seems to throw him into the most reactive mode is when people appear at times and places where he doesn't expect it. It's called "sudden environmental contrast" by behaviorists - and Hachi really does not like being surprised.

Shyla continues to be the best part of Hachi's life. She never gets upset with him, even when he badgers her relentlessly to play when she doesn't want to. In the next photo, she was as engrossed in playing as Hachi was. I love when I can capture a moment of eye contact during play.

I've been frequently noticing the funny play faces that they make. Hachi didn't used to make faces like this but I think that he's learned from his sister.

We love our Hachi. Even when progress is slow, working with him seems so worth it.

Black Dog Sunday

In this week of snow, I've thought of our Black Dog many times. He adored snow more than almost anything. In the archives from 2014, I found a photo from when we were out in an intense snow storm. His crazy passion for playing in the snow shined through on that day!

 

This week, we played in the spot where I took lots of snow photos of Shyla and R over the years. His strong and joyful spirit was never far away as Shyla and I played. We smiled at the memories.

We're so glad that our Black Dog had so many happy days in the snow over a lifetime of living in the Rockies.

Happy Black Dog Sunday.

Shyla Saturday

Shyla and I have had such fun together this week out in fresh snow. It is too much snow for snowbiking so we've been snowshoe hiking together. It is rare that Shyla isn't in motion but I caught her sitting still at one instant during a hike.

 

More often than not, she is galloping through the snow looking ecstatic.

Seeing her joy makes me smile. I love our one-on-one time in the mornings. It starts off my day on a wonderful note!

Even though it's late April, Shyla is hoping for more snow. I wouldn't object because it's so much fun playing in snow with her.

Happy Shyla Saturday!

A Carnivore Message Center

In my previous video installment, I shared footage of a mountain lion who had cached an elk carcass very nearby to a forest clearing. In fact, I found the forest clearing by following the lion tracks from the carcass to it. It turned out to be a great wildlife spot for years and years.

For the 10 months following the lion's frequent visits, many animals came through the clearing including lions, bobcats, moose, and a coyote. My favorite part is how the smaller carnivores like bobcats have the courage to mark over the scent of the lions. They are amazing creatures!

Check out the video if you have time. And, Happy Earth Day, a day late! Let's protect the parts of the Earth that we can by giving wildlife and their special spots space to be truly wild.

Thankful Thursday

It's still snowing here in Colorado. A couple of nights ago, a rapid and intense storm hit, and it dropped around 12-18" in short order. By the next morning, the storm was gone, leaving the most gorgeous world behind.

I think that it was my favorite snowy day yet this winter. Shyla and I had a glorious snowshoe hike.

 

Shyla happily galloped through the deep snow, loving every minute of the bluebird day.

I even enjoyed a little bike ride on the local roads. The crystalline beauty of the white snow and frost against the blue sky was incredible.

While I was riding, I had to stop to take off my boot and try to remove whatever felt like it was cutting the sole of my foot. As I stood on one foot with my boot off, a moose sauntered by and then stood in some aspens nearby. She looked like a yearling to me. Fortunately, she was completely unconcerned with me.

There is so much beauty to be thankful for.

Wordless Wednesday - Scenes from Lab Valley

 

Sunrise before the next foot of snow

Residents of Lab Valley - Mama and yearling

A mountain lion's marking spot near his meal

I frequently hear the misconception that a mountain lion lives in a certain den or hiding place all the time. In fact, lions who don't have tiny kittens are constantly on the move. When they manage to kill a deer or elk, they will stay close to the carcass for a few days. 

When they've finished eating that meal, they move on to hunt for their next meal. This video includes an example of a mountain lion who visited a spot in the forest at least twice per day for about 3 days while he ate a cow elk that he'd successfully hunted. Then, he vanished, in pursuit of his next meal.

Over the years, a mountain lion appeared in this forest clearing about once every three months so his twice daily visits were extraordinary!

Check out the video of three days of a mountain lion "commuting" to and fro his feast. He's a big cat, and his behavior is fascinating to watch.

The Hachi Chronicle

It was a snowy and cold week in Colorado. Among all of our dogs past and present, Hachi likes snow the least. Despite that and moving back and forth between homes, he had a good week.

The snow began at our old place. I used to take Hachi out to play on our old land until people started trespassing very close to our house (it seemed like pandemic-induced lack of consideration). I spoke to them, and they were not apologetic or even pleasant. So, I stopped spending outdoor time with Hachi for a while due to worry that he would chase and bark at trespassers. 

When it snowed this week, I'd had it with inconsiderate people stopping me from playing with Hachi on our own land. So, we went out to play in the snow, and we had FUN!

 

No interlopers appeared in the midst of our play so it was peaceful. Hachi seemed very happy about it.

Then, the best fun began when we went to our new place. There's enough space for the pups to play to their hearts' content.

They love making funny faces together. It makes me laugh!

I do have to admit that progress on "real" training feels like it's been slow this week. Hachi was tense several times during our daily "Bucket Game" sessions. Our play sessions were so-so with Hachi worrying about things that we couldn't see. But, he handled seeing strangers on the trails near our old place remarkably well so that's good news.

It is truly astonishing how he is transformed when we arrive at our new place. It feels as if he has a clean slate with little history of fear there. That is a good thing.

We are seeing glimpses that Phase 1 of construction will be winding down soon so we'll be able to be there a lot more. Hachi will be happy about that!

Black Dog Sunday

We all looked up to him.

And we all loved him.

 Happy Black Dog Sunday.

Shyla Saturday

Shyla loves our morning outings as much as I do. At our old place, she knows all of the great photo spots. She's become a bit of a diva, always assuming that I am planning to photograph her. She poses before I even ask her to. She is the best model that I can imagine. Her enthusiasm is infectious.

Together, we are slogging through this stormy month. She adores the snow and the cold. It makes her want to run so fast, checking out every scent to the sides of the trails. Her energy lifts my spirits!

Happy Shyla Saturday.

Feline and Nature Friday - Mountain lions and a Black Bear (Tiny!) out in spring snow

Deep in the forest, there's a narrow path that our most shy wildlife love to use. I found it last summer after bear mating season had ended. Since then, mountain lions and bobcats have dominated it with an occasional bear wandering through.

After our huge spring storm, a mountain lion very slowly plodded through the snow. Then a deer and pair of dueling  robins. After another mountain lion, the highlight of my spring arrived. Tiny the Black Bear sauntered through. He marked a tree with his trademark "sitting" style.

Seeing him on video made me so happy. He looked good, no different from last fall. Check out the video!

Thankful Thursday

After we've had some nice warm weather with sunshine in April, I have a very hard time being happy about snow. Yet, April is our snowiest month so I have to face it yearly. Most years, we go to the desert in April which helps deep my happiness level high.

We haven't been able to go this year due to the construction. We are the only ones who can make certain decisions so we need to stick around just in case they run into yet another unexpected decision. Given that we have a whole week of cold and snow in the forecast, I am fighting to keep my chin up. I know that we "need the moisture" but I'd rather not be here for it. Yes, I'm a wimp.

So, for Thankful Thursday, I had trouble figuring out what I was thankful for. For that reason, composing this post was a great exercise for me this week, helping me to remember just how lucky we are.

First, I loved that a big turkey marched around our house for about 4 hours the other day. No ladies were nearby so we aren't sure why he was displaying just for us. But, it was opening day of turkey hunting season - so perhaps he felt safest by us.

 

As always, I am thankful for Shyla's happy companionship in the forest. I took this one before the current grayness descended on our neck of the woods. She and our world are gorgeous.

And I am thankful for incredible skies with Shyla howling in front of them. I went back through my library of photos searching for smiles, and it seems that I never shared this one. It looks unbelievably brilliant so I went through all of my settings to make sure that I hadn't over-saturated it. I didn't touch the saturation or vibrance buttons. This was for real. It was like fire in the sky.

There is so much to be thankful for. I know how fortunate we are, and I try hard to remember it.