Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Welcome to 2018

I just want to say, to start off with, that I am so glad I am around to learn new things. 

I wondered why I have not seen any raccoons and few possums on my 
game cams the last two weeks... and thought to myself 
that they may hibernate, and I had never noticed it before.  

Well, guess what, I thought to ask Friend Jill, who is a vet 
tech and a naturalist, herself.... and she told me that they 
do go into a sort of hibernation in the extreme cold, 
denning with other raccoons, and maintaining just enough 
body function to keep on living.  Since we are in this bitter cold 
spell along with seemingly the REST of the nation... no wonder. 

I did some reading about it, and it is fascinating.  This alone (along 
with all the other nature-watching I am doing) has made it worth moving
back to Calamity Acres. 

However, there have been some visitations to the deck, and two 
have made me happy. 


Whoops!  That's not a raccoon!

That's Jester yesterday morning, pausing on the deck for a 
second.  


This made me happy.... darn the long extension that 
I cannot get to lay down, it powers the bird water basin on the deck...but 
that shadowy cat behind it is the grey tabby feral that I have not 
seen in months.  My neighbors at the bottom of the pasture feed ferals, 
and also, my neighbors across the road.  I am glad to know he is still alive. 


There is Spooky, he has grown into a beautiful cat... remember, the 
Feral Four were already vetted and neutered when I got them. 


You will have to double-click and enlargen the picture to see this one. 
That's Harlequin, who has been missing from the henhouse for the past week. 
See the white under the neck?  I saw her the night before on the cam, 
very fleetingly. 

At least I know she is alive in this bitter cold.  I have straw 
in all the outbuildings.... hopefully she has bedded down somewhere. 


Ferdinand and his ladies like the heated dog bowl on the deck, too. 


We have all been doing a lot of this. 


Yesterday, I saw this at the foot of the pasture as I was getting ready to 
leave to get some milk. 


Here is a closer-up picture, taken with my long lens.  
I suspect the larger of the two is the female, on the right. 

They look like red-shouldered hawks, from a distance. 

So far, they have left the hens alone. 


The beautiful Wolf Moon... and I need to 
seriously start using my cameras again and LEARNING about them. 



Here is something I never thought I would see again.  Lilly Ann, 
just now laying on the big bed, I did not think she could still get up 
there, so I know she is feeling good today!  She can watch out the windows towards the gate, and see who is going up and down the road.  It made my heart happy for her. 

Stay warm, everyone, we still have a few more days of coping with this 
stuff. 

WINTER IS SO FUN. 



11 comments:

  1. Beautiful pictures like usual. So glad to see Lily up on the bed also. Loved that moon picture. stella rose and momma

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  2. Isn't it though. NOT! I hate hard freezes.

    Glad to see the kitties. It makes me happy when mine show up after going awol for a while.

    Good pictures Mary Ann.

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  3. i remember those days with teddy. i was always so happy to see her having a good day. it sure is cold and getting colder! we are heading north on friday for the weekend to get into the good snow! i love winter!

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  4. It seems like it takes ten years to get bundled up and more to get
    unbundled up. Stay warm.

    M : )

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  5. I'd rather have winter than summer! (Granted, we're not getting your extreme cold.)

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  6. Hari OM
    It can be; but also treacherous... some of it is over this way too, but not down to the extreme lows you have over there. It could be argued that many humans are also "estivators"!!! Or certainly would prefer to be. YAM xx

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  7. This bitter cold is really getting to me. It is widespread too with many of suffering from it. Glad to see you do bundle up well when going out. Glad you got a picture of the Moon. I never saw it here. Too cloudy.

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  8. Our mom laughed and laughed at that last photo! Do you have a stool or something to help Lily get on the bed? We have a stool but don't need it. BUT mom makes us use it.

    Keep Calm & Bark On!

    Murphy & Stanley

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  9. Thats very fun for Lilly to get on the bed,, and sleep like a queen!
    love
    tweedles

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