New Adventures at our Little Farm

May has arrived and excitement came with it. Yesterday, May 1st at about 3:30 PM, I returned home from visiting my Mom and did a little work on the new chicken coop. As evening fell, about 7:30 PM, I heard some noise off to the west. I grabbed my walking stick and went to see what the source was. I arrived at the NW corner marker of our acerage but by then the noise had stopped. I decided to return back to the house by cutting through the woodsy center of the property. I discovered that we had some trillium growing in places. I also startled a Grouse which flew off towards the south. I moved a little south myself in case bird had been sitting on a nest, I didn't want my scent too near the nest. After walking twenty five or thirty yards more I stepped on and snapped a twig. In during so I startled another creature. I heard a rustle and saw a shape move off to my right, behind a birch clump. As it cleared the clump it turned and looked in my direction. It was cougar! For a few seconds we made direct eye contact, the cougar and me, about 15 yards or so apart.

As you can imagine my heart jumped in my chest and I spoke to it - the cougar that is, something like, 'oh, hi there!" I then started backing up keeping my face towards it. After several yards I turned and walked towards the cleared area just north of me. I turned frequently to see if the big cat was following. I reminded myself not to run but to walk with purpose. Once in the clearing I continued to walk, turning frequently to make sure I was not being followed. I made it back to the house and inside the tall fencing we have up to keep the deer out of our garden. I was thus reminded that we are in the foothills and are not to take our safety for granted.

This morning, May 2nd, I had a different sort of adventure. At about 10:30 AM Sue was standing at the south facing glass sliding doors and I heard her exclaim, "there's a rabbit in the south strawberry bed." I went to the door and sure enough a small bunny had some how managed to nose its way under the chicken wire fencing around the bed. But once inside it could not figure how to get back out. I grabbed a sweatshirt, put on my shoes and went out to remove the intruder. After several minutes of maneuvering and a missed toss of the shirt, I was able to get the bunny cornered and tossed the shirt over him. I gathered the shirt and bunny up and tossed both over the 24 inch high fence. The bunny worked its way out the sweatshirt and ran out the garden.

Later this morning Sue spotted a Red Tailed Hawk in a small Alder tree on the other side of the south fence. The hawk was much too big for the top of the tree and so after a few uncertain and wobbly minutes the hawk flew off to find a more secure perch.

Just another couple of days out here in the foothills ~ John