Mosaic Monday #101: September Spotlight Redux

Whew.  You came back.  Without further ado, we'll pick up where we left off - the trail cam photos, deer specifically.

I love the next collage.  I know we should resist anthropomorphizing animals, but I do see a very tender look passing between the two fawns.  And the doe seems to be barely tolerating this late-season feeding session with her fawn.  Then we have two different bucks.  If you examine the left-hand photo closely, you can see the fine layer of velvet on the antlers.  Wow.  The one on the right has no velvet and appears to have more points, and these photos were only one day apart.  Fascinating.

And there's more.  I originally put the trail cam here in the hopes of capturing the beaver in action.  Early in the month, I got a shot or two, but since then the beaver engineering team has been distracted dealing with the dam (see post here).  But I got quite a few surprises, which more than made up for it.  

Montana is home to three species of weasels: short-tailed, long-tailed and the least weasel.  The least weasel does not have a black tip on its tail.  All of the weasels turn white in the winter; the short and long-tailed retain the black tips on their tails!  This is the first time I have captured a weasel on my trail cam;  I once retrieved a photo of a weasel in the winter on my neighbor's trail cam - do you remember this post?  I was also thrilled to see the muskrats; another first!  Until this photo (and quite a few others of 1 - 2 muskrats), I didn't even realize we had muskrats in our lake!

This month, we've seen a herd of elk on the hill opposite us.  A dozen strong, shepherded by a bull elk, it is a majestic sight.  Occasionally, when I have been outside in the early evening, the unique bugle call of the bull comes to my ears.  I was pleased to get the bull (at least partial shots) on my trail cam, as you can see above.   Thank goodness for the reflection - you get to see much more of him!!!

Now, sometimes people don't like surprises, and there was one set of trail cam photos that fall into that category - the orange tabby feral cat.  Another first on my trail cam, and not a happy sight.   Now, before the cat lovers get upset with me - you know I adore furbabies, but I am not enamored with the impact that cats have on our domestic birds.  One to four billion (that's B for billion) birds per year fall to the ninja talons of cats that roam outdoors.  And that's not to mention small mammals, reptiles and amphibians.  I am grateful that this is the only time I have ever seen it on my trail cam.

As I look out the window at the gray, scudding clouds, and watch the wind carry off the last of the aspen leaves, the memory of kayaking on a nearby lake seems a lifetime ago.  This particular lake is known for large pike, and #1 Son wanted to try his hand at hooking one.  I have also regularly seen kingfishers at this lake, and # 1 Son was eager to glimpse one as well.  So, off we went.

The lake was a sheet of glass, and the clouds joined the sun to form fancy reflections. 

Unfortunately, the pike did not cooperate - not a single one went for the flies that night - and the one kingfisher we spotted flew into the trees, beyond the view of our binoculars.  We had to "settle" for one beaver and  pretty panoramas!

Although the clouds have become more prevalent toward the end of the month, they have rarely dropped any precipitation.   One evening, I was out for one of my "stress-reduction" strolls.  I could have taken a million photos of the gathering clouds, reflected in the lake at the bottom of the property.

Imagine my surprise when the heavens opened.  I laughed out loud with the sheer joy of feeling the water on my skin, and I envisioned all of the plants and other living things, turning toward it with relief.   I headed home in the slanting rain, and just before I shucked off my boots and put my hand on the door handle, I turned for a final look.  A rainbow arced through the clouds.  The middle was hidden, but the ends were undimmed, seeming to touch the ends of the earth in my view.   A fitting end to the month, a promise of rain to come, a reward for patience through the drought.  What a blessing.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.

Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.

The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Tuesday (U.S. Mountain time). 

Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog. 

Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back. 

As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by. 

Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully. 

Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

Mosaic Monday #72: Whistling in the Dark

Footpath along the River Wear, Durham, UK

Well, what a difference 10 weeks can make.  On January 11, my post expressed concerns about wildfires in Australia, tension between the US and Iran, and closer to home, the sale of 630,000 acres of Montana timber land.  On January 19, I wrote about 'troubling world events', a reference to climate change. While those issues are still important, they pale in comparison to the immediate threat and impact of the pandemic.  On March 8, I reflected upon my retirement, and resolved to give up some volunteering in favor of crafting activities and spending more time with Spousal Unit.  Hmmm … how does that saying go?  "Be careful what you wish for."

So, since you don't need anyone else to remind you to "sneeze into your elbow", I thought we'd engage in some distraction.  A little escapism.  Having already used the ostrich metaphor in several posts lately, I went looking for alternatives.  Do you know how many expressions mean sticking your head in the sand?  Sweep aside.  Gloss over.  Turn a blind eye.  Overlook.  Bunker mentality.  Kick something into the long grass.  Paper over.  Play dumb.  Play possum.  Whistling in the dark.

Pick your favorite expression and then come along with me.  As faithful readers know, Spousal Unit and I were in the UK in October 2019.  (It seems a world away now.  Imagine visiting a historic home, or wandering the main street of a quaint village!  Going to a pub crammed with other people, to watch my cousin-in-law perform!  Buying an ice cream from a street vendor!  But I digress.)  I have written about the visit here, here, here, and here.  But there's more!

Let's start with some humor.  One of the many pubs that we patronized during our visit was The Beeswing Inn.  You will certainly enjoy the food and beverages, and then you have to find the restrooms.  Be ready for a belly laugh when you do!

And what about a rainbow to brighten your day?  These pictures were taken the morning we headed to Skipton.  The clouds never materialized into precipitation; for the most part our getaway to the UK was rain-free.  As the song croons "Someday, I wish upon a star   Wake up where the clouds are far behind me  Where trouble melts like lemon drops  High above the chimney top  That's where you'll find me"

No trip to Northeast England is complete without going into Durham.  After all, Spousal Unit proposed to me there!  As many times as we have strolled its cobbled streets, we can still find something new.  Durham University continues its growth; when you only visit a town once a year, it seems as though new buildings pop up overnight.

And sometimes taking a different footpath leads to a discovery, such as this ancient gate into the city.  Baileygate was created in 1778-9 to accommodate carriage traffic using the newly built Prebend's Bridge.  Fragments of carved masonry in the arch came from the Wheel window remodeled as the present Rose window in the east end of the Cathedral.

We always take a spin through Durham Cathedral.  You never know what you might see, such as the interior of the Lego cathedral model, or the beautiful flower arrangements.

The tower in the picture at left was covered in scaffolding for about five years - how wonderful to see it once again!

We ended our visit with a delicious meal at Vennels Café, our go-to lunch spot near the city center.

The following day took us to another family favorite, Hardwick Park.  When our kids were young, every trip to Nan and Granda's house included one or more outings to the Park.  Bestowed with ample bodies of water, it is inhabited by innumerable ducks, geese and swans.  Nan always brought bread for them (now signs are everywhere prohibiting this practice) and the kids reveled in bestowing crumbs everywhere they went.

This day, we were sans kids, unless you count Spousal Unit, who invested some spare change in the approved duck food.  I felt we had rewound the clock 16 years; nothing had changed as several breeds gathered around for the handout.  And then the swans got aggressive - have I blocked out that behavior from my memory banks or have they always been this intimidating?  Check out this brief video!

In most of the park, autumn leaves were the only decoration to be found.  This shrub stood out as an exception; I suspect the orange sections of the "flowers" are actually seed pods.  Can anyone identify this plant?

American Robins are ubiquitous at home, and they are also quite a large bird when compared to the European Robin.  Perhaps that is why I find the European Robin so adorable.   As we sauntered along a final section of boardwalk in the Park, one pecked away at duck food that someone had scattered along the railing.  It chirped and trilled, as if singing for its supper.  Here's a little snippet for your entertainment.

Coincidentally, our final day with my in-laws was a Sunday, which meant Sunday dinner!  My mother-in-law excels with the eminently satisfying combination of roast beef, gravy, Yorkshire puddings, roasted potatoes, mushy peas, roasted parsnips and an assortment of vegetables.  Oof!  You can’t resist a second full serving of everything!  On a full stomach, I slept like a baby.

All too soon, the UK had fallen away below us during the short hop to Amsterdam.  We strolled the long terminals of Schiphol, stretching our legs as much as possible before boarding the flight to Calgary.  I don’t remember now the movies that I watched (is my memory going or were the movies forgettable?), but the time went quickly.  Customs and immigration were a breeze in Calgary, and the shuttle arrived promptly to whisk us to our hotel.  After a refreshing shower, we went to the hotel bar for some drinks and appetizers.  Not long after, we crashed.  After all, by our body clocks, it was 2 am!!!

Our return drive to Montana, through the plains south of Calgary, and over Crowsnest Pass, was surreal.  Snow had arrived during our absence, and it fell at varying rates as we motored along.  Yes, November in Alberta!

We stopped for a late breakfast west of the Pass, and from that point on, the snow frosted only the mountain tops.  Around every curve was another breathtaking scene, a promise of the winter to come.  We were home, once again.

*****

I pray that I have transported you to another world, if only in your mind.  At the same time, I believe it is critical to emphasize the seriousness of the pandemic.  At the time of publishing this post, the world has 316,659 confirmed cases, 13,559 deaths and 94,176 recovered (all data from John Hopkins).  The U.S. has 27,004 cases, 344 deaths and 176 recovered.  On March 3, the U.S. had 100 cases, 9 deaths and none recovered.  A 26,904% increase in cases in 18 days.  Please consider others by limiting contact as much as possible.  And if it helps you, whistle in the dark.

Mosaic Monday

Welcome to Mosaic Monday, a weekly meme where we get together to share our photo mosaics and collages.
Please include at least one photo mosaic/collage in your post.
The link will be open from 1 p.m. Sunday until 11 p.m. Monday (U.S. Mountain time).
Remember to add the link to your Mosaic Monday post and not the one to your blog.
Please link back to this post so that your readers will be able to visit and enjoy more wonderful mosaics; taking the MM blog button from my sidebar is an easy way to link back.
As host I will visit every participant and leave a comment so that you know I stopped by.
Please try and visit as many other blogs as you can, especially those that join in later, so that everyone's creativity can be appreciated fully.
Thank you for joining in today and sharing your mosaics with us. 

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter