Three more sleeps

With just three more sleeps until the big day (the final move to the island, with all critters and household effects), things are somewhat chaotic as I try to pack, repair, clean, tend the lawn, and keep the critters' routines as normal as possible.

The weather is cooperating - touch wood - with cooler temperatures than last week, but no rain (again, touch wood). It is near perfect weather for me - fairly sunny with a light breeze, warm enough for short sleeves but not so hot to make me lethargic.

Our main event around here has been the bears - they are plentiful this year, and very visible. I think something may have happened to the mama of triplets, spotted with the cubs a few weeks ago; we now see one or more of the cubs frolicking in the fields and gorging on the skunk cabbage and other delicacies, but no sign of mama. One of the cubs, either a large one from this year or a small one from last, appears injured - he is limping, and falls over frequently. We are trying to get help for him, but apparently the sole conservation officer responsible for checking it out is too busy elsewhere. It is worrisome.

I have not seen the three cubs together, nor even in twos, though a difference in the size of the injured one and the playful one assures me I am not just seeing the same single bear. I see one or another of the cubs at least twice a day, and the huge papa bear pays a visit every few days.

Yesterday morning, this cutie greeted me as I opened the drapes on the patio doors:



The dogs and I are enjoying halcyon days in the pasture, the dogs running and playing and rolling (and trying to reach the bear and coyote scat before I do), and I am taking pleasure in watching them. Birds are everywhere - hawks and eagles and woodpeckers, sparrows and swallows and robins and wrens. One new songster has joined us, in the trees at the top of the hill - with a clear, sweet, melodic song that I don't recognize. I have only caught a glimpse of him - smaller than a sparrow, larger than a chickadee - but was unable to identify his colours or silhouette from his perch at the very tip of a tall tree.

I saw Brazen Coyote with a female a few weeks ago, and have not seen them since, but I think they have produced kits as there is lots of coyote scat, in adult and kit sizes, on the path through the pasture.

And the pasture grasses and flowers are growing exponentially. Some days, keeping track of the dogs is a game of "Where's Waldo?"



Daisies are appearing in profusion - white in the pasture, deep yellow by the sides of the road:






The llamas next door watch us closely - I think they still search for signs of Martin. Sorry, llamas, Martin finally has a herd of his own.




Finally, I am close to getting an acceptable picture of Oliver in flowers, to complete my set of each of my dogs in the pasture. I do love photos of dogs in fields of yellow flowers!

Heart-stopping moment!

This morning, I took the dogs out in the pasture as always. Just as I passed the creek (about 1/4 of the way down the 5 acre field), a coyote awoke from where he had been sleeping in Martin’s old hole under a tree a hundred feet or so further on. The dogs were busy at the creek and didn’t notice, and I was able to distract them long enough for the coyote to make it up the hill and through the fence into the woods at the back of my property.

I thought it was safe to continue our walk, so I did....but as soon as we neared the hole, Sadie caught the scent and TORE off up the pasture....AND RIGHT THROUGH THE FENCE INTO THE TREES BEYOND!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I could hear her bark getting fainter and fainter as she got further away, and my heart sank. I would have to take all the others back to the house (time consuming with slow poke Belle and Oliver), get the car, and go around to the next rural road where she might exit the woods, and hope I could find her. This, of course, happened on a morning when I had to leave extra early to give my university students their final exam. Not an option to call in sick - though sick is what I felt.

I had been calling her from the moment she took off.....and tried one last call from the fence, just as I was about to head for the car. Miraculously, I suddenly heard thrashing around in the trees and – voila – one furry bad-dog-for-taking-off, good-dog-for-coming-back Sadie pops up out of the trees, big grin on her face.

“See, mom, I protect our property real good, don’t I? That coyote ain’t nevah comin back!!!”

Of course, she couldn’t get back in through the wire fence the way she got out (coyote is slimmer than she, and the broken wires point away from our pasture), so it took a bit of finagling to find a place to lift up the fence and haul her 70 pound ass through without her taking off again.

Blood pressure back to normal. Tomorrow morning (when I also have to leave extra early to give another class their final) I shall have her on the long lead for the pasture walk. I don’t want to block the hole in the fence because the coyotes come in by the creek and could get cornered (and subsequently will attack) if they ran up the hill and found themselves blocked.

Scary, scary, scary. Hmmmm.....I could fatten Sadie up so she can't get through there any more (she would like to be fattened up!); I could keep her on leash at all times (she wouldn't like that); I could make her a "daisy collar" as I once did for another perpetual slip-through-the-fence dog (she'd probably be fine with that, but it takes a lot of work, time and materials which I don't have right now); or I could put an end to the pasture walks (NONE of them would like that!). So we'll take some basic precautions and just continue to work really hard on her recall, since next time she takes to the chase it could be on a hike on an unfamiliar island trail.

I think this dog should have joined search and rescue in her younger years - she picks up a scent and there's no stopping her! Must have been a hound dog in the woodshed when that one was conceived!

(Oh, and for those who are wondering: I haven't forgotten about the pics and stories of the piggies' moving day - just haven't had time to download and sort through the 60 or 70 pics I took! Soon...I promise....soon. Fifteen term papers to go, and a hundred and something final exams)

The Odd Couple

I was going to call this post "The Most Magical Moment of the Year", but as we are only into the third month, that might be a bit precipitous. But it is certainly the most magical moment so far this month!

Just as I was leaving for work this morning, I glanced over at the pasture to where Martin was sitting, alpaca version ( legs folded neatly under him, long neck stretched upward) in the sunshine in the middle of the path. I am used to seeing him there - he likes to stare at the house, watching my comings and goings in case I should venture into his pen with some treats.

But this time, I did a double take - there, beside his cream and tawny head, was a second head - the two heads nuzzling noses and sniffing the air, bodies side by side, necks rubbing necks.

Eyes watering from the bitterly cold wind, I momentarily thought someone had dumped a cria (a baby alpaca) on my property. Wiping my glasses and my eyes, I realized Martin was cocooning with a friend of a different species - the canine species.

Yes, there in the pasture, Martin and a feral canine were having a tete-a-tete, with no sounds of alarm, no signs of stress, no indicators that this was anything but a friendly little greeting.

I'm not really sure who Martin's companion was, whether coyote or wolf or feral dog/hybrid. I don't think it was Brazen Coyote, unless his coat has drastically changed colour in the past couple of weeks. Brazen has distinctive reddish tinges on his legs and tail and multiple shades reminiscent of autumn leaves on his torso, whereas this canine was mostly white belly and legs and chin, with grey back, tail and head. With very long legs, he (or she?) looked larger than a coyote, yet not as large as the wolf who visited this winter, and lacked the distinctive face mask of the feral malamute cross who roams this area.

My friend Nancy was here, and I signalled to her to come see, wanting not only to share the magic moment but also to have someone to witness that the snuggling was not a figment of my imagination. I tried to move in for a photo, but our movements attracted their attention, and Martin's mystery guest moved off with the sinewy cat-like fluidity of a coyote rather than the more dog-like lope of the wolf.

Obviously the canine was no stranger to our pasture, or Martin would not have been so calm. He sounds the alarm and rises to his feet any time a strange dog is in or near the pasture unless I am right by the dog's side. Only with the coyotes is Martin so at ease.

Two fuzzy faces of two natural foes- checking each other out with nary a sign of animosity.

Magic. Pure magic.

Magic Moments and Everyday Adventures

Magic moments mixed with everyday adventures - that is the stuff of life with the critters. A ruckus in the neighbour's chicken pen sent me flying to the pasture fence, expecting to see a coyote in with the hens. Instead, I startled a large beautiful hawk, who took off with chicken feathers in his talons but no dinner.

A glance across the road to spot a lovely bald eagle perched at the very tip of a tree - too far to catch with the camera, but close enough to admire his beauty.

A flicker industriously pulling grubs from the dirt by the well - she flies away, displaying her gorgeous orange tail underfeathers and speckled breast.

A coyote, wrong colouring to be Brazen coyote and far more reserved, wanders through the pasture right past Marten, who lies on the path watching the world go by, completely unperturbed by the coyote's presence.



Green shoots of new growth poking up along the edge of the stream. The stream is clogged with winter grasses - I must clear it a bit for the pan-sized fish that will soon be trying to make their way through.









A silver morning, as a light dusting of snow covers everything, while the clouds change from grey to rose and finally drift away leaving a clear blue sky.










Piggies by the gate, watching as I unload hay and feed, hoping that somewhere in the back of the truck are some special treats for them. They are right - I bagged a bunch of too-soft tomatoes and some other yummies from my produce place.



Not all the piggies came out - Papa Scotch and youngster Rickey were busy napping. They have become a bonded pair - Rickey sleeps right next to Scotch or between Scotch and Soda, and is the only piggy to get to eat from his Papa's tray.




A fun time in the pasture with the dogs - Charley and Sadie tearing around after each other, rolling and playing bitey face in the crisp spring weather. Their recall is improving rapidly - a quick whistle and a wave of the treat bag as Sadie and Charley tore off after a coyote in the field this morning, and they both instantly turned about and raced back towards me. What a thrill to see my work with them pay off under those conditions - they got a jackpot of dried liver treats for their quick response.

Sadie turns out to be VERY treat motivated. I was trying to get a photo of all four dogs with noses raised, waiting for treats. I stood on the bench at the top of the hill to get a better angle when - whooops - Sadie showed me she is also a champion highjumper where treats are concerned. So first I got this shot:






And then this shot:



And by then, all the dogs had realized what was going on and wanted to make sure they didn't miss out on the action:






One of the challenges of working on Sadie's recall is that she doesn't leave my side if she knows there are treats in my pocket:






I call this one "Snobby Dogs" - just look at those noses in the air!



Oliver usually has such a serious face, but today I caught him laughing:



Frosty noses:




And a few more doggy shots - they look so nice after a trip to the groomers on Friday:










I'm happy for the return of daylight savings time - less rush to get the barn guys to bed, more time for evening walks and sunset watching. Now if only spring would arrive full force!

A pot pourri of images

Today's entry is a bit of this and a bit of that - some miscellaneous, unrelated images taken over the past few days. I am still under the weather (will this cough EVER go away? Will I EVER get a normal night's sleep again?????), so any attempt at literary cohesiveness is beyond me. But, for what it is worth, welcome to my world:

Looking out the window very early this morning, I noticed a beautiful sunrise.



Unfortunately, the old saying of "red in the morning, sailors take warning" was true - it was raining a couple of hours later.

For the past several days, however, the weather has been beautiful. The pigs enjoyed rooting around in their yard, though they would have much prefered to be allowed into the pasture had I the energy to watch them and the voice to call them back. Still, they had a good time just mucking about:







The dogs got to explore the fields, hunting for field mice and following the scent of Brazen Coyote, who has once again started dropping by to say hello. I saw him lying next to my bench at the top of the hill the other day, and pouncing in the grass just a few feet away from where a totally unperturbed Martin was snoozing. He wandered by the pigs without batting an eye, took a drink from the creek, sat and watched the dogs and I in the yard, before meandering back across the pasture and under the fence. He is as beautiful as ever - his red tipped ears and legs, his frosty chest and muzzle, and his multi-coloured tan/beige/brown/autumn medley torso. Perhaps next time I shall get his picture. Sadie, however, has it imprinted in her mind as she watches him leave the property:




Oliver, on the other hand, lives in a world of his own. He is happy just to plod along today, though at other times he races in joyous abandonment back and forth on the trail. He is such a photogenic little guy!



I came across a fascinating glimpse of nature-in-action this morning. On the trail near the top of the hill, I noticed a dozen or more tiny little holes in the ground, each with the head of a beetle sticking out.



I tapped at one and it scurried out, leaving behind a little hole into which had been deposited a bright orangey yellow fluid which I assume must be eggs. Other beetles seemed to have died in their holes, or were concentrating so hard that they were able to tune out my footsteps nearby.

Here's a picture of the beetles, about which I know nothing.



Unfortunately I had no coin or watch or lens cap to put beside it for a size comparison, but it was about 3-4 cm (an inch and a half?), so no small critter in bug world. They are very similar to a large flying beetle I encountered when we lived in the Northwest Territories. My daughter referred to them as Hair Eaters as they would fly straight at us and get their long antennas tangled in our hair.

Indoors, the cat decides to torment the dogs, lashing out first at one and then at the other. Poor Oliver has come so close to getting his precious nose swiped so many times, and Allie actually left a claw in our friend Ellen's whippet, Kinley, the other day though no harm seemed to be done. Mostly, Allie likes to tease, as she does here by swishing her tail back and forth over patient Sadie's nose as Sadie tries to nap on the couch:



Or she decides to explore the cupboards, prying them open with her paws, hopping in, checking out the contents, and hopping back out:



I think Allie has spring fever - she is entranced by the birds and squirrels, and has more than once made a dash for the open door as the dogs parade through. Sorry Allie, it is not a safe world for a little kitty like you.



Janice from Hearts on Noses came over to clean the piggy stalls for me on the weekend - that is one task that is not possible with my current respiratory problems - and the piggies and I were most grateful. Of course, I think the piggies were even more grateful for the armloads of alfalfa and greens and fruits and veggies she brought! Here's Scotch and Whisper (to my surprise - it is usually Rickey who eats with Scotch) sharing a breakfast platter this morning:



And, in all the chaos that we call life, there is always time to reflect. Never a day goes by that I don't catch one or more of the dogs just standing and staring across the fields, reflecting on this wonderful world, no doubt.





Or sleeping soundly with a soft gentle smile spreading across the face:



And, on a more sombre note, I received a phone call from my daughter last night to tell me her paternal grandfather (her biological father's dad) had passed away, ending his struggle to keep a weak heart going and his battle with Alzheimer's. My favourite memory of him goes back about thirty years, when he would swing my daughter up in the air and twirl around his country kitchen singing Greek songs and dancing Greek dances, as the child in his arms giggled in delight. Ed was a good man, and I know he shall be missed. My condolences to my daughter and her father.

Life is never over, though the body may be gone. The spirits of those who loved us are no further than a song. Rest in Peace, Ed.

Coyote Concert

I swear every coyote in southwestern BC is congregated around my property tonight (or rather, this morning, seeing as it is after midnight as I post this - despite what the time on the blog says. For some reason it is out by an hour). And they are having one heck of a party out there. If coyotes have rock concerts, this would be it.

I have been feeling rather dragged out the past few days, and even found myself nodding off while showing a video in class this afternoon. So tonight I made a point of going to bed early after a quiet evening of puttering around. Just as I drifted off into a sound, comfortable slumber, Sadie started barking up a storm right by my ear.

Scraping myself off the ceiling, I shushed her and woke myself up enough to ascertain that bad guys were not breaking into the house. Coyotes. I hear coyotes. That is an everyday sound around here (or everynight sound), though usually just one or two. Tonight it sounds like there are dozens out there. I roll over and attempt to get back to sleep again.

A half hour later I had finally fallen asleep and, once again, I am awakened by Sadie. Only this time, the noise outside is unbelieveable - howling and squealing and screaming and yipping loud enough to be heard over Sadie's frantic barking. Concerned that the coyotes had gotten into the barn, I pulled on jacket and boots and raced outside to check everyone is safe. I can hear coyotes in the pasture and in the neighbouring field, as well as more in the federal lands across the road. The piggies are fine, and Martin the alpaca wasn't even disturbed enough to stand up and check out the action.

There's nothing so jolting to the system as tearing around outside at midnight in one's pjs on a cold, crisp, noisy night.

I went back to bed. I tossed. I turned. I read. I planned my retirement. I plotted out my life for the next twenty years (it starts with me winning a lottery.......), and I tossed and turned some more. Twice more the coyotes' concert broke the sound barrier - I don't know what the kids call it, but I had visions of one sexy coyote being passed over the heads of the others on her way to the screaming Coyote Rock Band on stage. A mosh?

And now, wide awake, I have given up on sleep, turned the lights back on, turned the furnace back up, and will continue puttering until I can putter no more. Heaven knows what my class will be like tomorrow. I wonder if I can find a three hour video and just sleep through the whole thing?

Next time the coyotes decide to have a party, I hope they send out a notice to warn their neighbours. It's the polite thing to do.

Sagacious Sadie and other stuff

Here's the link to Sadie's latest column in Abbotsford Today: http://www.abbotsfordtoday.ca/?cat=131 or just click here.

Sadie would like the snow to disappear from the pasture so she can resume her adventures. Just before the snows arrived a month ago, we had several sightings of a Grey Wolf (aka timberwolf) on the property. That was a bit scary, as Grey Wolf seemed to be living under one of the bushes and even though I walked the fields before letting the dogs in, I did not see him until Sadie flushed him out and took chase. Thank goodness he ran away! I am hoping that he has now moved on and doesn't return. I shall do a thorough search of the fields before taking the dogs out there once the snow is down to a manageable level. One good thing about snow - I'll be able to spot the tracks!

I saw a timberwolf my first winter here, and have not seen one since - until this year. They are not common here, but we are within their range. I got a good look at him (a wee bit too close for comfort) so it's a definite ID. I was really hoping he was just a large dark coyote. Once Grey Wolf appeared, the coyotes disappeared - chased out of their own turf, perhaps?

I couldn't catch Grey Wolf with my camera, but he looks identical to this picture from Wikipedia:



It's pretty quiet around here as far as wildlife goes - no deer or coyotes or bear in all this snow. I put up some bird feeders during the worst of the wintery weather, and have seen an amazing array of birds stop by: chickadees, juncos, towhees, downy woodpeckers, hairy woodpeckers, varied thrush, flickers, cedar waxwing, Stellar Jays, pine siskins, and two beautiful yellow birds that I couldn't identify as I spotted them just as they flew away - perhaps grosbeaks or warblers though it is the wrong time of year to see them.

The canine crew finally got to the groomers yesterday - all four of them at once - so they now look and smell wonderful thanks to Samantha at Markeydas Grooming in Langley. Of course, around here at Slush/Mud/Snow Central Farms, they won't stay clean for very long!

Charley is up to her "scratch the back door to make mom come running" routine as she thinks it is time for me to feed the dogs......and she's right. Time to get the show on the road and gear up for another day at the salt mines.

What a difference a day makes!

From crisp, cold weather with blue, blue sky to grey skies and snow: what a difference a day makes!

Yesterday I finished marking, and submitted the final grades for the last of my semester’s classes. Finishing that task always gives me an immense feeling of relief, and never more so than at Christmas when I want to enjoy the season and yet also need to prep for the next semester.

So with the grades in, and the day crisp, bright, and relatively windfree, I took the afternoon off to make sure all the animals got some much needed exercise and fresh air. The piggies weren’t crazy about the frozen ground, but still had a blast playing in the huge pile of leaves Ellen had piled in the pasture for me.

It was still very cold, though, and even my fast-flowing little creek showed signs of ice formation:


The piggies enjoyed being in the pasture. Isn't Derby one HANDSOME piggy??????



Mama Soda and Papa Scotch joined the pigsters for a while, but once they were reassured that I was doing my job keeping an eye on the kiddies, the two of them waddled back to the warmth of the wool blankets and straw and enjoyed a quiet hour of canoodling without the kids around!

Excuse me! Could we please have some privacy???

I love the way the pigs pull the blankets up over themselves like this - it is amazing to watch them pull and tug at the corners until they get themselves all covered up. Scotch is a pro at this!

The dogs and I enjoyed the pasture and the beautiful views of the distant mountains. The light was shining on Mt. Baker and I couldn’t resist snapping this next photo to show my mom. I grew up in White Rock, where Baker was in view every day, and I know how much my mom loves that mountain and what good memories she has of the many hikes she and her friends enjoyed there. I don’t think I had realized before that I can see it from my pasture on a clear day in winter. For you, mom. (Well, I’ll show her the picture when she is here for Christmas!).

And some other pictures from yesterday's afternoon playtime:

Charley in the pasture

I'm not looking at you!

No, I'm not!

Well, all right, you may take my profile. Is this my best side?

Today we have a few inches of snow and it is coming down steadily. I had planned to do some Christmas shopping today, but that is out of the question as a trip down the hills may be possible, but will I be able to get back up again when I’m ready to come home? Even good winter tires and four wheel drive have a tough time on the icy hills leading to my home.

Belle is less than enthusiastic about the snow. I took all four dogs outside with me while I fed and watered the piggies and alpaca, as always. When I turned to call the dogs for our run in the pasture, Belle was nowhere to be found. Thinking she may have followed me into the house when I went back to fill the water buckets, I headed to the door……there was Belle, sitting on the stoop, waiting for her humble servant to open the door and let her back in to the warmth and comfort. Oliver and Sadie, on the other hand, would like everyone to know that frozen ‘paca poopsicles are THE BEST!!! Yuck!

I did lose ten years of my life when Sadie suddenly bolted at full tilt down the field….in pursuit of an intruder! I haven’t seen the coyotes for a couple of weeks, and rarely see their scat now either, and I’m quite sure this wasn’t Brazen. Brazen had his winter colours of white and tan and grey when I last saw him, and this animal was very dark – in fact, if Charley had not been by my side I would have thought it was Sadie and Charley tearing down the field. A darker coyote? A stray dog?? I don’t know – it was long gone by the time I caught up with Sadie who had staunchly ignored my call until she reached the fence around the perimeter of the field. So much for reliable recall, but at least she didn’t go through the fence as the intruder did. And I am VERY thankful the intruder did not decide to turn and fight. I shall have to be more careful in future – I thought we were late enough in the day that any wildlife would be long gone.

An alert Sadie gazes at the spot where the intruder disappeared

Oliver watches the pigs through the fence

Piggies feasting on hay and fruits and veggies in snow

I’m hoping the snow stops and roads are cleared for tomorrow as the foursome have an appointment with the groomers – gotta have them looking and smelling sweet before non-dog company arrives for Christmas. The groomer is, unfortunately, about an hour away and I’m darn sure rescheduling will not be possible at this time of year.

I also have to get over to the piggy sanctuary, half an hour in a different direction, to pick up piggy food – our shipment was delayed last week, and now I am down to about two days feed maximum. Unfortunately, the local stores here don’t carry it. Do I dare risk the roads today?

Personally, I think Oliver has the right idea - snuggled up with the Santa Dogs under my Christmas tree:

Edited to add: the snow is coming down thick and furious and I won't be going anywhere today. After a phone call with Janice from Hearts on Noses, I am now clearing out my cupboards to make the last of the piggy food stretch: rice krispies, oatmeal, popcorn - add a little dog food (not too much as the salt in dog food will make them very thirsty and is hard on them) and a little llama tex (Martin's feed) and some hay and they should be fine until Saturday. Here's hoping the roads are clear by then!