10MileRanch

Technically that's one of the same here but wow, what excellent piloting skills. That's obvious from normal flight patterns but this is on the level of TRULY "threading the needle". Impressive. PS: are doors DELIBERATELY designed that way on farms for just such purpose? Overthinking Notes: 1. Landowner kept top half of lower doors open to encourage nesting despite the droppings (cardboard shields are easy). Maintained that the last 2 years and a couple birds accessed the loft by flying in below, then up through the inside. Large gap along entire upper floor along one edge I assume was used for hay moving. They had no problem and believed they would figure it out vs simply a total block of their nest. I am not an ani-muuul! 2. These may be the offspring, however, who have never done that loop. Last year chains were used to hold the doors closed and had larger gaps. Even so, I bet they'd figure it out. 3. What kind of G-forces do they sustain? Imagine that tiny brain controlling a fighter aircraft! When you consider they're zooming around nailing flying insects by their bodyweight-plus DAILY, then imagine the hunt / identify / intercept mechanics going on with likely split-second timing on hard-to-see tangos a fraction of their size that are ALSO zipping around with UFO maneuvers. Just saying.

Brain does its best with the sensory data received. "Touch it." "YOU touch it!"

"Here, Kit-Kit! Dangit, gotta pick a name some time. Kit-Kit!" I christen thee "K2". (Lame origin but strong name). "Friskies salmon dinner? What IS this marvelous wizardry?" Note: milk for cats is mostly cartoon myth as I understand it but here she could use the extra fat AND better fluids than creek water.

To be fair, I was more interested in not spooking it into the barb wire so didn't hit much over 30 mph. And, sigh, The Prometheus Style Of Running Away From Things technically means not moving to either side of falling/chasing objects (as the end movie scenes demonstrated; just run to the SIDE!). Glad I kept the camera in the front seat. For some reason the dash cam did not record the trip into town this day (4 pheasant dodges). Old power cord issue easily repaired.

This deceased Bull snake (Gopher snake) was on the road but without any apparent vehicle trauma and coiled in on itself, mostly upside-down. (See "Snakes & Snapper"). Also odd was its "inflated" appearance which I took to be a recent meal until later brain cell processing/review shows the entire body was swelled up/puffy from head to tail. ... waitaminute ... perhaps there's something to see after all?

Have to be aware of all kinds of traffic ... and not speaking of vehicles.

First glance gave me a double-take. Never a problem even with my hunter-killer cats but Ms. Stray had been a sole subsistence hunter before making herself known. Dry cat food is regularly available but still a carnivore. REGARDLESS, those birds are heavyweights that would not go down easy. So I hear and can ref. So what the heck was this? Happily, first impressions were incorrect. Note the NORMALLY SKITTERY AS HECK pair of hens that barely seem to notice or care. These hens, I think, are part of the harem of "Greenie" (heavy green head stripe variation; one of a 14+ rooster group that seems to have won out claim to this territory after Phineas vanished).

The landowner came out with some high-powered muscle that within a few hours wrapped up what was taking a couple weeks in 18th Century style. Some starters as well. Weather will allow actual planting soon!

Nature takes care of business. Routine but for a good look at a pronghorn skull with its faintly demonic horn stubs. BTW, these are not antelopes despite their name but believed to be a standalone family called Antilocapridae .

Haven't these animals seen a human before?

"Excellent! Churn those hoofs (hooves?)! That's right ... hit that far corner and work your ways ... Right side, right side ... no, YOUR right! Hey, 348 and 362! Get back here! Don't FOLLOW them, we're not planting the barnyard or ... aw, fuggidaboutit."

Yep, we're out and about now.

It may not look like much but big progress instead of the past panicked stampedes with some bashing straight through the wire. Yes, yes, I left the gate partially open again; open is open and they can get sneaky. PS FTR: the workshop has a rattler screen in door that prevents them from wandering into the building. (Most are too fat to fit come to think of it!)

Must have been a decent forest 66 - 55 million years ago. Now only exposed stumps but a lot more than first believed. Most are half charcoal but plenty remain as mineralized petrified wood from tree-sized outcrops. Not gem quality but always interesting. Note: this a lower-resolution edit for easier posting; the wood grain is visible here but much more distinct in real life.

Of course a lot depends on the size of feet and legs but for me these babies work (I assume) and fit comfortably as well as the store-bought ones. Those have (typically) plastic shields but thick CONVEX cardboard should deflect any pesky poison-dripping fangs. In practice the socks went inside w/shield resting on shoe to shield ankles. Thus far heavy walking, advance stick thumping and wide open eyes are enough to scare them away or get a polite advance rattle warning but tis the season for young'uns ... a personal bugaboo to step into a group of those lacking rattles but plenty of venom.

No ruler handy but note size and depth compared to the full-size cattle tracks. Between farm and the suspected critter den to the east near an old dump. The rusty curve visible is a corner of the empty frame to what appears to be an old freezer chest double the size of domestic ones. "Oh, that's just that stray cat/skunk/raccoon"? I say No: have seen PLENTY of those cat tracks and even compared to Lucy's extra toe print, these are double the size and immediately drew attention. Others show clear claws. Rough meter I know but from my wrist to tip of middle finger is 8". Unless there's another print that got destroyed in between, this shows a walking gait of almost a foot.

Word from the experienced cattleman owner answers the questions after shooing off a couple bold coyotes stalking up to a group of cattle and their playing calves. Definite "bad boys messing around" vibe was correct. At least here, experience shows they would not dare attack a calf -- even vulnerable ones that wander too far off -- if mommas that can stomp them flat are anywhere in the area. Despite a possible slow response time.

Wow, they were close to at least half a dozen calves. The moms would protect them. If close. This shows what awaits any that wander too far from the group at evening falls. Bad luck for the predators that a human happens to show up! Notes: 1. Footage starts in the seconds it takes to see the coyote pair and start moving fast as sore hip allows. Only few seconds an thanks to this camera, it's clear those coys didn't run far. Amazed they had gotten so close to those cattle but also noted how well they blended in at brush level. 2. They sure didn't seem THAT upset! What was up with that little play tussle before breaking into separate directions? At least I picked the right one to stay with ... good clear looks as it circles back to pass as if deliberately showing its lack of fear. Easy rifle range. Did not fire off a scare round with the pistol as it would have triggered every cow within a mile.

With all this surprise heavy, wet snow it's typical for elk, deer and other animals to come down from the flanking canyons. Less cover over the spring grasses as well as plenty of excess hay laying around from the cattle feedings. Nice to 1. notice them in the first place (another rando glance out window in passing. Easily missed and more evidence that there has to be stuff out there all the time); 2. have them come down close vs miles on either side; 3. be in a perfect position to take pictures with sunset glass glare hiding my movements ... yes, I've been spotted many times while inside by close wildlife that then flees. If I tried to sneak out there, they'd know and be gone with the wind. 4. decided that despite insects showing up, it was better to take the screens down for better photos of the stuff outside.

"They're everywhere, they're everywhere!" Quite a lot of beef traffic on an otherwise empty road.

Fortunately the temperatures are staying reasonable so this will pass quickly. The cattle don't seem to care past minor annoyance and the trees are still full of bird song as they wait it out. Another realization of how wonderful it is to have accurate weather forecasts.

"Tie Me Up" is a lesser-known (at least ever to me) funk classic by Mtume - 1984 - Epic Records. (Of which I know nada. "The band is just fantastic. Oh, by the way, which one is 'Pink'?" (1984 Epic Records). Its calm looping rhythm drew in the local group (already exposed to the monkey's odd antics) and appeared enjoyable enough to chill for a bit. Got to keep an eye on that one with the whiter patch on its forehead.

What's a momma to do? Not much. Which explains the random spots where tire tracks go out in the fields or yards only to curve back for no apparent reason.