Mammal Sightings – Page 5 – The Hermits' Rest

Good Day at Hermits’ Rest

How about that? Things do sometimes work out. And that helped today end up being good. With this face staring at me while I worked, it couldn’t be all bad.

I want to put my head on your arm and press real hard, ok?

I was sitting in the bird watching chair early this morning when I noticed a very large cow was mooing at me softly. She had a weird look on her face, if that’s a thing cows can do.

When she turned sideways I realized she was about to give birth. A hoof was sticking out. I watched for a while then went inside for a meeting. When I set up my computer on the porch, I saw she still had one hoof and something pink sticking out. Hmm.

Many episodes of folksy veterinarian shows on Animal Planet have taught me well. There should be two feet, and labor should be quicker. So we texted her owners. I was worried that they would be tired of us telling them every time we see a laboring cow, but this time we were right to ask them to check.

We are ignoring her. We aren’t much help.

Once her owner got there they saw what I saw, and a difficult ballet of trying to move the cow began. That poor guy, who’s near my age, was sure hustling until he got the great idea to convince all the cattle to go where they are usually fed. Once there, he was able to get the laboring cow into a pen, and with his son, the other owner helping, they straightened the calf’s leg out. Then the birth was easy, and the cute spotted calf was alive!

I felt good knowing we’d helped a little. That made the work day fly by, too. I documented like crazy! I might even get my project done in time. Maybe. Having something to concentrate on has helped my mental state, too. All good! no negativity!

After working and doing horse work, Lee and I were able to relax by the pool and take advantage of the better weather. There was a pleasant breeze that was perfect for enjoying a beverage and petting dogs.

Looking forward to staying peaceful in our little ranch world.

Waiting and Watching

Another long day of waiting. You know I’m trying to distract myself when I bury myself in AI training, which I did.

Suna, post training. Just kidding. AI is the BEST! Just ask corporate training!

I did get some nice pictures with Goldie today to remember her four/-legged era. We had a very nice morning sitting outside and enjoying the birds and breeze.

Lee took pictures of her on “her” couch, which used to be mine and used to be clean. And the blanket used to be nice. Yes, I was in hippie mode today.

Again, loving this dog and sending healing to her.

Lee took her to the vet this afternoon. She was so good. I keep saying that, but it’s true. She was sweet to everyone at the veterinarian office and tried to comfort them as they recited everything that could go wrong. Poor Lee. Wish I could have gone with him.

The watching part of today was a nice balance to sadness over terminal illness. I was looking at a Green Heron through my binoculars this morning and realized the cow above the bird had an amniotic sac hanging out of her.

You can sorta see it. The white thing is her bag of milk, ready to feed. The white cow was keeping Caracaras away.

I called to Lee, and he was able to watch “the miracle of birth” with me. It made us both feel better to see new life. I was a little nervous because Mama kept swinging the calf around when it was mostly out, and it was close to the drop-off to the pond.

Once the calf was on the ground, much licking ensued. Mama did a great job! It took the calf a few tries to stand up, but it eventually got up to slurp down that delicious colostrum. Mom licked it a lot more. The owners came by to check, because Lee told him it was born sorta close to the edge.

This all took like 20 minutes. That’s a successful birth with no issues … but the calf did end up down the slope but not in the water, thanks to the dry weather. Luckily the other owner showed up to pick it up. It was so cute just wagging its little tail.

That slice of ranch life helped us a lot and put things in perspective. The Circle of Life is the other trite saying that comes to mind, but it’s true. We all have our time to come and go. It’s just hard to be a witness at the end when it’s someone you love.

Think of Goldie tomorrow, if you can. We just want her pain lessened.

A Day of Bird Fun

I pretty much spent my whole day engaged in bird activities. There was a horse hour or two and a trip to buy dog food, but the rest of the day was for the birds. I do enjoy them, probably because I don’t understand them too well.

I got no bird photos, so enjoy a wildflower, marsh fleabane.

This morning I headed out early (for me on a Saturday) and went to the Wild Wings Bird Sanctuary we are working on. Ann and Phyllis joined me as I did my monthly bird count.

We had lots of eyes, ears, and binoculars, which made finding 25 birds not all that hard. Most of the hummingbird feeders were covered in bees, which annoyed the plentiful Ruby-throated hummingbirds.

There are many new songbird feeders, too.

We practiced our Forest Walking, but didn’t immerse ourselves in it, because we were busy identifying birds and plants. The wooded area was lots of fun, but I got into something itchy.

When we were getting ready to leave, Cindy and Gene Rek brought a big box over to me. It contained two black Cochin hens. These are the big fluffy kind with pretty feathered feet. What a lovely gift!

I hope they end up liking the new housing situation. Cindy and Cathy (the hens, not people) got a bit stressed out by their day and got pretty pale and hot. They have lots of water and food now, and Lee made them new stairs to climb to get into the coop. I hope they figure it out.

Getting them settled was hard because one got out when I was unboxing them. She went under the RV and would not leave even when Lee squirted her with water. I’m thinking that actually felt good. I got her out with my official chicken net that is really a fishing net.

Feeling better, but suspicious of the water dish. They have a bigger water trough but I worried they couldn’t find it.

As if that wasn’t enough bird action, I then spent the evening blogging about the morning and making a list of all birds that have been seen in Milam County on iNaturalist and eBird. Ann wants to have a checklist people can use. I’ll be working on that for a while, but it feels good to contribute!

This friend walked by while I was doing my morning sit. It just grunted a greeting and kept going.

Birding activity was a good way to take my mind off dogs and such.

Home Looks Good

Amazing! Flying on a holiday I had two flights that left on time and arrived early. Even the shuttle to the airport was prompt and arrived early. The lines at security were quick and efficient. plus I enjoyed looking at cute prairie dogs on the way into Denver. They were leaping and bouncing around their little villages.

I have nothing to complain about except someone took my window seat and left me next to an unhappy baby from Denver to Dallas. That’s ok. Actually the mother’s extremely loud shushing noises were as annoying as the baby. The woman in front of the baby-mother pair noticeably startled more than once and kept looking back to see what was going on.

I just closed my eyes and dreamed of Texas skies.

In any case, Lee came and got me so I’m reunited with all the animals. I look forward to returning to my routine. I just hope my stamina comes back, because airporting exhausted me.

Here’s a little health note. The app on my phone just informed me that my resting heartbeat was up ten beats per minute for the last 13 days. Guess what that coincides with? Covid. hmm.

Small Packing Triumph

I had a relaxing day of laundry, packing, and watching the Paralympic Games. I really enjoyed wheelchair rugby and was thrilled when a Gold Medalist in swimming said she went off to breastfeed her baby before the medal ceremony. How admirable!

I’m happy to say I managed to get all my stuff in my luggage. It’s mostly knitting I think. Silly me. I did get a few more clothes but that’s about it. I just have so many more medications now…prescription and over the counter. I hope they fit in the carryon bag. The other good news is that I have seats way in the front so I know I’ll be able to get it in the overhead bin.

I am not fond of modern air travel.

I did get a final walk around the area in. I didn’t want to go into town because of crowds. I don’t want to get sick again though I guess I have some immunity. One thing is for sure, I’m not all better. It’s still hard going uphill or fast. I did enjoy the birds, squirrels, and flowers, though. The alpine wildflowers were just gorgeous, even though fading now.

A couple of squirrels got all in my face for intruding on their meteorological autumn nut gathering. Such varied types of chattering! I’ll miss the Fremont’s squirrels the most, though the incredibly tiny chipmunks are a strong second.

I have a tie for favorite bird. Both the Mountain Chickadees and the Pygmy Nuthatches were extra friendly and entertaining. They really are masters of the spruce trees.

Wish me luck tomorrow. More germ-filled crowded spaces. Wake me up at 4am!

Going Up and Finding Mountain Wonders

Cathy and I declared ourselves better, though I think she was more healed than me. Nonetheless I agreed to go over to Keystone, where they were celebrating Oktoberfest rather early. What’s a trip out of state without some lederhosen and oompah music?

We had a hard time getting from my condo to the Dillon/Keystone area, because it’s a holiday weekend and the gas stations were full. The one where we finally got gas had a big convoy of huge trucks towing big off-road vehicles. There were at least six of them at a small gas station. Most had Mexican license plates. Serious off-roaders!

We finally got to the resort area and plowed through the exhibits (luckily we were early and it wasn’t rocking too hard). Then we went up! The Keystone gondola goes way up. It’s fun watching mountain bikers snaking down below us.

The views at the top of the ski area were amazing. I can see why Cathy likes to ski here so much. The weather was beautiful, too, neither hot nor cold. And it wasn’t too windy.

The views of other ski resorts from Keystone.

I determined I was healthy enough to embark, so we headed out on the hiking trail, which I vowed to take slowly, and I did. It was a spectacular trail through huge trees with lots of vistas peaking through.

I enjoyed lots of the usual mountain birds, but there was one I’d never seen before. It was a big, solid gray bird with white along its tail. I couldn’t get really close to it or its friends, but I did manage to get clear enough photos that both Merlin and iNaturalist were able to ID them as a bird I’d never heard of: a Canada Jay. Yes, they live here and are birds of high mountains. I think the map of where they are found is interesting.

We rested and looked around the scenic overlook for a while and enjoyed chipmunks and scary ski slope entrances. People hike up here then ski down. It’s not my idea of a good time. Walking is good. In summer.

The walk back down was through some of the prettiest woodlands I ever saw. The wildflowers were almost done, but I found a couple of new ones.

As we headed back to the end of the trail I got tired and had to stop to breathe a lot. The only thing that motivated me was the fact that Cathy found a marmot, which we’d been looking for all day, at the top of the hill. Up up I went and I got my marmot sighting!

We made it back down on the gondola and wound our way past the German fun. We then went to Cathy and Ken’s house so I could meet Aspen the grand-dog. She is a real cutie, full of love and energy. Aspen joined us for a patio Mexican dinner and was very good. My carnitas were incredible, not like the ones at home. It was basically a delicious roast pork.

That was a long and fun day, and I’m glad I was able to relax and watch college football this evening. Tomorrow I have to get ready to leave. Oh boy, laundry and packing.

I’m Gonna Live!

It looks like I am not going to have to deal with Covid too much longer. Today I was still a bit congested and had a delicate tummy. The Pedialyte seems to have helped a lot.

This little dude was spinning that pine cone like a top.

I did have enough energy to go outside and breathe some nice fresh mountain air. I walked really slowly and enjoyed the flowers, both wild and cultivated.

There were plenty of birds to see and hear, too. Plus I found where moose had slept, which was cool.

Luckily, I found a few trails that weren’t full of people and were nice and quiet. One went gently up and up in an area I hadn’t walked before. I stopped often to look around and rest. the trail started narrow and got wider. It was so quiet.

Soon enough I found the familiar service road that leads to the horse ranch and found my way back. I wasn’t even tired and was able to complete my work for the day!

I took lots of photos of the mountains so I could remember them after I go home. It’s so pretty and the weather has been so pleasant here. I’ve had a good time despite the illness.

I guess so many Texans come here that they need the sign?

Maybe I can do stuff the next couple of days. It sure felt good to have cheerful feelings after a long week.

I even had energy to do my nails very bright, Heat Wave.

Seeking Peace and Quiet

I have been enjoying the weather here in Breckenridge, and the views never get old. The only thing that is getting to me is how LOUD it is. I think I’m too accustomed to the relative quiet of the ranch (relative: we do have Alfred, Goldie, the House Sparrows, occasional farm machinery, and numerous pickup trucks with altered mufflers).

It’s probably the fact that summer is the only time that construction, road repairs, and other outdoor activities can be done. I get that. I lived in Illinois before, where the seasons were snow and construction. I just happen to be in a vortex of construction where I am staying. The sidewalks on the road I’m on are being systematically jackhammered and replaced (the new ones look great; it’s just loud). On the next block, a large hotel is under renovation. The workers need to shout, often. And on the OTHER side of the next block, a large condominium complex is being completely rebuilt. That requires many nail guns. Whew. It’s going to look great here when ski season starts, but you sure can’t hear a dang bird over that.

Luckily, I could SEE this hummingbird on the main road.

What else do large construction projects require? Why, dump trucks, heavy equipment haulers, semi trucks hauling supplies, etc. It seems to me that in Colorado there aren’t any regulations on the noise levels these vehicles produce. They are WAY louder than the ones I used to hear all day when my neighborhood in Texas was under construction.

Right behind this woods were the growling vehicles

And now I’ll make you laugh at me a little. I also find all those babbling brooks, flowing streams, crystal clear creeks, and rushing rivers really overwhelming after a while. They are beautiful and I love them. But wow, they are loud. All this messes up my birding agenda. Heck, I’m even laughing at myself here.

Anyway, I traipsed all over this cacophonous city today in search of my bird buddies and discovered that no matter how far I tried to hike, there were giant trucks and blatting motorcycles. Oh well, the hike I went on near the troll statue and ice rink was pretty!

I got this dog posing in front of the troll

And I did eventually find some relative quiet, in the residential area just outside the downtown area. I could actually hear birds! That will have to do! I did enjoy my walk, honestly.

Other than that, I did a bunch of work and sat in the hot tub a bit to help my sore back from all that exercise. And I did watch television. It was good.

The Motivation Inside

What motivates you?

I’m at an age where getting prestige at work or fame or fortune. My drive to achieve doesn’t motivate me. If it ever did, that probably wasn’t a good idea, in hindsight.

Enjoying a moment is better than striving for glory.

External achievements don’t motivate me, but internal ones do. As you’ve probably noticed by reading earlier blog entries, my drive is to learn more and more and improve my skill set. Doing this will help me become a better spouse, parent, relative, and friend. That’s what I want to be, the best me I can be.

I don’t know, but that’s probably the motivation of many of us, at least in some part. I don’t think I’m special or unique, just realistic about my internal drives.

Also I’m realistic about my limits. Like heights. Not my favorite.

How did I use my motivation today, you ask, hoping for photos of pretty scenery? Why I admit that I mostly worked today, but I did rest my brain a bit by just enjoying the beauty of a ski town in summer. Wow, flowers hold up well in this climate! Everywhere you look here you see flowers, dogs, water, and beautiful buildings.

I did stretch myself to improve my skills, though, with the encouragement of my local friend Cathy. She invited me to go on a bike ride, a long bike ride. Now, I used to ride a lot…over 20 years ago. But it’s hard/dangerous to ride a bicycle where I live now. So a long ride was a challenge for me.

Cathy convinced me that the whole ride from Vail to Frisco was downhill and I could do it. So, her husband Ken drove us to the trail head, and off we went.

Once I got my bike legs back, it was so much fun to zoom along the beautiful trail, which wound along Tenmile Creek, mostly in between lanes of Interstate 70. There were flowers, ponds, rocks, and forests to whiz by and enjoy. We only stopped a couple of times, so I couldn’t obsessively photograph everything.

We never hit any of the cute ground squirrels or tiny chipmunks we passed, and the moose I saw (yay) was far enough away that she posed no threat. But there she was! I saw beaver dams and some mallards in the ponds.

We stopped at an area where people make images in stones.

The best part was that I wasn’t hot and tired when we were done. I felt great! I highly recommend downhill cycling for the out of shape.

We had a nice dinner afterwards, too, even though I was dressed in exercise clothing (glad I brought some). Cathy said that’s how everyone in Summit County dresses, so it was fine. With a belly full of sushi, I enjoyed what was on television and can now crash again!

I’m all motivated for bright and early work again tomorrow.

My Rest Day

I tried to rest today. But there are woods, rivers, creeks, and wildlife to see. Of course I got work done, but with lovely mountains out the window. Not too shabby.

I also got through another temperature blanket row. It’s going to have hot pink tomorrow —over 105 in Cameron.

This morning I did a nice 2-mile walk along the Blue River and the adjacent woods. I certainly enjoyed all the birds and flowers. It is hard to hear the birds for all the water, but that’s okay.

After work I intended to do a short walk and stay off trails. Nope, I went up the mountain behind us, alongside the beautiful Sawmill Creek. I enjoyed some white-crowned sparrows and looked for beavers.

Before I knew it I was at the reservoir I intended to hike to later. It’s still beautiful as you can see above.

There were more flowers, of course. These are poppies.

I hiked back home down my favorite snow trail from last visit, and was lucky to hear a Western Flycatcher and a Red Crossbill. The latter sounds very interesting.

At the condo I crashed and listened to a lot of speeches. It’s all good, but I’m tired.