They're baaack!

A couple of days ago I found the lid of the metal can where I keep dog food laying on the floor of my tool shed.  Didn't have to be a genius to figure out that the neighborhood coons were back.  Last night I put a heavy concrete block on the lid of the can to keep the raiders out, and set a trail cam.  Caught these guys coming and going.  They might try again for a couple of nights, then they will go somewhere else where the pickin's are easier.  I have neighbors who leave cat food out at all times.  Let the coons go freeload off them. 

  

Caught in the act!

I kept fooling around with the trail cam and got the video function working.  Don't ask me how, because I have no idea!  Anyway, I put it back out in the yard and caught this guy.  Fortunately most of the rest of the peaches left on the tree are above his reach.  There was one that looked like it might be a little to low, so I reached up to feel it; to see if it was getting soft yet.  It fell right off in my hand.  It was ready, and delicious!    

Peach eaters

                                                                                                                       

My peach tree has been a disaster this year.  It was originally supposed to be a dwarf tree, but the top of the tree shot up as high as the roof on my house.  I realize now that I should have cut that top of the tree off, but at the time I thought it was a good thing.  I reasoned that any peaches on that part of the tree would be well out of reach of any deer, but I hadn't counted on a bumper crop.  It couldn't support the weight and broke off!  The neighborhood deer quickly found it and began eating the green fruit.  Since green peaches won't ripen like tomatoes, I thought of another use for them.  Bait!  I picked up the peaches and dumped them in a pile at the edge of the yard and set up a trail cam to watch over them.

I first set the camera to take video, and it came up with a bunch of blanks.  I think the chip for the camera, where it stores video and still photos, must have become damaged in some way.  I need to pick up a new one, but in the mean time I reset the camera to take still shots and put it back out there before the deer finished up what was left of the peaches.  It worked, and I got several photos of the raiders.  Many are unusable, such as the south end of a north bound deer.  The 2 shown here are the best of the bunch.

This ghostly image is a night time shot of a spike buck that is a regular visitor here; taken by the camera using infa red technology.  In all I have seen 2 does with fawns, this spike buck, and a forked horn buck that I have only seen once.  That would be the little spike buck that was around here last year.  The pile of green peaches is gone now so this is probably all I am going to get.  Fortunately there are still peaches getting ripe on the tree that I will get to eat myself.

Update

It seems like forever since I've posted anything here.  My only excuse is because I haven't had much to write about.  I haven't been out in the woods at all.  Still somewhat weak from the operation and constantly out of breath.  The back still gives me problems too, so put it all together and I haven't been able to do much.  Just have to adapt to the situation.  The biggest danger right now is that I might trip and fall, and I've done that a couple of times right here in my own yard.  I have a difficult time getting back up!  I now carry a cell phone with me at all times.  If I'm in trouble I can at least call one of several neighbors to give me a hand, even if 911 isn't necessary.  If that happened out in the woods I might be in big trouble, so I've kept pretty close to home except for shopping trips.  Since I haven't been out and about, I've had to content myself with observing the backyard wildlife right here at home, and I'll post some pictures soon.  Very soon.


Aside from my personal problems, and probably of more interest to most people, is the news of our wild fires.  The closest fire to me has been named the Log Fire since it started near Log Lake in the Marble Mountain Wilderness Area.  It burned down onto private timber company land where it has remained ever since.  Although it was never any real threat I have been under an Evacuation Advisory, which means I should be prepared to evacuate if conditions worsen.  As of this morning the fire is 95 percent contained and the advisory has been lifted.  Other fires, mainly the White Fire, are still raising heck; and the little historical town of Sawyers Bar has been evacuated.  For those who are interested, news and lots of pictures are available here.


https://www.facebook.com/Scott.Valley.News?hc_location=timeline

Trouble of another kind

Sometimes trouble comes when you least expect it.  A couple of nights after I made the last post here, I was awakened in the early AM hours.  I was gasping for breath and wringing wet with sweat - no pain.  I staggered out of bed, took an aspirin, and made the 911 call.  A short time later the paramedics arrived in an ambulance and hauled my carcass to the nearest hospital some 25 miles away.  I spent 2 days there while they built me up enough to transport me to a larger hospital, approximately another 75 miles away.  I spent another 2 days there and was finally operated on to replace a valve in my heart which had simply worn out.  After several days to recuperate from the surgery I was transferred to a nursing facility a short drive away.  I was finally discharged yesterday and allowed to go home.  It has been a hard fight with a short stick, but I am finally gaining ground.  I can feel myself getting stronger every day.  I went into the surgery expecting pain, but what I wasn't prepared for was the loss of strength.  I had little choice about the surgery.  The options were few - have the operation or die.  Some choice!  For several days after surgery, I couldn't have whipped my way through a box of new born kittens!  I wasn't allowed to get out of bed without at least 2 people holding onto me for support, not that I could have made it to my feet anyway; but they soon had me up in a walker for short walks in the hallway.  Once I transferred to the nursing facility, there were physical therapists there who exercised me every day.  Although I am home now, I am still a long way from getting my full strength back.  Have to take it slow and easy while still trying to stay as active as possible.  How long it will be until I am able to take short walks in the woods, and do a little predator calling, is anyone's guess.  My dog, big Bear, is with some good friends in Nevada who were kind enough to drive over and pick him up.  I was obviously in no condition to take care of him, so that is a big load off my mind.  So that is about it for now, until I have something more interesting to write about.