Notes from Here and There

1) Earl, the missing owl, has returned!

2) Record high temperatures, blahblahblah, ho hum.

3) White moose!

4) Look! Bluebells!


5) So, I was crouching down admiring a cluster of swallowtail butterflies this morning, when Linden came bouncing up behind me, pounced into the middle of them, and ate one! How upsetting! I am convinced that huskies are only minimally domesticated, and that we are misled into believing that they are more so due to their sweet, affectionate dispositions toward humans. But make no mistake--my girls have happily killed and consumed ground squirrels, red squirrels, cottontail rabbits, voles, ptarmigans, and, on one notable occasion, a healthy adult raven. On occasion, they have decided that another domesticated dog would make a nice meal, and have honed in on it, one on either side, the fur standing up on the backs of their necks. They are swift and silent. This is not aggressive, territorial, or protective behavior--it's deliberate hunting. I always shout them back: "NO! Do NOT eat the fat labrador retriever! BAD dogs! ComeBackHereTHISINSTANT!!!" And fortunately, they've always called off their attack, but I shudder to think what would have happened had I not been there. They also know how to find water off a trail by going into brush and digging holes into the protected mud with their paws and lapping up the water that seeps in.