Winter is lasting too long

And the snow, snow, snow came down, down, down.....

It's been like this all day.  Heck, it's been like this all week!  Heck, it's been like this all Winter!

The bad part is, Bruce says it's starting to effect the wildlife. He says he's starting to see fawns that are malnourished, just laying down under a tree and dying. (Shhh! I tend to drop an apple or two or three where I know the deer will find them. I figure it can't hurt, and who can resist that face???).

A Taste of Living at Wind's Echo

Another digital collage by Smilebox

Click on the videos, lean back and experience what it's like to live at Wind's Echo. These are only two of the seven videos I took this afternoon- AND this was just after I'd encountered 21 head of elk cows and calves while feeding the mares! After I took these videos, two elk cows, one calf, and one yearling came back around to see if Raggie would share his hay. He wouldn't. Living here is AMAZING! I'm so grateful.

The Sound of Silence

This is the sound silence makes.

Held Hostage

Bruce and I were enjoying the warmth from the fireplace, but agreed there was work to be done while there was still daylight. Wood needed to be brought up from the barn, and Bruce wanted to shovel the sidewalk, and back patio. I got out of the chair, and that's when I saw him!  Raggie!

Walking slowly through the pasture, to check to see if SOMEONE had "ACCIDENTALLY" dropped a flake or two of hay by the barn!

I told him to go ahead and check. Although I wasn't the one who'd fed the horses that morning, I was pretty sure BRUCE was also leaving a bit of extra hay where a hungry Bull Elk might find it.

Raggie acknowledged that, and moved on.

And lo and behold! there WAS hay!  I happily snapped photos while Raggie ate.  And ate, and ate.  After awhile, Bruce announced he was going down to the barn to get some wood, but I quickly squelched THAT!  Raggie was still down there... eating... contentedly.  Bruce said he'd wait.

After awhile more, Bruce announced he was going to go out and shovel.  I was horrified! and stopped him quickly.  Raggie was STILL out there- eating- slowly.  It wouldn't be right to disturb our guest! and perhaps scare him away!  Bruce waited... and waited.

Finally, Raggie took a sip from the horse trough, stepped over the fence, and moved towards the wood. 

We watched him meander away... 

We never know if this will be our last sight of him, or if he'll drop by for another easy meal. 

Even for an adult Bull Elk, strong, proud, in the prime of his life...  the World is a mighty big place

and always unpredictable.

Cold

Although the weather outside is a frigid MINUS 6 degrees!!!  INSIDE is a different story, as the cats will attest.

As long as you're settled in the living room,

life is pretty cozy.

Bruce made a fire.   :)

Loose Ends

Sitting here... with numerous chores, and work I SHOULD do, I find myself at loose ends.  Incapable of doing anything- even pleasurable pursuits (because of that SHOULD spectre hanging over my head).  So- I wander about the house- sit at my computer- and waste so much time, there aren't enough hours left to start a big project.  What is it I'm searching for?

In a mood

So.... we're sitting in the living room, relaxing, sipping coffee, and reading our respective books and newspapers, when the sun breaks through the clouds!  You would think this would be a welcome sight.... however, Bruce takes a look around and says, "OMG! Look at all those cobwebs!"  He's referring to cobwebs in the corner of our 20 FT. CEILING!  HOW does the man even see that far up? and WHY is he looking?  I tried to ignore him. After 31 1/2 yrs. of marriage, I knew where this was going.

Pretty soon, he's knocking at the sliding glass doors with a 25 ft. ladder.  Could I help him set it up?  He takes my GOOD towels, and DUCT tapes them to the ends of the ladder.  You wouldn't want any scuffs 20 ft. up where no one could see them. Then, my husband, who is afraid of heights, by the way, climbs the shaky ladder, and begins to lean to the right... lean to the left... trying to get every tiny bit of dust and cobweb.

I'm trying to hold the ladder, and berate him with pleas and warnings! PLEASE be careful! I don't want to be a widow! I can't manage this house all alone! The ladder is shaking! Are you done yet???

But I know him better, than to believe he's done.  The man has just started.

He HAS to get ALL the corners! He has to wipe down the walls. My reasoning that 'the cobwebs and dirt will only start coming back tomorrow' falls on deaf ears.  He continues.

Now, he's wiping down the windowsills.... not the low ones. Not the ones I could ever possibly reach- the 13 ft. up in the air ones... and he's sending down a shower of dust clumps. *sighs*

Even when he abandons the HUGE ladder, he insists on bringing out the step ladder, and putting me to shame by vacuuming the TOP of the entertainment center. I'm not positive I was aware entertainment centers HAD tops... and I KNOW I didn't realize they were supposed to be vacuumed. *sighs*

With the immediate danger over, I settled down and began to think about it.  This was actually pretty cool!  The house was CLEAN! and I hadn't had to do it!  Yep.  Bruce is pretty special, and I'm keeping him! :)

 And no, ladies, I won't rent him out!

Update

Last May, I wrote in this blog about an animal that was particularly dear to me.  A wild Bull Elk, which I named Raggie.  http://silvyr.blogspot.com/2010/05/raggie.html

We first noticed Raggie as a calf, back in 2007- mainly because of his mother.  The cow elk was VERY old, and grizzled. She had white hair at the base of her ears, and on her face, and she was reluctant to jump fences, even ours- which are uncommonly low, and easy on the wildlife. She would run the fence lines with her calf at her side, watching the rest of her herd get farther and farther away.  Eventually, she'd jump the fence, only to find another fence, and another fence inbetween her and her friends. 

 We named her Gramma.

The following year, 2008, we noticed the pair again.  Gramma was back, but this time, the calf had grown into a spike bull.

 He stuck right with his mother, which isn't too unusual in the elk world.  We noticed them, delighted at the bull elk's growth, and didn't think much more about it.

It was the following year- 2009, that I fell in love.  The bull elk was back... still with his mother! but now, he was a proud Raghorn bull-  big, and magnificent.

It's a bit unusual to have a Raghorn stay down in the Valley with the cow elk... and he stuck around the ENTIRE Winter, allowing me to take gazillion photos.  As time passed, he and I developed an almost mystical relationship... which I describe in my earlier blog.  http://silvyr.blogspot.com/2010/05/raggie.html

I really had no hope of seeing him again in 2010.  He was a BIG BOY now... and would NOT come down to the Valley with the cows.  I worried about him, sent him prayers of protection, and my love, and settled for rejoicing at each sighting of Gramma- his mother.

Which is why seeing a lone Bull elk in velvet striding across the pasture, stepping over the fence, and walking right up to the mares eating hay was so startling, and so... exultant!

For there was NO DOUBT that it was Raggie... come home, to let me know he'd survived hunting season, and a long, cold Winter safely.

Summer came, and all the elk left, except for Gramma.  She was still with us through July- and then... she was gone.  Even when the other elk came down in the Fall, and the Winter, Gramma was no longer with them, and though Bruce and I would strain our eyes through binoculars, we realized the inevitable had happened... and we mourned.  Our hunting season was abnormally successful for the sportsmen- and abnormally brutal for bull elk.  I continued to worry.  I continued to send prayers into the ether, thoughts of protection and love.  A gesture I understood I would never realize it's success or failure. 

But- once again!  traveling down his familiar path- stepping over the fence, and approaching the mares, came a majestic, bull elk.  Raggie, home again, 4 1/2 yrs. old, and every bit as proud, and beautiful as ever.

Once again, he stopped, and looked for me.

Once again, I was there.  We stared into each others' eyes, while I tried to pour my love and gratitude into this animal. Thank you, for letting me know. Thank you for coming home where you're safe.

Then, he turned... and while I was shouting thoughts of advice... stay up high! stay away from the Valleys! Be wary of any humans! or stay for awhile... right here, where you are safe....

He walked away

into the wild

where he belongs.