Varmit report
Jul. 19th, 2005 10:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tenayaI'm happy to say all has been going well. Cutiepie still has her sixpack and they are getting a little larger and bolder every day. I haven't heard the coyotes for a few weeks now. The skunks are better than tv on most nights with their antics. Buttbumping, playing chicken and stomping, with occasional barrel rolls down the berm are par.
Last night, I opened the front door to see if Big Reg wanted to come. He was the cat that was so ill and he is just REALLY retired now, and as a result, he likes to go on the front porch, lay at the far end and just watch.
I open the door and there's this big skunk right up against it. Whoa! I go, and slowly close the door so skunk can't come in. I see Reggie get up from the end of the porch and start to approach; obviously he's had enough of skunk trespassers. The skunk thinks about it, then starts to bounce towards the end of the porch. Reggie freezes and gives one of the most beautiful hisses I've ever heard. Loud yet breathy with an excellent display of his pearly whites. It is very fierce. The skunk pauses and looks at him, then gives him a skunky equivilent of a shrug and a "like what you want should matter to me?" and bounces right past him, less than a foot away. Of course this is very upsetting to Reg, but it made me realise one of the reason why the cats don't like the skunks. Nothing matters to skunks unless it's another skunk. If you're not a skunk, you're nobody, baby! And cats have egos the size of a houses. The fact that a skunk will ignore them or run right through them (because the skunk KNOWS the cat will move so they don't slow down) offends a cat right down to their very soul. Brindle likes to sit on the berm and look in the window at us, but that is prime skunk roadway and they go back and forth quite a bit. The skunks will chase Brindle, stomp at him or just run right over him, and the Crabby Tabby HATES THEM FOR THAT!! Not that he can do anything about it, though. No wonder he's crabby.
Of interest is that there are two other mother raccoons that have been squeezing in visits between Cutiepie's visits. One has two babies, the other has three. Each group comes by singlely. I've seen Cutiepie shuffle into the yard, stop and snort and growl until the other family unit leaves. Because she doesn't rush them and attack (like I've seen her do to lone raccoons) makes me think these could be daughters from previous litters. These small families have a commando type of feel to them. They're quieter, and they keep close to each other and their mothers. I've seen both mothers walk to a safe distance and watch as Cutiepie's brood flows into the courtyard. They stand upright and watch, while their little arms are resting on their young's backs, heads or shoulders; it's very human looking. Cutiepie's brood can be up to twenty feet away from her as they play with my pots and other garden supplies.
Now I'm off to Vegas for a few days. They have an egyptian exhibit there at the Venetian and we will stay at the Luxor for a few days before we descend on Bunny's house. It's been like 115 out there lately. Of course, it's been over 100 here for days now with no relief in sight. Is there a practical difference between 100 and 115? I'll let you know.
Last night, I opened the front door to see if Big Reg wanted to come. He was the cat that was so ill and he is just REALLY retired now, and as a result, he likes to go on the front porch, lay at the far end and just watch.
I open the door and there's this big skunk right up against it. Whoa! I go, and slowly close the door so skunk can't come in. I see Reggie get up from the end of the porch and start to approach; obviously he's had enough of skunk trespassers. The skunk thinks about it, then starts to bounce towards the end of the porch. Reggie freezes and gives one of the most beautiful hisses I've ever heard. Loud yet breathy with an excellent display of his pearly whites. It is very fierce. The skunk pauses and looks at him, then gives him a skunky equivilent of a shrug and a "like what you want should matter to me?" and bounces right past him, less than a foot away. Of course this is very upsetting to Reg, but it made me realise one of the reason why the cats don't like the skunks. Nothing matters to skunks unless it's another skunk. If you're not a skunk, you're nobody, baby! And cats have egos the size of a houses. The fact that a skunk will ignore them or run right through them (because the skunk KNOWS the cat will move so they don't slow down) offends a cat right down to their very soul. Brindle likes to sit on the berm and look in the window at us, but that is prime skunk roadway and they go back and forth quite a bit. The skunks will chase Brindle, stomp at him or just run right over him, and the Crabby Tabby HATES THEM FOR THAT!! Not that he can do anything about it, though. No wonder he's crabby.
Of interest is that there are two other mother raccoons that have been squeezing in visits between Cutiepie's visits. One has two babies, the other has three. Each group comes by singlely. I've seen Cutiepie shuffle into the yard, stop and snort and growl until the other family unit leaves. Because she doesn't rush them and attack (like I've seen her do to lone raccoons) makes me think these could be daughters from previous litters. These small families have a commando type of feel to them. They're quieter, and they keep close to each other and their mothers. I've seen both mothers walk to a safe distance and watch as Cutiepie's brood flows into the courtyard. They stand upright and watch, while their little arms are resting on their young's backs, heads or shoulders; it's very human looking. Cutiepie's brood can be up to twenty feet away from her as they play with my pots and other garden supplies.
Now I'm off to Vegas for a few days. They have an egyptian exhibit there at the Venetian and we will stay at the Luxor for a few days before we descend on Bunny's house. It's been like 115 out there lately. Of course, it's been over 100 here for days now with no relief in sight. Is there a practical difference between 100 and 115? I'll let you know.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-20 05:05 pm (UTC)Have you seen the ad for PBS (which shows on PBS) where the mom & kids are doing stuff in the other part of the house, and a skunk comes in the doggy door, and goes up the stairs and into the bedroom, where the dad is still asleep. The skunk gets up on the bed, and the dad reaches out (eyes closed) and pets him - and then the camera pans to a family photo at the bedside, and the skunk is the family pet! And they voiceover something about "people open to more possibilities - PBS."
I'd like to see the mummy exhibit at the Bowers. But it's sooo hot!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-27 11:58 pm (UTC)The skunks have been more docile than usual. Some nights, Brindle wants to be rescued (the skunks are mean to him he thinks) so I have to wade out amongst about 4 or 6 skunks who just give me a bored glance and keep feeding. It's a little worrying, but I just go slow and there's been no problem.
Did you get out to Vegas for the Egyptian exhibit at the Venetian? The Bowers will have there mummies for while right? Fall at least?
(no subject)
Date: 2005-07-28 07:53 pm (UTC)Vegas=too hot ;-) - and I'm saving $$ for BASCon. I think the exhibit at the Bowers is there until Spring 2006, April or thereabouts. I do want to see it, but there's no rush. And I still have another ticket to go back and see Tut!