Soft Mornings and Mountain Lions

[DBOldford]

This morning I took the most amazing early morning walk up the canyon above our house, in a cool ocean fog. The Irish would call it "a soft morning." A neighbor down the road told me that he watched a mountain lion kill one of his geese just last week. A judge, he is not prone to exageration. That spelled the end of walks in that direction for a dog named Butter. But it is so beautiful up there. Giant redwood groves, many 200-year old oaks, a creek and numerous waterfalls, giant fern grottos, a natural geothermal sulphur springs, and sometimes an ocean-scented breeze at the top of the hill. The fingers of fog crawl over the mountain range and nestle into the canyons, providing us with some cooler temperatures. A good thing, since these 90+ ones make me feel very cross. We also have a doe with twin fawns in the vineyard most evenings and a mother fox has a den of babies under another neighbor's deck. She races across our front yard with a rodent or gopher, bothering no one. Who needs Discovery Channel?

 

[Gypsea]

Lucky you that you get to commune with nature! It all sounds lovely - except for that mountain lion.

 

[Mermaid]

It does sound lovely, Donna, especially the bit about the coolness. Cool in the early summer morning is such a treat. Coyotes ate one of my sister's cats last year (she lives in western Massachusetts) so yes, I believe the story about the hungry mountain lion, and yes, it is very prudent of you to be watchful about where you walk Butter. Beautiful scenery could never make up for the loss of a beloved pet!

 

[goin' coastal]

This morning I took the most amazing early morning walk up the canyon above our house, in a cool ocean fog. The Irish would call it "a soft morning." A neighbor down the road told me that he watched a mountain lion kill one of his geese just last week. A judge, he is not prone to exageration. That spelled the end of walks in that direction for a dog named Butter. But it is so beautiful up there. Giant redwood groves, many 200-year old oaks, a creek and numerous waterfalls, giant fern grottos, a natural geothermal sulphur springs, and sometimes an ocean-scented breeze at the top of the hill. The fingers of fog crawl over the mountain range and nestle into the canyons, providing us with some cooler temperatures. A good thing, since these 90+ ones make me feel very cross. We also have a doe with twin fawns in the vineyard most evenings and a mother fox has a den of babies under another neighbor's deck. She races across our front yard with a rodent or gopher, bothering no one. Who needs Discovery Channel?

How beautiful. You are such a cantadora.
Butter is lucky to have you protect him.

 

[Allifunn]

This sounds idyllic, Donna! (cept for the ML...luckly you ddin't run into it!)

 

[audie]

around here, the best i can do is about 6 raccoons that are destroying my back yard, had to quit feeding my birds because of them.

 

[Teresa]

your morning sounds like a dream, even with a mountain lion lurking in the woods - it is his domain and I'm glad he still has it. the coolness is certainly a gift. believe it or not, we've had a cool breeze here in the morning, and evening - last night on Grayton Beach was gorgeous and extremely comfortable for July.

thanks for your beautiful words.

 

[dbuck]

Donna, I bet your children loved for you to tell them bedtime stories. You have such a gift.

 

[DD]

Donna, I bet your children loved for you to tell them bedtime stories. You have such a gift.

^^^^^What she said.

 

[Mango]

Sounds beautiful Donna and well written! Would have liked to do that walk with you with Deet on of course!
I had a family of turkeys peeking in my home office window a few days ago. I snapped off pictures- camera happened to be on my desk. Maybe post them tomorrow. I also have pictures of me and a turkey that happened to just come and sit in my garden that I was tending, then follow me up the path back to my house. Hysterical. He hung around a while then decided to go and play with the kids next door.
Not as scary as a mountain lion, but one morning hubby and I saw a bobcat limping though our yard around 5:30 am. Huge paws, and it was so cool to see one.
Called animal patrol in case he stayed around and was injured. Apparently it was mating season and they said that he was probably in a fight with another bobcat over a female.
Your area sounds lovely. Thanks for sharing.