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Along the Natchez Trace

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Critters, vehicles and Father's Day...

I'm having trouble thinking of a title this evening....


It's Father's Day...  and I know Bill missed a few calls today.  We turn off our phone here because we're too close to Canada (New Brunswick is about 5 miles east of us) - we're on AT&T... signal bounces off Canadian towers...  an "international" call.  So...  about once a week we drive a few miles west and park in the DFAS (Defense Accounting Finance Service) parking lot and turn our phone on and get any messages.  We've let everyone know the phone number here at the refuge and we (usually) have internet...  so...  he'll get all those messages eventually.  

Blurry shot of a coyote...  caught on the game camera.

I've been asked some questions about various stuff here...  like what kind of game camera I use.  Well, I use 3 different brands...  I have a Moultrie and a Bushnell, and the refuge has 3 Reconyx.  I've used a Cuddeback at another refuge.  The price range can really vary...  from less than $100 to over $600. And if you're going to invest in one, it's wise to also buy the metal shroud (box) and the steel cable to lock it all up and secure it to a tree (or whatever).

Yesterday was a banner day as far as wildlife sightings.  I saw 8 moose, 3 bear, 3 deer, 1 skunk, a groundhog, a couple of beaver and a variety of birds...  including a goshawk.

Count 'em....  3 moose are watching me take their picture.

This guy crossed the road later....


And later yet this cow stood and watched me..

Why?
Because her calf was swimming across the pond...

She waited until it got ashore and crossed the road to catch up with her...  

I stayed far enough back that I was neither a threat to them... and they weren't a threat to me  ;-)

The bear were too fast...  or too far away to get a shot at them...  I stayed my distance from the skunk...  some shots you just don't want to pay the price....

Here's a monster that lurks around here...
It's a tandem axle dump truck...  good thing it has those steps to get up into the cab!

I can't even begin to tell you what all those knobs, gauges, shifters, buttons and lights are for.  I do know that it has a key to turn it on...  but then you have to push a starter button...  now when is the last time you ever used one of those?

This monster is so big it requires a CDL (commercial driver's license) to operate it...
Here's Bill....  at the wheel....
and he's one smooth operator!

That's All For Today!

6 comments:

  1. Another great day for all of us. Thanks for taking the time!

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  2. So much wildlife in one spot!

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  3. How fun too see all those different animals. I think it's pretty special how wildlife mamas take such good care of their "kids".

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    1. How lucky you are to see all those animals in one day. We are considering getting a game camaera to see who keeps visiting us at night and uprooting my flowers, taking the bird feeder, and getting into our trash can which had bungee cords, got the bag out yet the bungee cords were intact, with the barrel on its side. it is now in our shed at night.

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  4. What a shame about your calls being "routed" through Canada! It sounds like you've adjusted, though. I'm endlessly impressed by all the wildlife you encounter. Thanks for sharing!

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  5. The wildlife shots were terrific, but I was kind of impressed by that big old dumptruck with Bill behind the wheel.

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