Red Skies in the Morning...

My Mom always said this when the skies were red in the morning...  followed by...  "Sailor take warning...  Red Skies at night, Sailor's Delight".  An old saying, yes, but so often true...

The sky around 4:30 am this morning...

The forecast is that the rain will start sometime after noon today.  

If you look closely, you can see the shapes of 3 of the bunkers that held nuclear bombs during the Cold War.  While this refuge is gradually turning to real habitat for wildlife,  its history and the fact that the USA was prepared for war is evident throughout.

I wanted to get an early start this morning as my jobs today would be outdoors.  I took my morning drive a bit earlier than usual, but was not disappointed...

I saw my favorite moose in Bucky Beaver's Pond.

This bull is probably 5 years old or so.  I'll estimate his weight at 700 pounds.  He has a few years on him, but has a long way to go.  Each year his rack will grow bigger and wider.  No small feat since they shed their antlers every winter and start all over in the spring.

I don't see many bulls that reach their fullest weight and antler growth.  Many hunters are after a trophy and those big guys are a real prize.  Of course I'm always hoping bulls like this live long enough to be truly majestic.

A better view of his rack.

Of course it's all covered in "velvet" now.

The rack will continue to grow and develop...  then in the fall he'll start to scrape off the velvet-like covering...  revealing smooth, shiny antlers.

Breakfast is over...

He pulled his head out of the water...  dribbled all down his chin like a messy child...

waded back out of the pond and headed into the woods.

He was aware that I was around but wasn't concerned or nervous.  I was in my car several hundred feet away...  zoom lens are wonderful!

I still have my game cameras up and I trade out the memory cards each day.  One camera site seems to be the best of the 4 sites...

I have it located on a tree that overlooks what seems to be a major crossing.  All 3 of these shots were snapped within a 24 hour period.  I think it's interesting that all of these critters are crossing in the same direction close on the same path.  I've also picked up fox, coyote, raccoons and groundhog here, but not in this 24 hour time frame.

Well, I started mowing at 5:15 this morning...  my plan was to get a lot done before the rains come.  It's nearly 9:30 now and I've done the Visitor Center and just finished the Maintenance Shop, so it's time to get busy again.

That's All For Today!