Welcome to the zoo....

As I type this, I can hear an owl outside..... his hooting sounds are so close that I think he's up on our roof.  When we first moved here and heard the owls, I thought it was a very soothing sound, like the cooing of doves. But then I learned how mean and diligent owls can be when they go hunting at night.

I don't know which of the smaller species are preferred by owls, but they will grab onto any small animal that's outside at night.  They swoop down and grab their prey with their talons, and then they fly upwards with their catch and then drop them to the ground... again and again.  Pick up the prey, fly up high, drop it to the ground... repeat.... repeat... repeat... until whatever they have caught is just dead and broken up and way beyond saving for anything but an owl's midnight feast. (They don't tell you all of that in the Disney stories.)

Earlier this evening, we heard a pack of coyotes howling out on the property.... they sounded so close, as if they were right up in the front yard.  Coyotes typically howl at the moon when they've caught some poor animal, as if they're announcing their dinner-time to the world at large.  We used to keep Gatsby outside all night long, but I've been bringing him inside...... he sleeps in the TV room with Sweet Pea, and I think Gatsby appreciates having a good night's sleep without having to keep one eye open for night-time predators.

I'm still not thrilled that we've had to make Mickey an outside cat..... he's out on the property during the day, but I close him up in the garage at night.  Heaven knows I've made it very comfy for him in there... he has an entire work-counter all to himself, with his food and water dishes, plus two pillow-beds, and even an enclosed bed that I fashioned out of a large wicker basket.  He can walk thru the little doorway that goes into the fenced-in chicken coop, and he can look at the stars or get some fresh air... so he has both spaces all to himself during the night.  Mickey seems to be quite content, and not worried at all about his living arrangements.  I'm the one who worries, even though I really do know he's safe and secure in there during the night.  Safe from coyotes and raccoons and bob-cats and cougars..... but if a snake wanted to get into the garage (or the coop) I would imagine it would find a way into either place.  I just try not to think about that too much.

At the party last night, we were talking about the night-time wildlife here.  Bob-cats and cougars.... the cougars have longer tails and are much bigger than the bob-cats.  Then we have foxes..... which we've seen right in and around our barn.  And the coyotes, which everyone has seen and heard on their properties.  Everyone has deer on their property, and about the only bad thing you can say about the deer is that they'll eat every delicate leaf and plant in your garden.

Welcome to the zoo.... welcome to our country world.  And today, all day long, was so beautiful and quiet.... you could hear the wings on the barn swallows as they flew from tree to tree....... there wasn't much of a breeze today and it was just so quiet and serene outside.  But as soon as day turns to dark, all the predators come out to play.