Ah, the scent of a doe...  Deer rut is in full swing, and we observed a buck chasing around a doe in the neighborhood last Saturday evening.  She didn't look very interested, but we're guessing he's going to be "the one".  About 2 miles away we watched 20 fawns and does cross Mary's Lake road and drink a bit before heading back into the hillside.  What a treat to watch, and we were glad we could direct traffic so that everyone crossed the road safely.

Now that the elk rut is winding down, we're seeing larger elk herds in town.  We're also seeing lots of small bachelor/young bull herds, and they are  feisty.  The rut is over for them, but their testosterone levels are still high.  We came across 8 young bulls last Saturday evening and they were having quite a time playing across our neighbor's fence, chewing their cud, hanging out and even sparring.  Too many pictures, but you get a sense of their mayhem. It was worth the half hour to wait to cross the road! (Click on first image to start a slide show).

After tutoring this afternoon, I went outside to find Andy.  He was in the back yard staring into the garden and quickly motioned, "Shh."  I stopped in my tracks and then whispered what was up.  "A mouse," he said, and I ran inside to get my camera.  Luckily Tiva didn't escape!  For the next 45 minutes we watched a mouse scavenge in our back and front gardens!  What a treat!  Now I just hope he or she stays outside....

Every night just before we head to bed, Andy and I take Tiva for her final evening pee break.  She doesn't like being outside in the dark very much, so we bring some bright flashlights and scan the area for predators.  Saturday night, though, we didn't see a mountain lion or bobcat.  We saw a shrew!  Of course, I first thought it was a mouse but quickly realized it was WAY too small to be a mouse and its nose was distinctly shrew-like.  It tried to run away but seemed to bumble a bit and even rolled around as it scampered across the driveway. I couldn't believe my eyes and SO wished I had a camera with me but followed it into some rocks nearby.  I thought that would be the last time we would see it.  Then, on Sunday afternoon we noticed that it was lying dead in the middle of the drive.  Luckily, no one had run over it, and Andy moved it to its final resting spot.  RIP little shrew.  Thanks for staying still for my pictures!

 I was preparing to tutor this afternoon when I saw a curious little spider milling around my blooming Oncidium Sharry Baby orchid.  It was a shy creature, and it took awhile for it to get used to my camera flash.  What a cutie! Sometimes the best of nature is inside the house!