Saturday’s Solitude #15.

Posted on August 7, 2021 by

70 Comments

Good morning to all of you on this beautiful Saturday! The sun is shining, but it is cool and windy and…what happened to the sun? As I look up the blue sky has disappeared and either clouds or smoke has come to block the sun once more. That happened fast. Though I admit, I wasn’t watching the sky, it was nice blue sky just a few minutes ago. Now it’s cloudy everywhere I look. And it feels even cooler now too, though the temp hasn’t changed, but the sun is no longer shining on me. Time to retreat back indoors. That sun sure makes a difference. It has been cooler here for the last couple of weeks, all because the smoke had blocked the sun from giving us it’s summer warmth.

Part of the river path, looking downhill.

So instead of being in the high 80s (F), it was in the mid to high 70s (F). As of last night there are 124 forest fires burning here, 102 are not under control, 22 are under control or being held. Because of the cooler temps and higher humidity, the fires are not spreading much, so that’s a good thing. Apparently it is smoke that has now blocked the sun from shining here once again. I was hoping for a sunny day and perhaps a walk to the river again. I haven’t been to the river for 13 days now. I miss that solitude, sitting on the bench overlooking the river. Listening to the birds chirping and flying all around. Squirrels scampering around looking for the pine cones they have just finished cutting down, or perhaps in the process of cutting them down from those tall pines.

They must get quite a view from up there, a hundred feet or more above the ground. Some of those trees are well past the hundred foot height. There’s those squirrels, hanging upside down at the end of a branch, swaying in the breeze, beginning to gather their winter supply of food. Then of course there’s the dragonflies and butterflies, plus other insects, just waiting to be photographed. And all those beautiful wildflowers…well, okay, there’s not many wildflowers left, they all dried out already. But there is the families of ducks, geese and pelicans on the river as well. And the loons, their calls echoing down the river. Now we’re talking solitude.

Looking at the river through the pines.

Speaking of bears, Thursday evening at about 9:45 I heard a noise on the deck, it was a large black bear. But it didn’t stay long, just looked around and left again, so that’s okay. At about 10pm I hear a crash and Muffin runs to the window. She sees something, but I don’t. Even when I went to feed the gulls in the morning I still didn’t notice anything. But a little later I’m on the deck, the chickadees show up and I put some seeds out for them. That’s when I noticed. The bear had pushed over the apple tree to get at all those delicious apples.

It’s not a huge tree, about 15 feet tall, but it did have a lot of apples, which that bear wanted. The bear came back last night at 9:30pm to finish what it had left the night before. It seemed to be really enjoying himself/herself, just laying there munching on those nice big apples. There didn’t seem to be any apples left this morning, but I certainly wasn’t going down there to check. The birds liked that tree in the winter, it was close to the feeder. Oh well. The chipmunks are chipping, so it’s time to feed them again. I hope each of you has a wonderful weekend and God bless!

Steve and Muffin.

©2021 Steve McLeod.

Category: Beauty, Black Bear, Country Pleasures, Fun, Happiness, Nature, Photos, Positive, River, Summer, Uncategorized, WalkingTags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

70 Comments on “Saturday’s Solitude #15.”

  2. I guess you can’t be blamed for the bear wanting to take apples off of your tree. Hopefully he’ll find somewhere else to go now that there are no apples left…

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  3. Those would have been good pics of the bear munching on the apples ! Glad you remained in the house ! And I am sure Muffin is happy too !.Sleep safely ! 😴😼🐻🍎🍎🍎

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    • Well, it was kind of dark at the time, so no way I would go out there. If it had been during the day I would have tried for a picture. Have a good night!😁🌙😴📷🐻🙀

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  4. Bears 🐻 seem to love your area 😮😳

    I do not have bears … up the Mountain more there are bears – but not where I am … Instead during fall and winter … and into spring – I have coyotes 🐺

    They are loud and just scream all over the place 🤨 at like 2am 🤨🙄

    During day is fine… not much to attack you lol … however we also have rattle snakes 🐍 in the summer so they are a thing that is scary 😳😮

    I just have memories of cotton mouth snakes from Florida – they would attack – is a python type.

    So snakes make me really nervous lol

    Snakes 🐍 …and spiders 🕷 …and bears 🐻… oh my!! Lol

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    • I wish our bears were somewhere else too,🙄🐻 they make it hard to get out and enjoy the summer.🌞😎🌳 But really it’s just close to town where they are bad. They come looking for food all the time. Further from town you hardly see any.
      Yep, we have coyotes too,🐺 but not as many now, mange killed off a lot of them and our foxes.🦊 But both are making a come back now, especially the foxes, which is fine.😀😺
      Our snakes are safe, no poison.🐍 I have laid down right beside them to get pictures.📷😁 Nice and friendly. I wouldn’t like having poisonous snakes around.
      Something for everyone I guess!😁🐻🐺🦊🐍🦝🐉

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      • In Maine … I was staying with my brother one time (he now lives in Texas) but I was visiting him in Maine…

        It was foggy 🌫 and eerie looking night … I had his German shepherd on a leash outside with me before bed…

        When all of the sudden there is this SCREAM like is a woman being murdered 😮 omg and it was foggy and I’m in a deep dark forest 😮😮😮

        Just like screaming – I had to pull the dog inside and get my brother to help me lol …

        He said it was a red Fox or something

        I don’t have foxes around the area I am in – or if I do, they do not be noticed.

        We occasionally will have a lone mountain Lion 🦁 once in a blue moon – lost his way or food or something? That’s always a big deal lol

        We also have bobcats but they don’t bother with you and are more afraid of you.

        The bobcats I have seen have been small, like a housecat (little bigger) but sleeker and big ears with little hair whips on them lol

        Very cute – but you still stay away.

        We have skunks 🦨..

        …and opossums lol 🙄… they are funny with how they are 😄😄❤️ they remind me of something but I can not think of what?

        We have deer 🦌 galore!! Omg … a lot of babies around this year!!

        Some of the older ones are not afraid and will be right there when I come home and just stand there and watch me go to my door lol 🙄😄

        I have tons of rabbits 🐇 and Jack rabbits – maybe some hybrids of the 2? Because some look like a mix of the 2 ? But I can’t tell

        One rabbit has taken liking to me lol … he meets me at my door most mornings and then comes up to my car with me lol

        His color on his body is brown… but he has the cutest looking bum 😄😄 it has this little tiny white cottonball tail and when he sits it disappears 😄😄 he makes me laugh so much ❤️ he is soooo adorable ❤️

        He’s not even afraid of me at all – I think I have been adopted or something?

        I don’t feed him or anything, he just likes to do that every morning lol 🤷‍♀️ for like a month or 2 now … at first I thought was fluke but he does every morning lol ❤️

        I have a friend 😄😄✌️❤️

        I believe he is Jack Rabbit because of his ears – super mega long lol

        He must be baby or something – because he (or she) is on the small side.

        He’s always by himself and waits for me on my porch in mornings lol … as soon as he sees me …he knows I be walking to car …so he just comes with me – it’s sooo funny 😄❤️

        As soon as I get in the car – he goes into the strawberry patch lol 😄❤️ he keeps schedule too 😄😄 like clockwork

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