October 10
Doco and I are back at the ranch. We arrived after dark and woke up to this our first morning. Mountains, lake, October colours, and no smoke! How lucky we are.
October 12
A short story, with no photos, but sequels ...
Mouse adventures last night. Three "Better Mouse Traps" set. Mousetrap#1 went off soon and was left to be dealt with in the morning. Just into bed when mousetrap #2 went off, but, unusually, caught the mouse by only a foot (I figured). After some minutes of hearing it scuttle about the floor, I decided morning was a long way off, climbed into the necessary clothes, and went below to free it - outside. BUT … come morning, there was more scuttling of mousetrap across the floor. Up, dressed, and down, to find a least weasel(!) dragging mousetrap#1 (with dead mouse) at high speed along the walls, from one hiding place to another - I guess looking for a quiet spot to have its breakfast. It eventually got under the telephone bureau and that was the last we heard. Doco and I have plans to haul out the bureau and look for a weasel-plus-mousetrap-sized hole ...
Sequel #1. Next day we hauled out the bureau and found … NO hole, NO mousetrap. So … ?
Sequel #2. Then, Doco was napping upstairs and again heard the mousetrap being rattled around downstairs. Weasel back for the remains of its mouse meal? By the time I came in, all was quiet and has been ever since (3 days).
So, what's going on? Doco says a least weasel can get into the house anywhere a mouse can (they're tiny, long, low and tawny - sort of like a Corgi mouse with a long tail), but probably can't get out pulling a mousetrap. And then, if we do find a hole, what to do about it? Diana suggests that maybe the weasel is performing cat duties when we're not here and we should encourage it? I suspect we'll remain none-the-wiser and the ranch house interior wildlife will do whatever … ???
Sequel #3. October 20. No action for several nights. A couple of mice caught, but no weasel. Then last night, nothing heard, but when I came to light the cookstove in the morning, there was one mouse in a trap - quite dead. I decided a little harping could fit before dealing with it. As I was tuning, I heard a suspicious rattle from the stove direction. But the mouse was dead?? Investigating, I saw that the trap had moved a bit and then - whisk! - a tail tip, a flick of undulating body, and a peep of head under the tile wall behind the cookstove. The least weasel! Having learned one lesson, I snatched the mouse-trap-with-mouse before he did. Back to my harp. Moments later, the weasel appeared under the settle beside me, poked his head around my basket of harp music, then vanished. Seems we shall leave the mouse population in good hands when we go.
October 14
Water works. Frank Barnes, with help from Mick, has got the ranch irrigation system mostly figured out and working! He retrieved about 650 feet of aluminum irrigation pipe - not used here for some decades I think - and found the sprinkler fittings. Sunday morning, he and Mick set up about 300 feet of aluminum pipe in the field by the hay barn (the field containing the yellow transparent tree), attached 14 sprinkler units to the one "new" valve furthest north, and set them all to sprinkle. Quite a sight1 Two weeks ago, Norbert had harrowed this field and planted alfalfa and timothy. First steps in bringing the field back to life.
Lots else going on that day too:
- Chris' assorted chickens enjoying bits of rotten pear. New stock from eggs of Morgen's - black ones and white-and-grey ones.
- same chickens wallowing in the dirt disturbed by my digging in the "raspberry jungle". They surround me as I chop out old canes and wimpy new ones and dig out massive grassy weeds. I guess they're hoping for bugs and occasional berries. Chris has very friendly chickens (at least to gardeners).
- Julia tackling the strawberry bed - also a jungle in need of taming, but very productive. Still occasional berries. Yum.
- Doco and Norbert at work in the squirrel barn wood-working shop, assembling components for a workbench from massive birch boards made-to-order by Norbert in his mill behind the barn (second photo).
- and, in time for a roast-wiener supper, a giant bonfire. One of the great treats of being here in burning season. Different smoke than what enveloped us for some weeks in the summer!
October 15
Freed from the ancient lilac boughs by Rayan and Doco on burning day, Douglas and Candy's english chestnut has become a tree! It's the same age as the willow (and Thomson), but has had to survive eatings by goats (Milky Way), deer, elk ...
Just at dusk the small black bear made his second appearance between the gate posts. I yelled at him before thinking I might like to take his picture, so he's already on his way. Next time ...
October 16
A walk to and around the Bosun Lake with Kay and 3-month-old Lanka, a sweet mix of Blue-Heeler and King Charles spaniel and ??? Her longest walk, with a short snooze at the half-way point.
