Merry Christmas to You!

I would like to share this Nativity that I found at my Mother's Retirement Community as a remembrance for the reason for this special season of Christmas...

                                   Luke 2:15 -20
15. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass,which the Lord hath made known to us.
16. And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.
17. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.
18. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
19. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
20. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

           Merry Christmas to you and yours from Timber Life!

2 Bucks in 2 Years

I want to congratulate my neighbor Sam Huntrods for being able to bring down two fantastic looking bucks in the last two years.

Sam uses a Remington 870 shotgun with a Nikon Prostaff Shotgun Hunter Scope to zero in on the right shot.

Sam Huntrods December 2010 - 16yrs. old

The 2010 buck was a part of a large hunting group sweep from the timber here at Timber Life during the first Shotgun Season. If memory serves me the group came through between three and four in the afternoon. It was a successful day for most involved.

The second buck in the background belonged to Sam's dad taken out of a family timber south of us.

Sam Huntrods 2012 - 17 yrs. old

This fine looking buck came out of a late afternoon hunt the second day of the first Shotgun Season,December 4th. Sam, was hunting on a smaller scale with his dad and uncle this time around.

Sam shared that he worked at getting the best angle to limit his activity to one shot, because the buck had a harem of six does, he wanted to limit any extra movement and noise so he wouldn't get busted...This time he was closer into the timber for the hunt.

We have had the opportunity to hunt without snow cover this year - cold days, yes, but snow in our location was conspicuously absent .  I appreciate having brown ground . However, other hunters voiced their preference for snow and being able to track their kills better.

My wish for Sam is that he is able to see continued success from year to year with the early start he was able to achieve.

Congratulations Sam!

A Soldier's Silent Night

We have been seeing a draw down of troops from the Middle East...There are still some yet to be called home and even some being sent to relieve others in a zone where you aren't sure of who your allies are from moment to moment.

It is with gratitude to our Troops at home and abroad that I send you Merry Christmas Greetings...

My nephew served with the Iowa National Guard 1-133rd Ironman Battalion in Afghanistan, over the 2010 Christmas Holiday. They returned  July 18th,  for which I would like to Thank God.






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In the New Year we ask that prayers continue to rise up for the safety of those remaining on the field of service and a safe return to family and friends...


                                                Merry Christmas!!!

Housecat or Bobcat?

Some days you just want to get up on a tree stump and holler,please forgive my colloquial term for "Shout" or "Exclaim" with exuberance.The latter do NOT fit my train of thought.

On my trail camera on October 5th, this year I caught the image of what I believe to be the rear half of a feline creature of sorts, during the daylight hours no less. What is vexing me,vexing a term used by a past blog posteress Dana at The Wildwoods Woman when she got disturbed, is that the picture was a one time event and not extremely clear. Low camera batteries were leading to some eradic captures about that time.

My picture has been shown  to a trained Wildlife Biologist and I have shared it with a couple other people. The opinion as to specific feline varies. Others won't go as far as to say it could be a Bobcat, but I will. That possibility exists because one was caught on a trail camera north of our place less than a month ago.

The reason given by most is they feel it could be a feral cat...However, I haven't seen a spot pattern like that on a domestic/feral cat. Another reason they feel it can't be a Bobcat is because of the tail. They can't see a bob tail and it appears more bushy than that of a Bobcat .

My reason for seeing it as a larger animal than a housecat  is the strong design of the rear leg caught in that one camera view.

My Mystery Feline?

One person even told me they thought it looked like a picture of our Miss Kitty...I just smiled and said"you think so eah?", as I shook my head.

Have you caught anything like it on your trail cameras? Does it resemble a domestic/feral cat from your point of view?

Let me hear what you think on the matter.

Are You My Mother?

Miss Kitty the first time I saw her

This past summer, specifically July 27th,as my daughter visiting from North Dakota and I were returning from a visit with her Grandma & and truck driving Uncle in Des Moines...We came across an unusual sight in the drive in front of us,across the field from Timber Life.

The little kitty seemed lost and at the time... keeping company with the big doe standing tall for her own candid moment. As we sat and watched for a while the kitty tried to get the attention of the doe. Did she want to play or was she plying the Dr. Suess story question "Are You My Mother"? I believe this little one was a member of another household and dropped off in the country for one reason or another.

A few days later, on one of the hottest days of the week, the kitty showed up on our deck...Meowing loudly as if to share how hungry she was and needing some help to weather the elements.
 
She didn't even wander into the shade when the heat of the sun came around the house, bearing down oppressively on any creature touched by it's light.

I didn't have any cat food  so I scrambled up some eggs with a little cheese for a couple of days.

Learning a little later that dog food could be a substitute for a short time. That I could do!

Our dog Sadie has been an only pet for 3 and a half years...Now, sharing an owner is still a challenge,but at times they can share the same deck.

Miss Kitty is an outside cat, because we aren't prepared to have an indoor cat, not that she hasn't made an attempt to change that status.

Sadie is a guardian against  feral cats, raccoons, and opossums, wanting to dine on the morsels in kitty's bowl. Sadie sits by the steps ready for a chase if something comes to push Miss Kitty aside.

Slaps without a sting, and clawing at a wood post leaving no shredding,  revealed that she had been declawed.

In spite of lacking her front claws Miss Kitty is a stealthy huntress in her own right. She brought me gifts of her kills shortly after she came. I have become a trusted friend.

Not long after her arrival on one of the many walks in the yard with Sadie, Miss Kitty, joined the outing. Now, when I go to pickup the trail camera card and she gets a late start for the excursion, you can hear a mini-stampede come rustling through the dry leaves of fall until she gets to my location. I wasn't expecting her one day and Sadie was off at a distance, but still within my forward view...Turning to see what was in swift pursuit , I had to laugh, Miss Kitty was in  high speed to become a part of the group.

I haven't had a cat since I was a child, way back when.My choice to put food out was more, or less, "You aren't going to die on my watch", reaction.

Now we have been adopted and Miss Kitty has put on weight, so we will see how long nature will keep us together...