Oh... DEER!

Paddling out to BBQ cove

A Kingfisher squaks at us for disturbing him (but he wasn't nearly as obnoxious as the cranky Great Blue Herons!)

   Joni and I went kayaking out at Hillsdale Lake yet again, and yet again we'd planned to stop at Hillsdale Bank BBQ to get takeout on the way there. Big burnt end sandwiches on incredible homemade wheat buns! SO GOOD. We arrived at the put-in and paddled over to the cove that we have deemed "BBQ Cove" to enjoy our dinner.

(photo coming)

   We were sitting in the middle of the cove, smacking our lips and talking, when all of a sudden we heard a noise that was too big to be a fish or a bird. We looked up to see twin fawns approaching the water... right in front of us! It had been over 100 degrees all day, and they were very thirsty. They drank for a long time.

   Suddenly their watchful, high-stepping mother came down silently to check on them, and to herd them off to safety.

   Such an amazing experience to see them so at ease in their natural environment!

Enjoying "dinner and a show"

   On top of this, it was just a beautiful night to be out, as the breeze cooled us off and the heat slowly subsided. There were very few boats on the water, and we were the only kayaks, so we had the place to ourselves... other than the wildlife. Perfect!

Dogs and Bison and Elk, Oh My!

Posted photos from Fleming Park, October 2011

Muir Woods Hike

Lunch at the cafe inside the park: organic tomato soup & a "Marin Melt" (grilled cheese full of locally-made cheeses like cheddar and soft, creamy goat cheese.) FANTASTIC!

We hiked for a few miles, around Ocean View and Fern Creek trails, with a few add-ons

The wildflowers were spectacular!

The main event, however, were the explosion of trillium

Everything has a life of its own—this stump looks just like a bull's head to me. Very "Princess Mononoke-ish"!

And the banana slugs are cool, too! (We saw two.)

Dwarfed by the trees

Great Horned Owl

   I was following Joni on the way home from the hike, and she unexpectedly pulled over, telling me that she thought she had seen a owl on the side of the road. So we turned back and pulled safely over to the side of Highway 45, got out and crossed the street. From a distance I could see the telltale "horns" sticking up from the dead grasses. The owl flopped around, flailing its wings clumsily and tried to escape. The poor thing. As Joni noted, its wing bent the wrong direction—a serious, compound fracture. I took these photos from my lousy Blackberry-cam, which struggles in low light:

And Joni got this one with her camera:

   The owl glared at us as we stood there and marveled at its stunning, barred feathers, fuzzy "horns" and clear, brilliant eyes. It blinked slowly and softly, and I couldn't get over how much it looked like a cat—it really reminded me of Atom! Its talons were surprisingly large for the size of the bird, and looked fuzzy. Joni said these guys are called "the tiger of the sky" due to their ferocity. It was quieter now; perhaps because it realized we weren't there to eat it. The larger question was, were we there to rescue it?

   We debated for a few minutes. We'd have to safely catch it and get it into Joni's dog crate, keep it alive overnight, then deliver it to OWL (Operation Wildlife) tomorrow. Would it even make it that long? One eye now opened wider than the other, and the owl's life seemed to be draining away.

   Ultimately it was Joni's realization that convinced us to leave it where it was, so that nature could take its course. It would probably be eaten by a coyote. But the alternative—due to the severely broken wing—would be a life in captivity, at best. And that didn't seem to suit this noble, beautiful, and thoroughly wild creature. It wasn't an easy decision, given the extent to which both Joni and I are animal lovers. But it was the right one.

   I followed her home, and we both independently enjoyed the quiet contemplation of the harsh reality of nature, accompanied by a strikingly gorgeous sunset.

Snake Charmers

    Aki finds the snake, and is simultaneously curious, excited, and slightly freaked out.

     The dogs very VERY curious and I kept snakey at a safe distance so they wouldn't hurt it. Note to self: be very careful on fall hikes when poisonous snakes may be present. These dogs have less sense than I do!!!  ;)

Blue Springs Elk

   Not to be outdone by the friendly buffalo, a herd of young elk crowded the fence to snatch some carrots from a group of kids who came to see them.

Ready for my close-up:

Tired of being bullied by the young females, he gives up:

The rest of the flock:

 The Shibas pick another fight, with a 500-700 lb. animal:

Uh-oh... we'd better get out of here!

   On the way home, a female white-tailed deer crossed the road right in front of us, and we passed a pasture full of cattle. So Sawako & I got to see a lot of Missouri wildlife today!