Here’s my photography tale…
 
One summer 3 or 4 years ago we found ourselves spending a little more time than usual at our cabin in northern MN.  It was probably because of the flooded primary residence in ND now that I think about it. 

Anyway, we often see interesting wildlife…a “nesting pair” of bald eagles return year after year down the road from us, where there are no cabins, and we often see them fly right over the house.  I learned to recognize their call quite a few years ago, and I look up if I hear it.  Always a good summer to my mind if I see an eagle, or a pileated woodpecker (more rare – only 2  years have I seen them, though in other areas, other lakes, they are more common). Mute swans land on the lake around Thanksgiving as they migrate south. 

Perhaps a wolf ! while driving the highways. Or even occasionally a black bear.  Bears  - far less often than our early years there.  Because of how heavily populated and built up the lake has become I guess.   But 20 years ago, driving to the little store for milk in the early evening my d-i-l and I saw a mother black bear come out of one ditch and head across the road to the other.  I stopped of course…little lake road, no traffic behind…and 1, then 2, oops, 3 little ones came up out of the ditch, traipsing behind her.  We looked at each other, awestruck.  Just then a 4th  cub came up on the road and ran after the rest.
 
I digress.
 
So that summer my hub says, I think I’ll buy a game camera.  Set it up in the yard aiming toward the lake and see if it captures anything overnight and while we’re gone for a few days, etc.

We did get pictures of a pesky dog that made its way through the yard a few times, a raccoon, the neighbors looking for their cat, I guess.  A cat.   The lawn care guy.  Deer.  Cat again.

So when we left for the winter, I said to hubby, shouldn’t we take the camera with us to Arizona…that would be interesting.  I had seen a lynx cross right in front of our small patio one year and yet had never seen the famous javelin that are supposed to be so prevalent.

So we did and that’s when the fun began –set up on the patio, and all at night:  coyote, deer, spotted skunk, rabbit, 2 coatimundi !!  The rabbit lives under a large agave cactus on our property, I believe, and was the probable reason for repeated visits by the coyote.  I always felt some relief when the next day’s shot would show the little rabbit still there, coming over to drink from a potted plant’s drain dish.

Javelina finally. Also they are called peccary.  A little herd of 4 or 5.

Almost every night for the 2 weeks we were there, we got a picture of something. 


 
 
 

This is one of the books.  Attachment

That's a clever title when you realize the story is about an email account.  I think I found this book through the Good Reads Winners list - but from a prior year.

It's light, fun, well written - a sort of rom-com that reminds you of a Meg Ryan movie from the  90's. It's the author's first novel (I think she's a newspaper journalist)  and I hope she does more.

View, unobstructed wrote:

These aren't my shots...don't have the thumb drive here...but this is a javelina.



the babies are called 'reds' 

Oh View...how wonderful to be able to experience these wonderful creatures...I love taking pictures of wildlife and animals in general, but living in a sub-division we don't get a chance to them in their natural habitat....We do see occasional possum, raccoon a family of red fox and now we have a groundhog that has taken up residence in our yard, we have named him Harvey.  We are trying to catch him so we can take him to a place where he can live saftely...I don't want the dogs to get him or him to get the dogs....

 

Miracle Magarita Cake

Simply indescribable....oh, let me try.  Rich, fine textured cake on the bottom.  Something much like flan on top.  It does this to itself!!

[img]http://img.sndimg.com/food/image/upload/w_555,h_416,c_fit,fl_progressive,q_95/v1/img/recipes/19/64/12/picbMLzmq.jpg[/img]

Recipe to follow.

Last edited by View, unobstructed (8/15/2016 3:47 pm)

The Good Reads website has their nominees selected in many categories.  I like to find new books that I might enjoy reading from their lists:




The website and full list is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2016?ref_=pe_2701710_213329640