Not really crazy so much as rural life. We also live in Massachusetts, but closer to NH. We're about 20 minutes from Lowell. Anyhoo, about a year ago, we had a bobcat decide that our yard was THE place to be. We don't have any fences, so there was nothing keeping it there except a meal. We had a groundhog family that had a burrow about 15 feet from the house. We loved watching them from our kitchen window. You can imagine my surprise when I looked out early one Saturday morning while rinsing dishes to see a bobcat laying out behind the burrow mound. We tried everything to get it to leave our yard (after we took copious pictures of course). It wouldn't budge. We tried opening garage doors. My hubby tried going out with a giant stick. (Men) It went into the woods for that one but came right back and laid down again, I'm sure shaking it's head like "Whatever, dude!" The groundhog was staying securely in its home. Until it stupidly decided to see if the coast was clear. It was NOT. The bobcat finally moved - to grab the poor groundhog and run off into the woods. We breathed a sign of relief. We haven't seen any ground hogs or bobcats yet this year.
Another rural life story. My son was minding his own business walking down the street and got attacked by turkeys. Don't know if he got too close to some hens and the tom got mad or if he was between a hen and her chicks, but the turkey flew at his head and scared the bo-jangles out of him. I think he was like 8. He's 14 and 6" 2 and still afraid of turkeys. Poor kiddo!
Oh my goodness, a bobcat! Our next door neighbor swears he saw one in their yard about 4 years ago. Our neighbor 2 houses over saw bear scat in his yard. We have fisher cats and foxes in the woods, too, which means fencing in an area for our 14-lb dog that has fencing covering the TOP of the area, so our poor doggo doesn't become prey.
The last thing Walter wants is to meet any one of those! We also have fischers, bear, foxes, coyotes, deer, hawks, porcupines, skunks, the whole gambit of New England wild life here in our yard. A bunch we haven't seen, only heard. My husband's work is about 5 miles from us and they've caught moose on their security cameras. Granted, his worksite is an entire hill, so the wildlife loves it. They just avoid the scientists and all the big metal thingies pointed at the sky. (He works at MIT Haystack Observatory)
Oh Julia! I adore this story! Clark is a hoot! I’m just glad mama turkey made it back to her babies! But I love where your mind went! That’s what makes you the greatest author! Precious story! ❤️
This happened just this morning; my husband and I live in Cabbagetown in downtown Toronto. We were out for coffee at an independent coffee shop and had snagged a prime patio spot in the shade. He had just sat returned to the patio, set my americano black on the bistro table and after my first sip I placed the cup on the table. A largish creature ran along the front of the building to stop under my husband's seat. It was the ugliest possum ( I thought those fuckers were nocturnal) so I, and several other patrons squeeled, maybe screamed ( other patrons, obviously not me) and I quickly pulled my feet up onto my seat coincidentally knocking the table and spilling my coffee. Now Dan and I just returned from ten days in Europe two days ago (Vienna- city of coffee, Trieste- city of Illy coffee, and Venice- city of glorious cappuccinos and food) so he scowls at me and says, "What...too spoiled by European brews to drink the neighborhood stuff any more?" He shifted his chair to escape coffee running toward him across the rable and set the possum running away across the patio to another chorus of squeals (really screams) and patrons jumping up on their seats. "Whar?" says my blissfully ignorant spouse until our patio neighbor explained to Dan a possum had been under his chair.. Dan scowled at me again because obviously it was all my fault.
Not really crazy so much as rural life. We also live in Massachusetts, but closer to NH. We're about 20 minutes from Lowell. Anyhoo, about a year ago, we had a bobcat decide that our yard was THE place to be. We don't have any fences, so there was nothing keeping it there except a meal. We had a groundhog family that had a burrow about 15 feet from the house. We loved watching them from our kitchen window. You can imagine my surprise when I looked out early one Saturday morning while rinsing dishes to see a bobcat laying out behind the burrow mound. We tried everything to get it to leave our yard (after we took copious pictures of course). It wouldn't budge. We tried opening garage doors. My hubby tried going out with a giant stick. (Men) It went into the woods for that one but came right back and laid down again, I'm sure shaking it's head like "Whatever, dude!" The groundhog was staying securely in its home. Until it stupidly decided to see if the coast was clear. It was NOT. The bobcat finally moved - to grab the poor groundhog and run off into the woods. We breathed a sign of relief. We haven't seen any ground hogs or bobcats yet this year.
Another rural life story. My son was minding his own business walking down the street and got attacked by turkeys. Don't know if he got too close to some hens and the tom got mad or if he was between a hen and her chicks, but the turkey flew at his head and scared the bo-jangles out of him. I think he was like 8. He's 14 and 6" 2 and still afraid of turkeys. Poor kiddo!
Oh my goodness, a bobcat! Our next door neighbor swears he saw one in their yard about 4 years ago. Our neighbor 2 houses over saw bear scat in his yard. We have fisher cats and foxes in the woods, too, which means fencing in an area for our 14-lb dog that has fencing covering the TOP of the area, so our poor doggo doesn't become prey.
The last thing Walter wants is to meet any one of those! We also have fischers, bear, foxes, coyotes, deer, hawks, porcupines, skunks, the whole gambit of New England wild life here in our yard. A bunch we haven't seen, only heard. My husband's work is about 5 miles from us and they've caught moose on their security cameras. Granted, his worksite is an entire hill, so the wildlife loves it. They just avoid the scientists and all the big metal thingies pointed at the sky. (He works at MIT Haystack Observatory)
Oh Julia! I adore this story! Clark is a hoot! I’m just glad mama turkey made it back to her babies! But I love where your mind went! That’s what makes you the greatest author! Precious story! ❤️
This happened just this morning; my husband and I live in Cabbagetown in downtown Toronto. We were out for coffee at an independent coffee shop and had snagged a prime patio spot in the shade. He had just sat returned to the patio, set my americano black on the bistro table and after my first sip I placed the cup on the table. A largish creature ran along the front of the building to stop under my husband's seat. It was the ugliest possum ( I thought those fuckers were nocturnal) so I, and several other patrons squeeled, maybe screamed ( other patrons, obviously not me) and I quickly pulled my feet up onto my seat coincidentally knocking the table and spilling my coffee. Now Dan and I just returned from ten days in Europe two days ago (Vienna- city of coffee, Trieste- city of Illy coffee, and Venice- city of glorious cappuccinos and food) so he scowls at me and says, "What...too spoiled by European brews to drink the neighborhood stuff any more?" He shifted his chair to escape coffee running toward him across the rable and set the possum running away across the patio to another chorus of squeals (really screams) and patrons jumping up on their seats. "Whar?" says my blissfully ignorant spouse until our patio neighbor explained to Dan a possum had been under his chair.. Dan scowled at me again because obviously it was all my fault.