Let's Take a Break From Christmas...

...and take a walk.

About 3 days ago Bella and I headed down over the ridge to the creek bottoms to wander around a bit.  

We hiked across the hay field over to check on Fluffy; who is still hanging out on the fence post.  I find it incredible that the jaw is still just hanging on the wire.  It has been there closing in on 9 years now.
 

The moss, lichen and rodents are really taking their toll on her.  That dead limb washed up there beside the post is a great perch for squirrels or rats to reach the jaw to gnaw on it. It's hard to tell in this photo, but the white edge is where the bone has been gnawed down.

Here is a shot that shows a comparison of how much has been gnawed away:


The closest part isn't as easily accessible, so it hasn't been gnawed down.


After we left Fluffy we wandered back up along the creek bed in the trees.  I love this group of sycamores.  They must have grown up from a stump many years ago.


The two on the right are actually fused together.

Pretty cool.  Here they are below from a different angle.  Not quite as picturesque; but the skyline was pretty.

We left the trees and wandered on.  But one thing I noticed in our walk; Bella stuck pretty close to me.  Now, usually she does stay fairly well in range, unless there is squirrel activity; then she loses her head and goes way off chasing them from tree to tree. She'll see one, chase it til it holes up, then she will see another and take off after it.  She always comes back, but it's annoying when I am ready to leave.

Anyway.  She stayed pretty close this time, not wandering far off.  And a way up the trail we came across this:

 


 


 

I didn't get a super close up picture so it's hard to see the fur very well, but obviously it was a kill of some sort.  I thought maybe a possum or something, and someone else on Facebook said it looked like a deer.  But there wasn't any blood or bones or anything of the like of a large carcass scattered around.  Bella gave it a good smelling over, and I am sure she knew exactly what happened there and who it was, but she's not telling.  

Then we came back up the ridge to home.  And my butt and legs have been sore for the past 3 days from all that hiking up and down that hill.  I know, I know; the best remedy for that is to hike it several times a week.  Bella would love that.



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