I now have my very own moose picture, and I didn't even have to go to town to take it.
Well, I was on my way to town, but the moose pictured above was outside the city limits.
Those town folk think they're pretty cool because they can simply sit in the comfort of their living rooms and take pictures through the windows of moose eating their shrubs or taking a nap in their front yards.
We haven't seen a moose out here in the country for quite a while.
We know that they exist because about a month ago we saw a set of moose tracks going through the woods.
The tracks were headed south, toward town.
Seems like there has definitely been a flipflop of lifestyles in the wild critter world.
Town squirrels have come in droves to live in the country, and moose have moved to the city.
Maybe both species have found their respective new environments more amenable to their general comfort.
Another habitat phenomenon about "critters where they don't belong" came up last week when a few of us Sandpoint long timers noted on Facebook that we couldn't remember seeing big flocks of geese at the City Beach when we were growing up.
What dawned on me was that this population influx could be occurring because their habitat has been diminished by so many housing projects.
Unlike the geese, I think the moose actually like housing projects because along with each development comes landscaping adorned with tasty shrubs and plowed roads.
Easy peasy moose environment.
Why trudge through snow 12 feet deep in the mountains searching for edibles when you can get around town, have all the sustenance you want and enjoy easy living to go along with it?
It also baffles me why there hasn't been a continued effort to remove the moose from town like we've seen with the City Beach geese. After all, moose do poop wherever they want, just like geese.
Possibly moose poop marbles are much more forgiving on the shoes than squishy green goose poop.
As for squirrels, I can confidently report that I have never in my life spotted squirrel droppings.
Maybe I have but just didn't know it.
I honestly don't know why the squirrels have moved to the country. Maybe it's cuz they reproduce like rabbits and just need more territory.
All that said, yesterday I saw the moose above contentedly relaxing alongside a road at the base of a mountain.
So, it was nice to see that they do still hang out in the country.
Later, I drove to a residence, still in the country, where the deer below and its friends were hanging out all around the house.
These are very friendly deer too and NOSY.
While the resident and I were visiting on the deck, I felt the presence of something.
I turned my head to see a sneaky deer peeking around the corner of the house eavesdropping on our conversation. When our eyes met, the deer quickly vanished from its peeping perch.
As we walked around outside at this residence, the deer remained fairly close by, keeping track of our every move.
I could say a lot about deer and their unwelcome pilfering habits, but I'll save that for another day--probably during gardening season.
For now, I'll just keep enjoying my town squirrels' antics at the bird feeders.
My friend Cherry posted the item below on her Facebook wall.
As someone said on a radio program, what's next on the list of inflated items?
Somebody else said bananas.
Thursday Throwbacks . . . . more snatches from the photo library, including a little color for another gray day.
Once again, Sandpoint High grad Luke Mayville on the left, will be fighting for Idaho citizens to support and enact statewide Initiatives.
This week, the Idaho State Legislature has come up with a proposal to provide obstacles to the Initiative process.
Dear supporters of Reclaim Idaho,
Earlier
this morning, Idaho Senator Doug Okuniewicz proposed a constitutional
amendment that would make it virtually impossible for Idaho citizens to
put initiatives on the ballot.
Senator Doug Okuniewicz
The
senator's proposal brings back an idea that Republican legislators have
been attempting to impose on us for the past several years. The
proposal would require citizens to collect signatures
from 6% of registered voters in all 35 of Idaho’s legislative
districts, up from the 18 districts that are currently required.
Let's
be clear: This proposal is an assault on the rights of every Idaho
citizen. It's an attempt to give Idaho the most restrictive
signature-gathering rules in the nation and to guarantee that no
grassroots initiative ever happens again.
We've
been here before. In 2021, after Republicans in the Legislature rammed
through an anti-initiatives bill with the exact same 35-district rule,
we at Reclaim Idaho filed a lawsuit asking the Idaho Supreme Court to
restore our rights. In a landmark decision, the court described the
anti-initiatives law as a form of tyranny and struck it down. The
citizen initiative process, the court declared, is a fundamental right of the people of Idaho.
Legislators know
that if they enact another anti-initiatives law, it will be struck down
by the court. So instead, they're going straight for the jugular:
They're attempting to amend the Idaho Constitution and eliminate one of
our fundamental rights.
In
order for a constitutional amendment to pass in Idaho, it must first
win the support of a full two-thirds of both the Idaho House and the
Idaho Senate. Then, the amendment must appear on the ballot and win the
support of a majority of Idaho voters.
It's
a steep hill to climb. But today makes one thing clear: Power-hungry
legislators will stop at nothing in their quest to take our rights away.
We
won't let it happen. We'll be monitoring this proposal closely in the
days ahead, and we stand ready to take any actions necessary to defend
our rights.
As
we work to defeat this proposal and also to beat back threats to the
Medicaid Expansion program and to our public education system, we need
your support. If you're able, please click here and chip in $5 or more today.
Stay tuned and stay vigilant, and let's keep working to protect our schools, our healthcare, and our constitutional rights.
Thank you,
Luke Mayville
Co-Founder, Reclaim Idaho
Photos of the Festival taken in 2018 when Bill and I attended a bluegrass concert featuring Greensky.
Yesterday The Festival at Sandpoint announced its first concert for the 2023 lineup.
Yes, I've heard of REO Speedwagon, which is scheduled for Aug. 4, but apparently haven't followed or recognized their music. So, I looked on YouTube and listened to a few songs.
I liked the father-daughter duet so will leave you with it.
About the geese not being a presence at the City Beach when we were growing up: Unbelievable as it may seem today, Canada Geese were on the verge of extinction in the late fifties and early sixties. I'm not sure, but they may have been the victims of the same issue as the Bald Eagles--DDT. Canada Geese were early occupants of the Endangered Species List, and DDT was banned. Both Eagles and Geese seem to have benefitted. As for the urban Moose, they seem to be part of a pattern. As you may remember from our childhood, the sighting of a deer was an event. When one saw a deer, it was reason to call to others to share in the observation. We and others, in order to see deer, would often drive to the wilderness in order to catch a glimpse of a deer or two. Today, if one wants to see deer, one goes to town--that's where the deer are. Moose have made the same discovery...as have coyotes...and, here where we live in Washington state, bear are following suit...and cougars may not be far behind. Our wildlife have discovered our human penchant for waste, and they have adapted.
2 comments:
About the geese not being a presence at the City Beach when we were growing up: Unbelievable as it may seem today, Canada Geese were on the verge of extinction in the late fifties and early sixties. I'm not sure, but they may have been the victims of the same issue as the Bald Eagles--DDT. Canada Geese were early occupants of the Endangered Species List, and DDT was banned. Both Eagles and Geese seem to have benefitted.
As for the urban Moose, they seem to be part of a pattern. As you may remember from our childhood, the sighting of a deer was an event. When one saw a deer, it was reason to call to others to share in the observation. We and others, in order to see deer, would often drive to the wilderness in order to catch a glimpse of a deer or two. Today, if one wants to see deer, one goes to town--that's where the deer are. Moose have made the same discovery...as have coyotes...and, here where we live in Washington state, bear are following suit...and cougars may not be far behind. Our wildlife have discovered our human penchant for waste, and they have adapted.
very informative and impressive article. Thanks for sharing with us
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