A Day Late

some of our guests last autumn, checking out a bear tree

I haven't posted here for a while. Not because there was nothing to post. Far far from it.

One usually expects that it becomes quiet after Labour Day, what with school and work starting up again, but this year we've been really busy. Which is good.

We've welcomed guests here from Spain, Germany and England.  Our Spanish guests came for a walk with Nancy, hoping to find a tree with bear claw marks on it.  We found one, about half way up the mountain trail.  "Look," Nancy said, "you can see where the bear has clawed his way up the tree." She matched her hand to the bear's paw to illustrate, since language was a bit of a barrier.  Earlier, she had explained how the beech tree bark will take any mark and keep it forever. We'd found a tree with a lightning strike scar, for example.  So here we were, fitting fingers to bear claws as the bear climbed up and around the trunk.  To where someone had carved a name on the tree.

"Ah," said the guests, "Yes, we see. The bear is called TONY."

 We have clever bears...

We welcomed back the Old Salts Canoe Club, who were here in force. What a wonderful crew they are, too!  Monday they asked Nancy to come out and see if she could get the Wolf Pack to answer. It was overcast, so no stars, but dampened and undaunted we talked about the Owls, hooted a bit. Talked about the wolves. Tried a howl.  All was silent in that department. On the Port Cunnington hill, however, a fisher started screeching.  Not a sound I like to hear...  I always worry about the cat.

They asked to go out the following night, when it was clear, to look at Stars, so out we went again.  This time, I had to interrupt the Star Show because the Wolf Pack wouldn't STOP howling. They gave us a fabulous serenade. Not just once. Not twice, but on four separate occasions, with the main pack being answered by lone voices farther off.  Then the owls fired up, with two barred owls hooting back and forth to each other.  It was nothing to do with me, but I seemed to get some street cred out of it anyway.

We have clever wolves and owls, too.

We welcomed back Syl, who is like the Pied Piper when he travels about with his wheelchair, followed not only by the chickens, but by chipmunks and deer. He posted some great pictures on his FB page, but I haven't been able to figure out how to copy the videos. If I do, I'll bring them over here.

For the first week, the stable was hopping too. Marianne brought her husband Barry here for a week's getaway, but she also brought her little roan horse, Rusty for some remedial lessons. Every day we were up at the stable working with him, and with her, and wow, what progress they made!  While Barry was at the cottage cooking up a storm with veggies fresh from our garden, Marianne was finding her centre again with her horse.

So that was the week -- wolf howls, loon calls, owl hoots, fisher screeches, deer galore and brilliant stars. Guests off to ride the S.S. Bigwin, paddle the Park, hike our trails, bake apple pies with our apples, gather eggs from our hens, and so much more.

Whew... I think I need a vacation!