Like A Large Rotund Squash

All day I have been perfecting my veggie impressions. First I tried my impression of a Spaghetti squash by sitting on the couch in my yellow nightgown.

Yes this is the right colour and the right shape... I'm quite like this actually.

Then I tried perfecting my veggie impressions by sitting on the couch in my green top and black pants and I thought I did a good impression of a Butternut squash.

Yes this too resembles the way I looked today.

Then at supper time after I had put the pork chops in the oven, Teapot cooked the veggies and I thought I did a very good impression of a Turban squash since, Teapot delivered my dinner to me on a plate while I was vegging on the couch like a sheik. I intend at some point this evening to try my hand at resembling a gold nugget squash... (maybe I will win the latest 649)! Basically what I am trying to say is that I have passed this day in complete laziness.  After such a day, words such as "large" and "rotund" and "squash" are very applicable.  I did nothing... at least nothing useful. However, having said that, I can also say that it is not my fault.  I was squaring up for my first fire in the fireplace out on the deck today. It was lovely... blue sky.... sun, sun, sun.... but I went out through the door and basically turned around again since the frickin' temperature, which was supposed to be -4, was more like -14! I had a look at the thermometre and it was reading -10! What the hell is this business of -10 at the end of February. Like... we haven't had that kind of cold for weeks. I'm totally boycotting winter! Where the hell are the spring-like conditions of only two days ago. It would appear that I have no choice in the matter... it is either poop blossoms or freeze your buns off. Darn it all. I had been looking forward to a chance to enjoy the deck. But I guess I was jumping the gun by a month. : ( Still, with the sun shining on me as I sat on the couch, the veggie impressions were quite authentic!

Teapot went for a walk today and walked about 10 kms. He headed off into our wonderful forest that borders our property. At first he wasn't sure where he would go... he wanted a ramble and so the direction he took was a wandering one. He walked the deer paths keeping the dogs close to him. And after coming upon a moose nibbling greenery off the tips of some alder bushes,

he decided that maybe he should go in a different direction. There is a ridge of hills that goes along the back of the subdivision where we live. (I say subdivision with my tongue in my cheek since our "subdivision" is a group of acreages off the main highway leading into town.) Anyway Teapot finally decided to head up over the hills to see what he could see... which is the point of any ramble through the bush. As he was getting to the top of the hill, the dogs' interests were taken by something behind and below them in a scattering of bushes, which meant that Teapot was out in the front. That's when he came face to face with a wolf. It was sitting ahead of him, on the path which he was on,

and when it caught the sound of the dogs behing Teapot it took off in rapid style... Teapot in his wise mind turned around and headed back down the hill the way he came.

Over the years Teapot has had several face to face interactions with wolves. At one time he was walking along on a hunting trip and a whole pack of wolves surrounded him as he was walking... they never touched him, they just kept going and he stood there with his gun in his arms... but that was a long time ago. Today's wolf experience was not as dramatic... with just one that obviously wanted nothing to do with him, Teapot felt safe... he said he would have gone over to check out the tracks of the wolf but he was afraid that the dogs would get a whiff and take off after the wolf. That's the last thing we need.

In all the years of living here I have never heard of a wolf being so close to our home. I have to wonder if that is why the coyotes have been so active and close to our house. Usually the wolves and coyotes won't stay in the same hunting area because they hunt the same food though wolves generally go after larger game while coyotes tend to be satisfied with voles and mice a squirrels as well as deer.  I do know that there have been brought into our region last spring..., thanks to our ever knowing wildlife officers,... some 15 cougars.   They might be pushing the wolves closer to town. (Take note: "idiots" and "wildlife officers" are synonymous because they do stupid things like bring cougars into a northern region to cull the numbers on Vancouver Island forgetting that "northern region" and "remote region" are not synonymous!)

All winter there have been nights when the doggies sit in the pen outside and bark far more than they should... (we usually let them in before they annoy the neighbours)... Knowing that there are wolves that close to our home makes me wonder if sometimes the dogs are not barking because they sense a wolf close by. Maybe the wolf is thinking about the moose... who knows...

I love wolves. I think they are awesome... and having said that I also know a few of my neighbours would be displeased to hear my confessions of liking wolves.  There have been horrible stories in our region of hunters on snow mobiles driving wolves across the ice till the wolves can run no more and then they shoot them or run them down.... it is too terrible to think of.  Wolves are generally cautious and will not attack unless they are desperate and have more than one with them... and most importantly, you are alone. If there is more than one and the "food" is not easy pickin' they still will not attack generally. As for hunting wildlife that people want, I say too F#*^#$in' bad... they were here first and as far as I'm concerned we can go to the grocery store when they can't... so it really burns my balls (no I don't have any but it burns them all the same) when wolves are treated so badly. Same thing with coyotes. I have lived here in the wilds of the north for 15 years... in a house that is on the edge of their territory (and make no mistake... it is their territory)... I have only lost two chickens to coyotes and nothing else... I have never had wolves take my animals... that's because I have good fencing and a really good chicken coop. The only reason I lost the two chickens is that one was too stupid to go in the house at night and went under it instead... and the other was taken when it was free ranging in the middle of the daylight. Actually I've had more trouble with foxes and bears than coyotes or wolves. They have a right to the wilderness just as any animal does so I get kind of frosted when I know that people treat them so badly.

Teapot's wolf... the one he saw today... is in the middle of ranch territory and he will find it hard to survive the prejudice that many ranchers bear wolves... so I wish him well.... and I wish him well away from here where he can live a long and natural life with no threat to it.

And as for me... I'm no threat... no threat to wolves... no threat to coyotes.... no threat to foxes, bears or cougars... I'm not a threat to the dogs... or to Teapot... (though sometimes he says I am)... no I'm no threat at all 'cause I'm just a large rotund squash sitting on the couch... vegging on a Sunday afternoon.

I think I will go try out my gold nugget squash impression... hmm.. better check those 649 numbers...