Things are pretty calm out here in the woods. The cougar hasn't been patrolling and the foxes have pretty much moved on. We are still waiting to hear about our new windows and our trip to the city. The PM is getting a little frustrated as their vacation is coming up and the wee lad's grass allergy is getting into full swing. That means a huge clean up of the house once the windows are installed as pollen will be everywhere. She had hoped that it would be finished by now.

I have to say I am getting a little more used to being in my harness. I move a little easier and I don't do the knee/elbow/belly walk all the time. The PM takes Shade and I for a walk a day. She is talking about building an enclosure next summer. All I have to say is that it better be huge!!!

Here are some pics of me checking out some new additions to the side garden.

We heard it was National Box Day and had to get a post up. We didn't have much time so we decided to show Shade's favorite box of all time. It was the box the PM made up for her by the woodstove. She pretty much spent the whole winter in it as we had just got Banshee and Shade was a tad annoyed with the whole ordeal.

I tried to share it with her once but that didn't go over very well.

Our blog vacation seems like it was a waste as our windows aren't in yet and we didn't have to hit the bright lights of the big city. The PM thought we'd blog a little while while we are waiting.

The foxes are still around but the kits are big enough to be with parents, hunting. They seem to drop by everyday but are not in the dens anymore.

We haven't made it outside to roam and no amount of protest turds right outside the litterbox seem to help.

Shade and I have been out on the harness with the bodyguards. It's not that bad but we are pretending it is horrid, ignoring the PM when she attempts get us to pose for the camera.









I am afraid that the prospect of running in the wilds isn't looking too good after the events of this weekend. The PM and the wee ones were getting ready to head outside when they heard mom and pop fox barking furiously. They give warning barks once in awhile but these were continuous barks from both of them. The PM figured another fox had come onto the property or a runaway dog. She walked up to the field and saw the foxes barking, looking towards the barn outback and their second den. The PM looked over and couldn't see a thing. She told them to relax and go check on their kits. They barely acknowledged her presence and she was about 15 feet away from them.

She picked up a shovel and walked towards the barn, thinking she would have to chase a porcupine away. Nothing was there so she started walking down our side driveway heading back towards to house. She looked at the back of the small hills where the fox den is and saw one kit running into the den. She left a small twinge of fear that maybe a bear was on the other side.

She looked around the first hill and saw a light brown, sandy coloured animal in the field. Her first thought was it was a coyote as she has seen them around before and they were of a similar colour. She clapped her hands and yelled "Git!" and the creature turned to look at her. She realized then that it was a cat, a really, really big cat. It happened so fast, her brain was trying to figure if it was a bobcat or a lynx as she has seen both of them before but this cat was bigger then they were. The cat started walking into the woods and that was when she saw it's long curving tail. She knew at that instant that she was looking at a cougar.

Since her shovel doesn't take photos, here's one we found online.



The PM is still in shock over the whole ordeal. She talked to one of our neighbours who is a naturalist at a National Park near here said that a couple of park wardens have seen one. He says it makes sense as his horse was really spooked this past week, not wanting to go into the back pasture.

The Eastern Cougar is somewhat of a myth in this part of Canada. There has been about 1000 sightings in the Maritimes but hardly any concrete evidence; no photos from this province. The official stance is that they do not exist even though many of the biologists believe there are small breeding pockets this far East. The PM called the Department of Natural Resources and she was shocked with how rude they were. She felt like she had told them that she saw Bigfoot. They were pretty condescending. She wishes she would have had her camera, that would have been proof. They can't be deemed an endangered species as they technically aren't here. One of the people at the DNR said she just wishes someone would shoot one. What???? These are the people who are in charge of the welfare of wildlife in this country?

The PM is kind of sad about the whole affair but she feels so special to have had a glimpse of such a spectacular animal. The foxes started barking like crazy a couple of nights later from 930 to 330 in the morning. The Music Man went out this time but couldn't spot anything as it was getting dark. I kept patrolling the windows in hopes of a sighting too! I thought maybe I could go out looking for it, give it a high paw for being such a survivor, so true to it's feline nature but I was not allowed. The PM explained to me that the cougar is normally very shy and stays away from people but there has been recent attacks out West and a hungry cougar has been known to eat just about anything, including other felines!

Best be on look out from inside. I think our trip to the city will actually be relaxing after this week!!!

I have to say I am a little perturbed. We just had a very long break from blogging and now I am told we have to take another. Can't these people get everything done at once?? Apparently our new windows are in and and a bunch of things need to be done before they come to put them in plus do some crawlspace renos.

Then I find out we, yes we cats, are going to live in the city while all the work gets done. WHAT??? I never OK'd that plan!

This should be interesting.

The PM is also very stressed out with the fox situation. First we thought they were just stopping by but now we know they actually have a den in the berm. We thought there was a Mom and two kits, now we know there is a BIG Dad too and four kits not two! The Dad has been catching some big birds and the PM is worried about rotting carcasses. She wants them to move along into the deep woods ASAP!! She loves watching them but she doesn't want them living beside us permanently. She's worried about the wee ones while they are out and she doesn't let them stray too far from her side. That has slowed down all the planting and weeding that should be happening now. The PM thinks they will have to go with a small veggie patch this year.

I am losing valuable napping time keeping my eye on all the fox activity.

The kits are getting braver, wanting to play on the grass in the middle of the yard!

Big, cautious Daddy hangs back in the bushes watching carefully.

Mom hangs out by herself in the field, washing and napping while Dad is on guard.



The wee ones and the MM also have a horrid cold. We cats are just going to have some naps and enjoy the sun, inside!



I hope this all passes soon and we'll be back in a couple of weeks!!

On Monday, the PM went outside to hang some washing when she met the fox crossing the yard. The fox looked at the PM and trotted into the berm. The PM thought she heard some different sounds and went to take a closer look.

There in the berm were two fox kits, running among the overgrown bushes, jumping and rolling. She then saw the mother fox run out to the field. The PM watched from inside and saw the fox come back with a mouse. It seems like she is using the berm in our front yard as a little daycare, leaving the kits safely there while she hunts for their meals. She was there again in the evening and the following morning.

When the mama fox takes a break, she likes to stand by the bank facing our front windows in the morning sun.

This is the shot from our window.



The PM zoomed in to get a closer look, sorry for the fuzziness.










I sit on the ledge and watch the wild ones frolic. She looks at me and I look at her and purr.

Yes, my nose is looking pretty good. The nasty scab came off in one big piece and the hair seems to be growing back in parts. The PM assumes I will have a scar though.