“The worst thing about being a tourist is having other tourists recognize you as a tourist.”
Earlier, during my deck, coffee and paper time, there was a lovely breeze, but it has since disappeared. The sun is bright and warm, but every now and then it hides behind an errant cloud. The Weather Channel has sent an alert that the Cape should expect rain with thunder and lightning between 4 and 8. I’m hoping it happens. We could use a little rain, and I love the thunder and lightning.
No mice to report today. I thought I heard one in the eaves in my bedroom around 4 this morning so I sneaked over to get a peek. If it had been a mouse, it would have scurried away and I could have heard it; instead, it was Maddie having an early breakfast. The cats’ dish, a Red Sox dish, wobbles a bit on the uneven wood floor in the eaves, and that’s what I heard. I gave Maddie another can of food and went back to sleep.
We never saw critters when I was a kid. We saw mostly grasshoppers and butterflies, tadpoles and frogs. The woods below our house weren’t dense enough for deer, and I don’t even remember seeing a skunk lumbering its way across the field. I remember smelling a skunk but not seeing one. Cows grazed at the dairy on the edge of town, and we had a zoo which was as close as we got to any critters. On vacation I remember the seals in Maine and a deer or two in fields as we drove by in the car. We always yelled with excitement when we saw a deer and even a cow got a shout. Around here, I have seen deer sprint across the road by my house. The woods go a long way on both sides of the road, and that’s why the deer cross the road, in case you were wondering. Years ago there used to be a deer hunting season here but not any more. Coyotes roam, and I’ve seen them often, usually in the early morning or at night. Foxes are plentiful here on the Cape and wild turkeys have made a comeback. There are also fishers, but I have never seen one or, if I have, I didn’t know what it was.
My yard has been invaded by raccoons, possums, skunks and one coyote who used to use the yard as a short cut, but since the six foot fence was put in, I haven’t seen any animals except the spawns of Satan.
States have official symbols including birds, desserts and even fish. I figure Cape Cod should have no less. The official vermin will be the above mentioned squirrel; the official bird will be the seagull and the official nuisance will be the tourist.
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August 2, 2011 at 12:05 pm
We´ve had much the same weather over here today. But now more and more clouds are filling the sky. I´ve seen showers falling from some of the clouds even though all weather forecasts said there were no risk of rain today 🙂 🙂 🙂 I wouldn´t mind some thunder though.
Gothenburg has always had lots of big green areas, even forests even in the city so wild animals was something we saw quite often. Now days it seems there are more wild life in the big cities than we have here in the country side 🙂 It is as if they all know its much harder to hunt them in a city full with people 🙂 🙂
Have a great day!
Christer.
August 2, 2011 at 6:16 pm
Christer,
The skies started to get darker with the afternoon, and now it
is raining, not much but still raining.
Every now and then a moose finds its way into some part of Boston. This summer, though, it was a black bear. It was around several times. They figured it was a young one which would move off in time.
August 2, 2011 at 12:46 pm
today will be day 17 of temperatures of 90 degrees or hotter and that will tie the record for the most consecutive days at 90 or above set back in 1901. How i dream of rain!!! We stayed at the wigwam hotel in Cave City Ky back in 2008. here is a link http://www.wigwamvillage.com/, always wanted to as a child so glad my kids got the chance!
August 2, 2011 at 6:18 pm
splendid,
I’d be right where I am-in my air-conditioned house with a cold lemonade and a good book. We complain when it is in the 80’s so i can’t imagine that heat wave.
How cool you and your kids both got to stay there. What a neat stop-over. Beats the heck out of Motel 6.
August 2, 2011 at 4:09 pm
Our official but necessary nuisance are “Snow Birds”. I think they all arrive in November from your neighborhood. We grew up with critters, chip monks galore which would drive our cats crazy; squirrels which required feeding and everyone took their turn; a Basset Hound who wasn’t worth his salt and if we didn’t have a fireplace would have choked. To get that dog off his ass to do anything was a chore. But he loved to grumble, my Dad’s way of him letting us know he was still alive. Deer also ran down the trail mostly heading to the safe reservation during hunting season. But they can move fast and in herds. Even the fawns kept pace. We sat out in the cold watching them with our coffee in hand. Those were the days. Love your Cape selections, glad you didn’t choose mice.
August 2, 2011 at 6:22 pm
Z&Me,
I could easily have chosen the mouse. As my brother used to say, “Anyone living on Cape Cod who says he has no mice in his house is a liar.”
Those tourists do keep down our taxes so I guess there are some benefits. I only have one friend and his wife who go down to Florida in the winter. The rest of us are heartier folk who’d rather stay here and grumble about the cold!
I have one rabbit who sits on the front lawn in front of the house and drives the dog crazy. It just sits while Gracie jumps on the screen and growls. A chipmunk too is around the deck. They always seem to scurry.
August 2, 2011 at 8:26 pm
Hi Kat,
Love your choices for official Cape animals. Around here it would probably be the spawns of Satan as well.
I’ve got the possums and skunks but haven’t seen many raccoons or woodchucks this summer. Perhaps the coyotes took care of them. Haven’t seen any deer this year, either. There is one resident rabbit that I see on the lawn every morning. This summer we have a resident female fox and her cubs. I saw her for the first time this morning.
We saw critters all the time when I was a kid. Down back we had muskrats, wood rats, chipmunks and mice. The usual frogs and toads were there as well. Pheasants hung out there in the winter along with Black ducks and once winter there was a flock of Snow Geese. There were a few people around me that kept horses on their property and once in a while one would get loose and end up in my back yard. No horses anymore. Now we are too urban. No pheasants or snow geese either but the other critters abound.
Have a great evening.
August 2, 2011 at 10:40 pm
It’s that Red Sox sweatshirt …
Cheers
August 2, 2011 at 11:11 pm
Minicapt,
Never! Never!