Sometimes it seems the wildlife around here is a little -too-in-your-face. This photo is of a crow that was dancing around on our skylight above the bed. Tip-tapping and pecking at the glass. Kind of freaky actually…not to mention how I had to wear a big hat to leave our front door for that entire day while the parent crows freaked out and swooped at my head because their helpless baby was flopping around on the front step. Sheesh.

Then there was the bear this morning…Karen & I were out doing our hill stomp walk when she spotted a big bear ambling around up on Ridgeview.  He/She(?) paused and took a good long gander and sniff in our general direction. I thought we were quite prudent to reroute ourselves…quickly.

I realize our chickens aren’t wildlife, but they do have rather intensely beady eyes and who knows what could happen if they turned evil? The way they attack the leftover cobs of corn can give me shivers. What if they mistake my bare toes for niblets? It could all go so wrong…

The blue stellar jay hasn’t been around for a week or so, miffed apparently, that we’ve been away and failed in handing out the peanuts-in-the-shell that we set out on the deck rail whenever she would hop up and give us the demanding stink eye.

All in all, it’s a jungle out there. Our garbage can lid is poked full of bear claw holes and when they’re not mauling it, the raccoons are busily knocking it over and creating havoc.

Meanwhile, the sea lions lay on their backs with one massive flipper in the air, like they’re hanging on a salt-water chaise lounge, while they bark and snork and generally carry on like they own the ocean.

There is one wildlife note of redemption in all this…we now have a resident dove in the ‘hood. It’s a rather strange coincidence as I just recently mentioned to the Stupids, that I loved the sounds of a dove because I always associate it with traveling.

I’ve heard that sound outside windows in Paris, in a riad in Morocco, outside a dodgy hotel in Delhi…and I always connect it with being ‘Somewhere Else’.

And now we have one doing the coo-coo in our own back yard. Does this mean I never have to travel again?