This actually has nothing to do with knitting, but it's so weird, I had to blog it. I was hanging out clothes this morning, and it is so beautiful and warm here! I was whistling "Patience" by Guns'n'Roses, which I do all the time, for some reason. And they weren't even all that nice of guys, so a song about Patience by them is especially funny. Anyway, I'm whistling and thinking and pinning, and what should run by me, as close as six feet away, was a big doe. She was absolutely silent, and she wasn't bothering about me at all, but ran right by, up our driveway, paused at the road (clever girl) and went on across to the other part of the State forest. Now, I live out in the country, and we have mountain lions out here (as well as wolves and bears, but I wasn't thinking about them). It occurred to me that, if a doe ran right by a girl whistling G'n'R tunes, maybe she had something to worry about that might concern me, also. So I picked up my laundry basket and backed toward the house. (Nothing bad happened, I'm not trying to build suspense.) I have heard that, once you spot a cougar, you're done for. They are just as silent as that deer, and don't show themselves until they've decided you will be tasty as a snack. (In my case, perhaps brunch) So I came inside, and will give the animals a decent time to figure out what they're about, and go back out later.
I'm sure I have blogged before about the white owl that tried to take off with my puppy when I was out walking him at night. That owl, too, was absolutely silent. His wingspan might have been six feet across. I didn't hear a thing, even as he swooped down, changed his mind and flew away. He ruffled up with fur on my doggie's back, with the force of the wind he was creating, but there was no noise at all. The animal world is so cool! I bet they don't snore when they sleep, or slurp their water, or anything else that draws attention to themselves. If things go belly-up for humans, and we're forced to become nomads again or some such, I have a feeling we will be a very, very tasty part of the food chain. Without our houses/cars/supermarkets, we are seriously unable to take care of ourselves. Me versus a mountain lion? I hope I don't cause him indigestion. I'm nice that way.
When I do go back out in a bit (when this load of laundry finishes running), I believe I'll try singing. That ought to let all the mammals know I'm there.
O.M.G.
1 week ago
9 comments:
Yowza! Thanks for sharing that story.
Gosh! Hanging out the washing is NEVER that exciting 'round here! Perhaps you ought to invest in a dryer (y'know, for safety's sake...). :)
Well, you aren't 100% done for if you spot a cougar. The key is to make yourself look bigger (holding the laundry basket above your head, for example), make a lot of noise and throw stuff at it. I hike in cougar country and have never seen one, but have seen their fresh tracks. That was close enough for me!
Ah Patience was the song my husband and I danced to at our wedding. Man! I didn't realize how long the song was until that day.
While I don't live in the country, we do back up to some woods, so we see all kinds of wildlife, which is always fun. A hawk did make off with a neighbor's puppy once (a tiny Yorkie) so it can be kind of scary, too.
BTW, can you add me to the shawl-along? :-) I'd love to join!
Wow. Thanks for telling that story; I was waiting for a cougar to come strolling across your front yard as you were telling it. Glad that your day didn't get *that* exciting.
Hehe. Sorry, but I can just picture you backing toward the house. Of course, my kids play at their Granny's which is right by your house, so maybe I shouldn't laugh....
I am going to knit the sagittaria shawl! I have been thinking about yarn and color. Of course, I'll get a little bit of a late start, but I am definitely in! :)
Animals are amazing, aren't they? They say that when the tsunami hit in Southeast Asia a few years ago, there where next to no animal casualties. They sensed something was amiss, and headed for the hills.
Phew - glad you're OK though!
Well, that was a potentially scary laundry day. Hopefully the deer was just running by because she couldn't quite figure out the song...
Kathy's right. Try to look big and scary. And don't run. Prey run. Although this is theory. I'm not sure how I'd act in practice. Does prey roll onto the ground in a fetal position crying?
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