Open Writing

Living by your wits

That’s the way our furred or feathered neighbors get along in the world. That’s why they are so smart. And they are, you know. “Dumb animals” is a term used by our none-too-smart ancestors to mean “unable to use words.” And it isn’t that accurate. If our forefathers who did the writing and storytelling had picked the brains of their human neighbors who worked most closely with their outdoor associates, they’d have known that many of them are plenty voluble about things that concern them.

In the last 50 years or so, in our part of the world, human cultural practices have been revolutionized. For much of the year, modern cultivation techniques, lethal pesticides and herbicides, elimination of fences and fencerows, and a restricted number of crops, have made farm fields a desert for small animals and birds. Standing or running water, uncontaminated by chemicals, is often hard to find. People like Avie and me, who provide feed, shelter, fairly secure nesting and roosting areas and sometimes water, take up some of the lack. But only at the cost of the wild one’s lack of human contact, and often a loss of fear. Some species have improved and increased because of this, some have virtually disappeared.

Inappropriate loss of fear can be a dangerous, and often fatal mental response.

Critter report

I saw a full-sized opossum at the Critter Café one night last week. I have not been sleeping well because of my right leg, which likes to swell when the air pressure drops. I don’t enjoy it, but it usually quits hurting if I get up and move around. And that gives me a better chance for seeing night-loving animals.

All sorts of animals seem to be waking up now. Feral cats, the little red pine squirrels, chipmunks, and my buddies, the raccoons.

Old Matilda is prominently at the feeder before and after the big coon rush hour times. And one night I saw two large last-years guys waiting sort of patiently out in the dark until she finished her leisurely meal. Other times I’ve seen her with two or three about the same size, all eating at the same feed pan.

Sox and I walked out the back door about midnight one night, into what must have been a neighborhood coyote howl-off. Boone County semi-finals, would be my guess. Never saw any, but they must have been almost in our pockets.

There are many critters who are fairly common, but seldom seen by humans in our area. Flying squirrels, muskrat, mink, several kinds of weasels, ferrets, beaver. Bobcat. Coyote. Deer. Snakes, turtles, frogs. With our weird weather, which might be a sign of things to come, we could have a great deal of shifting. Who knows, maybe humans will leave and be replaced by some other large predator. Grizzly bear? One of the large cats?

Technology to the rescue

For something like three weeks I have had problems with my e-mail. Which can be a big problem. That’s what caused two of my columns to run on Saturday and Monday. I also resulted in our missing several incoming messages, and several others not receiving messages we thought were sent. There is always some good from the bad. I learned quite a bit about how e-mail messages work, or don’t work.

In this case it gradually came to look as if another program I had installed recently might be the culprit. Rare, but possible. The policeman who mistakes all strangers for criminals. Locking them all up, or shooting them on the spot. Or two beneficial drugs interacting with each other to cause big trouble. My info, and my understanding, was pretty vague, but I finally screwed up my courage last night and uninstalled the alleged culprit. I’m not certain, but it looks as if it worked. If so, of course I’ll claim credit for my perspicacity. If not, I’ll blame the rumor-mongers who gave me such bad advice. And you might want to take notes I haven’t mentioned any names here.

That’s the way we professionals do it.