Animals In My Town

I don't often post about animals, as our only pets are fish, but living where I do, you sometimes encounter interesting situations involving wildlife or at least pet dogs. We seem to be the only people in our county that do not own one so you are bound to meet up with a dog or two, when out walking. Like we did the other night ...

Our whole family had walked halfway around "the loop" as we call it, which takes us up to the top of our hill, part way around the top and then back around down toward home. There is one house on a corner that has two scruffy little dogs that always bark a welcome/warning - we don't know which. In this yard is a tether ball pole. I never gave it a second thought until this one particular evening when we saw a man walking a Boston terrier and a corgi. We stopped to talk to a friend of my husband's and by the time we approached this particular yard of barking dogs, the man with the terrier and corgi had gone inside the yard with the terrier. We saw the terrier playing tether ball with one of the barking dogs (I think it was also a Boston terrier). The corgi was tied to the fence outside the yard. I asked the man if this was a "play date". He laughed and said yes. I asked why the corgi wasn't allowed to play and he said that "It likes to hurt things." One of Astoria's finest moments I'm sure. Weird.

About a month ago, on another walk, we encountered a most friendly young adult cat. Too friendly, as it followed us nearly all the way home and wouldn't take no for an answer. It kept running in front of us and sprawling on it's back, hoping for a rub. It's just wouldn't leave us alone for anything. I think this was the same walk where we saw some commotion up in a tree along the street. We looked up and saw a couple of raccoons, looking sheepish (can raccoons look sheepish?) They were a long way from home and were probably arguing about who took a wrong turn (one of them may have been clutching a map).

There are patches of forest all around here where animals reside and a few weeks ago, we spotted what looked like a goat, grazing on a grassy hillside in town. It turned out to be a most unusual deer. It was normal brown color to the shoulders and forelegs. Then it became grayish-white with dark brown spots. We couldn't get near enough to get a good look. Then, last week, I was doing the dishes (as usual) and saw out the kitchen window this same deer with it's mom, grazing in the vacant corner lot across the street. I grabbed the camera and called to the kids. We ran outside and I got some photos that hopefully will turn out. We made sure the deer crossed the street without incident (I felt badly for disrupting their meal!)

So, there's my animal post for the year (I hope). It's got to be more interesting than hearing me yip about Todd's test results - which we won't know until Thursday but that's o.k. It's in God's hands and if we haven't heard by now, it's a good bet that there's nothing to report. And thanks again for your prayers. I have felt your support and appreciate it very much!