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My
fellow canines . . . We have a daily routine at Tara Meadows, well actually
twice a day. Our morning and evening walks followed by barn chores. Sometimes
Rock and Cyndy will split the duties, one will do the barn chores and the other
will have the pleasure of my company on their walk. A couple of weeks ago, after
a fresh snow fall Rock decided to don the snowshoes and off we headed across our
fields. We both love fresh snow. Rock likes to see how many different creatures
have left footprints in the snow and I can romp and frolic in it, make snow
angels and sniff for creatures to play with.
Most of the time I'll recognize the scent of a mouse under the snow and bury my head tying to find it. Other times I'll see the tracks and catch the scent of a rabbit and off I go in that direction to try to find them. One time I surprised a rabbit hiding behind a bush. What Fun! He ran and I chased. That's was until Rock called me back.
Today,
on this walk I was smelling something that I knew was different. I mean I
smelled this before but never this strong and I have never seen the creature
that leaves this scent. That was until today!
I followed my nose over to the old stone wall. When I looked up, there it was, just a few feet away. It looked like the otters that we see from our boat but it was about the size of the red squirrel that visits our bird feeder. And it was snow white with a little black nose. It appeared to be as curious about me as I was about it and for a moment we just stood there looking at each other. Just as I was about to bark hello it disappeared into the stone wall. I love playing hide and seek so up on the wall I went. But he was really good at the game because no matter how hard I looked I couldn't find him.
Rock arrived laughing. He had witnessed my brief encounter and explained that I finally saw the weasel that lives in the old stone wall. It is a very elusive creature and Rock has only seen it a couple of times, one other time in the winter when it is white and once in the late summer when it has it's light brown coat on. Rock says it's good to have around because it hunts small rodents as well as rabbits, chipmunks, frogs, lizards, small snakes, birds, bats, insects and earthworms. Yech!
NNow every time we go by this spot I will know who the scent belongs to and I plan to stop each time to see if they want to come out and play.
Happy daytripping!
Echo invites fellow canines, felines and other feathered or furry friends to have
their humans submit pet photos. If we print your photo, we will send you a $20 gift
certificate from a local pet store.
Email photo, pet name, breed and your mailing address to Echo at gervais@bmts.com.