This & That - November

November began with a show of colors, finally. . . .

But wildlife dominates the theme this month again.  A few years ago one of my sons gave us this sign after we had a bear get into our garbage can--which we no longer leave outside. . . .

Last year I had a near encounter with a bear when I surprised it coming up the boardwalk ramp (seen in photo above) to our deck.  Well, our bear paid us another visit this month!  I was at my desk one evening this month when Gabriel, who was under my desk, suddenly got up and went over to the door to the deck (which is off the room where my computer resides).  He was growling a low growl.  I grabbed my camera this time, turned on the light and there it was just coming into view!  But it turned and headed back down the ramp.  I ran to one of the rooms facing the ramp and caught it in my lens. . . .

A few days after this, about 2 miles away, a woman was mauled pretty badly by a momma bear protecting her 3 cubs.  The authorities killed the bear which had been tagged because she'd been a nuisance in the area before.  Then we heard a report of another bear just down the mountain from us--about 1/4 mile--had gotten into a chicken house.  There were a few casualties--chickens, that is.

Our granddaughter, Olivia (aka Olive) spent two nights with us.  Here she and Granddaddy are making pretzels. . . .

The Take Joy Society get-together was about Italy.  You can read about it HERE. . . .

One day I was in my basement laundry room and glanced up to see this ivy.  I wondered how my garland had gotten up there, but then realized it was the real thing coming in through the window. . . .

I'm not done with my animal stories!  Gabriel and I were out for our daily romp when Gabriel ran up to our splitrail fence to watch the sheep.  I realized they were on the wrong side of their fence, so I took Gabriel back to the house and got Ken to help me herd them home. . . . .

It was more like follow them home.  We first followed them further down the fence line hoping we'd find where they'd gotten out.  We found a new patch on the fence so Ken proceeded to unfasten it so we could herd them through the opening.  I kept them in place.  Once Ken got the fence apart I started moving them toward him, but one broke from the group and headed to the right and the rest followed!  So I followed them all back up to the lane where they started running down the pavement. If I didn't catch up with them they'd run right past the gate at the driveway to our neighbor's property and soon be at the main road. . . .

But the gate was open!  And they just ran through it over to the pasture gate, which was closed.  They must have broken out into the yard and left through the main gate, which the neighbor had probably left open when they drove out.  I closed that gate and left them where they were--huddled together by the pasture gate. . . .

We put the birdfeeder in the window next to my desk.  I only fill it in the morning so that most of the feed is gone by night--I don't want an open invitation to our neighborhood bear. . . .

Poetry loves sitting on my desk watching the birds.  Gabriel got really upset and wanted to see why she was pawing at the window so I put his pillow on my desk so he could have a look, too. . . .

We had our usual Thanksgiving feast.  All our sons, wives and children came--plus our youngest's son's fiancee.  They're planning a wedding for late next year.  My menu. . . .

This is my plate. . . .

I spent the weekend after Thanksgiving decorating the house for  Christmas.  This year Susan Branch's trip to Scotland inspired me to make plaid my theme. . . .

I ended the month taking Poetry to her annual check-up.  She cried the entire way there, the entire time we were there, and the entire trip home.  You can see she is more than a little put out.  She even garnered Gabriel's concern when she started crying as soon as I put her in her crate.  Here she is waiting for the doctor. . . .

She's 9 years old now and doing great!

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Take Joy!