As April
slowly drifts off to meld within the mist of memory ....
.... not too long
ago, photographs of a mountain lion feasting on a dead buck in the middle of
the night were featured here. Today, we have a photograph of a bobcat on a mid-afternoon
stroll taken by the same inexpensive trail camera about ten feet from where the
mountain lion posed with the deer.
From Wikipedia:
Bobcats range from Canada to Mexico. They prefer rabbits and hares, but will
hunt insects, chickens, geese and other birds, small rodents and deer. Prey
selection depends on location and habitat, season and abundance. Like most
cats, the bobcat is territorial and largely solitary. An adult stands about 12
to 24 inches at the shoulders. Adult males range in weight from 14 to 40
pounds, with an average of 21 pounds. There are unverified reports of them
reaching 60 pounds. Females average around 15 pounds.
One dictionary
definition of a neighbor is a person, place or thing located near another. I guess
that makes Lonnie Lion and Bobby Bobcat (or should that be Lori Lion and Bonnie
Bobcat) sort of my neighbors. Both photographs were taken about forty yards
away from the house in which I formerly was a fulltime resident and one in
which my son now lives and I am a periodic accomplice.
For obvious
reasons, we shall hope that the paths of these two "kitty kats" never cross ....
Just for fun, we
have three videos here. The first is Piano Concerto No 1, B Flat Minor, Op 23,
by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The second is "Alone at Last," a song
written by Johnny Lehmann and performed by Jackie Wilson. Notice any
similarity? I think it falls under the category of imitation being the
sincerest form of flattery -- or something like that. For those unfamiliar with the players in this game, Tchaikovsky's piece came nearly a century before "alone."
The third is the
Rolling Stones performing "Love in Vain," in 1972 somewhere in Texas. The guitar solo work is by Mick Taylor, whose face first
appears about 2:51 and who many would argue is among the best -- if not the
actual best -- guitar player ever to set foot on a stage. To each, his/her own ....
16 comments:
Wildlife is always beautiful to witness, though I don't always enjoy seeing the "circle of life" in action. We send our dogs around the house to try and catch the squirrels raiding our bird feeders, knowing most times it's futile. I actually witnessed one make the catch the other day and I'll admit it was a bit of a shock. (for me AND the squirrel) But.... it made for one happy dog and one less thief on my feeder.
I enjoyed the music. There are only just so many ways notes can be put together to form music, so it's inevitable there will be similarities.
I dag likte jeg Tchaikovsky - Piano Concerto No 1, B Flat Minor, Op 23 open best ,selv om jeg mener den er litt dramatisk for meg i dag!
Alt til sin tid.De to andre musikklåtene er også bra men som sagt alt til sin tid
Likte veldig godt den Gaupen!Det står i wikipedia at den heter RødGaupe!
Fantastisk at dere fikk bilde av den!
Ville du ikke likt å bo der?Jeg syns det måtte ha vært fantastisk!
Artigt å se slike sjeldne dyr!
Håper alt bra med deg og dine!
Jeg arbeider og har hatt en travel natt med å identifisere Coronasmitte og sende personelle i karantene
Vi snakkest har fri til helgen :)
Anita
Sorry, dette ble på norsk men er for trett til å" snakke" engelsken hih hih
Pss.Vi fikk hilsen av Trump i dag.!Han roser oss for våres måte og takle pandemien på, men må le stakkers Trump!!Han er så fortvilet at han vil ta alle midler i bruk inkludert å sette en injeksjon med sprit for å bli kvitt Corona hah hah
On one occasion while deer hunting during a heavy snow in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, I watched two baby bobcats from about thirty yards distance playing like kittens or puppies in a clear-cut segment of woodland. I assumed the mother was also watching them. She eventually came out of the tree line and shooed them back into it. My sentiments about wildlife have changed to the degree that I quit hunting altogether, but I was questioning why we hunt while I still was doing it.
I virtually have stopped watching wildlife shows on television. I have seen enough ....
My puppy kid loves to chase squirrels, and he probably would catch one if it were not for plenty of trees. I will not let him chase rabbits since bunnies cannot climb trees ....
What you say about musical notes is absolutely true, but there have been actual lawsuits by one band against another for supposedly stealing portions of songs. Led Zeppelin, for instance, has been accused and sued for plagiarism a number of times. I also have read of musicians playing notes in ways that never have been heard before -- whatever that means.
While I enjoy some of the music by the Stones, I am not a particular fan. I ran across Mick Taylor separate from them, saw that he had played with them (once upon a time) and has done so on occasions since the time he was a regular. Curiosity caught me. I learned of his reputation as a guitar player and went on from there. He quit the band because of drug use by members. As I once said, something strikes my fancy and leads me to something else. I think Taylor is superb with a guitar, but not among my top ten.
Thank you, for coming and for writing a comment, Kelly. Summer is here for me, directly from winter, with no stop for spring. Take care / be safe / stay out of mischief ....
I very much enjoy the music of Tchaikovsky, but cast my musical net broadly so I seldom listen to him alone. I seem to bounce all over the place in many ways, including with my taste of the moment in music: Today I am listening to bands and singers from Norway and Brazil, tomorrow it will be those from the USA and Finland -- or from somewhere else, and on and on ....
My nature is such that I am never comfortable living in a city, especially in a metropolitan area such as the one I find myself in now. My son and I do talk about me building a separate house on the Dakota land and moving back there, but we question how long we would get along as a father and a son who are both grown men. I wonder if there might be more stress and stain than there often is between a man and a woman. It is a point of discussion, though, so who knows?
I heard the governor of Minnesota has extended most of the "social distancing" rules until May 18. Some businesses are suing the governor saying such directives are unconstitutional. Interesting .... I am anxious to learn the results.
I ordered pizza tonight. I was asked how I wanted it delivered in a "no contact" manner. I told them though the garage door and put it on the trunk of the car, so they did it. It tasted just as good that way and I did not have to answer the door for idle chit-chat, so I just might keep doing it that way ....
All is well and fine for me, Anita. I hope it is for you, as well.
Thank you, for coming and for writing a comment for me, Anita -- vær trygg, vær glad og ikke la noen eller noe gjøre deg redd ....
It's always interesting to learn something about wildlife I didn't know before. The Bobcats are interesting animals.
A few years ago we had a sing in our local park that warned us to be careful during early morning hours because the mountain lions came from mountains and hanged around in our park. I was a little bit scared about those animals but was told that I am too big for them to attack me.
Just looking at your photograph of this Bobcat makes me feel so uncomfortable. I would certainly didn't want to meet him.
It's interesting selection of music, Fram. Jackie Wilson I listened for the first time. And once upon a time the song " Love in Vain" was my favorite.
Greetings from Utah.
There will be an occasional report of a mountain lion attacking a person, but I cannot recall ever hearing of a bobcat challenging anyone. A mountain lion generally is around twice the size of a bobcat, which, presumably, is the primary reason such is the case.
I rarely have seen a bobcat, and when I have it either has been running away from me as fast as it is able or thinks it is fully hidden and cannot be seen -- or, once in the case of young ones, been too inexperienced to have an acute sense of potential danger.
I like Jackie Wilson and think he had a fine voice, and I particularly like him singing this song.
The Rolling Stones never have been at the top of my list of favored bands, but I have seen them twice and was planning to this year until their tour was postponed. I do like some of the band's songs, for instance, "Gimme Shelter," especially the version with Lisa Fischer. I saw her live and alone here a year or two or so ago. "Lady Jane" and "Ruby Tuesday" are two more I really enjoy.
From now on, I will think of Kaya when I hear "Love in Vain" ....
Thank you, Kaya, for coming and for writing a comment for me. Take care / be safe / be happy ....
Cor, I haven't heard that Stones song in years! :-) Thanks.
Greetings from London.
When there is a band which has recorded more than 400 songs over a span of nearly sixty years, it is not surprising that there might be intervals of decades between hearing some of them and, actually, I would be willing to bet there are some songs by the Stones I never have heard and probably never will ....
Thank you, CiL, for coming and for writing a comment for me .... I wish you good health and good fortune in all your endeavors ....
Hi, Fram.
Your bobcat looks very strong. I would not like to meet her alone on the trail. My daughter and I went hiking...breaking the rules...but how beautiful nature is when no people are around to disturb her. The humans leave and the animals come close to our homes. One good development of the quarantine is that it has given, I believe, most of us, a greater appreciation of our freedoms and greater understanding of how slowing down and silencing our minds and souls for a bit is a very good thing for the human spirit. This is what I believe.
You are probably more likely to be eaten by a bobcat than catching coronavirus. I'm happy for you that you are in your safe place near your bunker...at least that is what my imagination believes. You are ever mysterious so I do not really know for sure.
I think I have shared my favorite pianist with you before, Yiruma. He is Korean born and his work is that of angels...so beautiful...so perfect. His song River Flows in You is my favorite. This is the link to a video of his song. Hope it works. I have not blogged in such a long time that I have forgotten much.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7maJOI3QMu0
A woman named Melloe created lyrics for his song which are beautiful.
"There's a road inside your heart made just for you
Don't be scared, take your first step and then take two
Pain will come but I believe you can endure
Further down that road, just trust a little more
Holding you, holding you, it's in you river flows in you
Slow it down, slow it down, that river flows inside me too
Holding you, holding you, it's in you river flows in you
Waiting now, waiting now, just be strong, you will make it through
If you let me, I will give my heart to you
So that I can feel you, what else can I do?
Can you hold on just a little longer still?
In your heart if you believe it then you will"
My favorite album of Yiurma is called "First Love." If you listen, you may love it too.
My kids are doing very well, very happy and healthy and living well.
I am safe and well too.
On the Rolling Stones, I do enjoy them and have many, many fond memories from my youth of their concerts and their songs. Love in Vain is a sad one...I know we have all felt those emotions at some time in our lives. Those are the hard things but taking the chance to find love and experience the joy that comes with it is worth the risk. One must be brave to truly find our path, our river...the road we are meant to travel.
Stay well and safe, Fram. It is always nice to visit your blog. I'm glad you are still writing and still here after all these years.
xo
Kelly, The Mermaid from California ;-)
You are beautiful, Kelly ....
The first thing I did when I finished reading your note was play your song. It truly is marvelous. As one person commented there: The song has one problem .... it ends.
I remember you very well and you are always hovering in my mind. You are one of the "ifs" of my life and I often wonder where we would be had you said yes to the riverboat cruise. No sense dwelling on it now, but I still wonder ....
There is no bunker here, but one still exists in Dakota. The thought has crossed my mind that I could place a cairn of stones atop it and use it for a burial vault. Who knows? I have done goofier things.
When I think of you, I think of swimming. I think of you in a pool and of myself in the Pacific, reliving some of the swims I had off Coronado and San Clemente Island in the Marine Corps. I have said before and say once again, had I known then what I do now about Great White Sharks, I would not have been nearly so nonchalant about being in the water. I recall a Great White got someone a few years ago in the same waters I was in off La Jolla. The right or wrong place at the right or wrong time are so crucial to life and death.
In terms of the pandemic, I do worry about my family members, spread out as they are, but my life is virtually unchanged in any other way. I still come and go as I please, which is inconsiderate .... but, I do try to follow recommended safety precautions. My life has been "winding down." It has been a couple of years since I have been out of the country, and people do not seem to notice where I am or where I have been anyway, so it really does not make much difference what is going on in the world in terms of my personal presence.
The greatest "blessing" of the pandemic is considerably less noise. There are interstate highways to the east and the west of me which normally carry extensive traffic both day and night. Now, especially at night, there often will be near-absolute silence. I love it ....
My progeny and his millionaire Los Angeles girlfriend are waiting out the coronavirus storm in one of her family's multi-million-dollar homes -- this one in the California desert. She dyed his hair blue. My reaction was to say it is amazing what people will do in the name of love.
I wish you would not be so much of a stranger, Kelly. Maybe start to blog again? Show up here a bit more often? I will look for the Yiurma album "First Love."
I will wrap this up for now. Kelly, who says she is "safe and well," make sure you stay that way. I think the seriousness of this pandemic is being under estimated and that it would be wiser to do without concerts and athletic contests and fairs and eating out at restaurants for a while longer than to relax the rules and risk greater contagion. I trust prayers will be emerging from your lips, too ....
Later, Mermaid ....
Bobcat is completely like a lynx living here.
It is a great feeling to encounter a wild animal.
As long as there is no danger.
I like Tchaikovsky's strength
but a delicate and beautiful melody. Energetic.
For some reason, Jackie Wilson and the Rollings Stones refused to present to me. ;) (Videos restricted.)
Safe week for you!
Hello again, Fram.
Thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you enjoyed Yiruma. He truly is marvelous. I have yet to meet anyone that has not responded with overwhelming appreciation of his talents. I love his work and I love the names of his songs. I believe First Love was written for his wife, his muse, his love...how beautiful.
I too have so loved the silence. I wake in the morning and it is quiet. I hear birds and silence; no cars, no sirens, no city. I love it.
As for your progeny, I died my hair with hints of pink about a year ago...like Cindy Lauper's hair on the commercial. I loved it for about a week and I enjoyed the experiment. It's interesting how people treat you differently with different colored hair. I colored mine not for love, but just because I could. It lasted for one fun week of adventure and then I went back to blonde. For love, you just may have blue progeny for quite some time! Perhaps you will give a new color a try, maybe purple ;-)
Take care, stay well, stay happy, Fram! <3
I did a quick check and learned there are four variations of the lynx -- apparently split between North America, Europe and Asia -- and all are part of the Felidae family. I am not sure if that makes them cousins or what, but it is fascinating. The only times I have encountered adult bobcat (or once, possibly, a Canadian lynx), they either "high tailed" it or thought they were hidden well enough not to be seen.
There are occasions when I try to play a YouTube song and the message, "not available in your country" (or words to that effect) will appear. I never have been curious enough to try to learn why that is the case, and it does surprise me. Music is often referred to as a "universal language," and why some of it should be blocked from one country to another is puzzling and confusing.
Thank you, Liplatus, for coming and for commenting. I wish you good health and good fortune on every step during your walk through life ....
Your rapid return surprises me, Kelly, and makes me happy ....
Yes, I very much enjoyed the music of Yiruma. I had meant it to be a surprise, but since you are here I will mention that I plan to use "River Flows in You" with one of my posts, probably for Memorial Day, but, maybe, sooner. We shall see. I hope you will keep that in mind. By the way, I have "First Love" playing the background as I write this .... beautiful song ....
As for hair -- your hair and my hair -- and the "proposition of influencing its color," I have done it a few times, but in a more traditional sense. Curiosity drove me to dye it black once upon a time. My reaction upon seeing it was to head for a barber shop and have it chopped off. I also have tried variations of blonde a few times since I was blonde when I was young and sun and swimming usually kept it becoming increasingly lighter and lighter as summers progressed -- only to darken when cold wind blew again and snow returned. Never blue; never pink .... never/never/never ....
That said, I did like Cindy's hair with a bit of pink .... I like her, period ....
And, this is the land of the Minnesota Vikings and Prince and purple is a very popular color ....
Yes, I can remember treating people differently when they changed their hair color -- in one instance, blonde went to orange ....
By the way, ever wonder how the band Deep Purple got its name?
On that note, I will say take care and good night, Kelly .... thank you, for your return visit .... sleep well and sweet dreams and stay out of mischief and see you later ....
This means that the jungle cat's territory is included with your son's house ... only 40 meters.
I imagine being able to see wild animals roaming freely.
Does a jungle cat often attack humans like a tiger?
The first time I saw a tiger was in a zoo. I was a boy and I was flabbergasted by its huge size. Sizes for both the bobcat (lynx) and mountain lion (cougar/puma/panther) were included with the posts (02/19/2020 for the mountain lion), so I will not repeat them here. The bobcat's normal diet also was included. Mountain lions typically prey on deer, but they also feed on smaller animals, even insects.
Although all three of these "kitties" can live in jungles, all can / will / do adapt to any and all terrains where prey is available. I am aware of instances where mountain lions will take on humans and imagine bobcats have at one time or another, but as far as I know, only tigers sometimes openly hunt people.
In fact, I have personal knowledge in which a tiger charged a group of people in fairly open country, which I would describe as a savannah, before it was shot and killed and another instance where a tiger stalked / killed / and dragged off a man at night without others nearby even aware it had happened.
To lean on the side of caution, both my son and I carry firearms when we "prowl" our territory.
Thank you, for your visit and your comment, Himawan Sant. I hope this adequately answers your questions. To be open about this, I feel safer and more comfortable in the wild than I do in the city. Some people do crazy things, which is the primary reason I am a strong advocate of the Second Amendment and am thankful I live in a country with concealed carry opportunity.
Take care, and I wish you good health ....
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