It's a wild wild life....

Here are some trail cam shots from a new Trail Cam I got called Garden Pro. I'm not endorsing them one way or the other, but compared to my old camera, they sure have improved.

Coyotes

The bucks have not started shedding their antlers, but it looks like there might be some really nice ones out there to pick up once they do. This guy looks like he is scenting a deer. But I have no idea....

This spot is like a highway for the does this year. They come and go in groups up to 8 sometimes. They cross back and forth multiple times a day.

Then there is always one that loves to stand in front of the camera and smell it. Or do they know they are doing the forest version of a selfie???

We always get a big kick out of these type of shots.

I can't be positive, but I think this was the Big Trophy Buck that all the hunters were asking me about this fall and then again during gun season.

I think this is the same fella I 'shot' in November in the meadow just east of where he is standing in this photo. If it is the same fella, I'm pretty tickled that no one nabbed him during the hunting seasons.

He is absolutely regal.

This shot below is him chasing some girls as it was breeding season. 

Many other photos we saw from the trail cam included hundreds of photos of does and young deer walking by along with nightly walks by raccoon who travel the same trails as the deer and coyotes.

We don't feed any of the wild animals as it is illegal in our county plus they are surrounded by abundant sources of food which include hundreds of acres of corn fields and soy bean fields to glean off from.

This photo is from this summer. I took it while taking an evening walk. 

I think we have plenty of deer around here!

It has been a mild winter so I think their numbers will increase.

Oh! One more Wild Life shot!

Eleanor! She is an outdoor cat who belongs to our neighbor. She has been spayed and has all of her shots.

She divides her time by hunting at my place and at the neighbor's place. He feeds her inside his workshop.

She likes to sit in the shed and observe me doing chores on most afternoons. She is not a friendly cat as in ... -- don't come near me--. I don't try to pet her, but I do talk to her every time we meet.

Cats, dogs, leaves, fungi

Charlie sits on the porch bench and surveys his domain. 

Eleanor takes a nap in the sun next to the old garage.

Our neighbors got Eleanor for the purpose of getting their garage and workshop rid of mice. She is spayed and has had her shots.

Eleanor prefers to hunt in my two sheds, sleep in the piles of hay, and annoy Charlie. Such is a cat's life. With her around, some of the varmints seemed to have moved on. 

My neighbor puts out cat food for her and she still seems to prefer our place although we do see her trekking back up the hill once in a while. On hot days I put water out in a few spots for her so she doesn't have to climb the stock tank and take a drink.

Charlie has decided that since Eleanor will run if he chases her, she is good game. He will never catch her, but he sure tries.

Eleanor is definitely not a house cat and she won't let humans get too close either. However, she seems to be doing just fine.

We had extremely dense fog yesterday morning. When Charlie and I went for a walk in the forest to look for colors in the leaves, we found this:

A huge 'Flush' of Chicken of the woods that was very fresh. I was able to pick about 4 lbs of them and I texted Olive to see if she wanted some. 

I made a supper of Chicken Fried Chicken of the Woods, rice, and a salad with Nasturtiums on them.

It was delicious! 

We did find some leaf color in the woods and I hope to get out and look for some more [leaves and fungi!] today.

In the photo below with the Maple Leaf, there are some dried up Oyster mushrooms--not good to eat or pick in this condition. But I was still rather surprised to find them.

The afternoon sunlight really popped the colors in this slippery elm tree. However, a quick thunderstorm moved in ...

and we had to run for cover!

The winds blew, the thunder roared and the leaves from the trees swirled!

Slow motion video clip of 26 seconds.

I'm looking forward to a quiet Sunday of processing carrots and Chicken of the Woods to make mushroom stock for winter soups.