I came across several grey squirrels while out on a hike. Some seemed just as interested in me as I was in them.
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Thanksgiving 2020
Like this rather plump squirrel I saw on a walk today, I ate Thanksgiving dinner alone (a first for me). But after a family video-chat and some phone calls, I realize I have much to be grateful for today, despite everything that 2020 has thrown at us. Happy Thanksgiving!
Oh deer!
Peek-a-boo!
Thirteen-lined ground squirrel.
Eight point buck
While hiking at Cherokee Marsh today, I came upon this deer with an eight-point set of antlers. Closest I’ve ever been to a buck like that.
Nursing deer
A photograph I did not take, of a mother deer nursing two fawns.
I was bicycling on the Heart of Vilas County Trail and going at a good clip through a section of forest, when I first noticed a woman jogging on the trail a ways ahead of me. As I got closer, I looked in her direction again, and wondered why she had stopped. Then I saw them. Standing on the side of the trail about 10 yards away, were two fawns and their mother. As I hit the brakes hard they squeaked a bit, spooking the three to cross the trail and move off. They only walked about 10 yards further away from us when the mother deer stopped to check on the humans watching. As she stopped, one of the fawns decided it was time for a drink and started to nurse. The other joined in. They drank for a minute or two, and then moved deeper into the woods, out of sight. The woman and I chatted a bit about the wonderful scene we just witnessed. “That is why we vacation in Wisconsin” she said. Absolutely.
Beaver sign in Madison
Yes, there are beavers living in the city of Madison. I saw these trees along the Starkweather Creek, a few blocks south of Milwaukee Street. I’ve also seen similarly chewed trees in Vilas Park along Lake Wingra.
Red squirrel
Enjoying breakfast with whitetail deer
One morning while camping last week, as I was enjoying my breakfast in the woods, I heard some rustling in the brush next to my campsite. I looked over to see a whitetail deer, also having breakfast.
San Francisco travelog
Yesterday I returned from a trip to San Francisco, where I attended a users group conference for the catalog software my library uses. I was able to take some free time in between the conference programs to see some of the sights.
