Summer's Gone and soon Fall too...

Well, summer is gone and it's been awhile since my last posting here so this is an attempt to catch up.
This was an odd summer and fall as there were no bears frequenting our apple trees. Of course, we're told that it's a good thing but I'm wondering what has happened to them. We were told that there was a bumper crop of huckleberries so the bears didn't need to visit our fruit trees or the neighbors garbage, neglectfully left on their deck. But huckleberries are seasonal and they didn't last all summer, much less into the fall. Every year conservation officers destroy 'problem bears' that come into town looking to fatten up on carelessly discarded rubbish, pet food left outdoors and front lawn fruit trees. I fear that so many bears have been killed that it's made a serious impact on their numbers and that may be why we're not seeing them this year.
One concerned citizen has taken it upon herself to plant apple tree saplings in remote mountainside areas of the forest. She's been chastised for doing so as apples are not considered to be a 'natural' food source for them. But what then is natural? Surely our continual encroachment into their habitat can't be natural either. I personally commend her efforts to save their precious lives by providing a food source away from town and the confrontations that ultimately end in their tragic loss.
What has made a few visits to our neighborhood has been a cougar cub. The young cat was first sighted by our daughter when returning home late one night. The cougar was caught in her headlights, sitting in the middle of our road. At first our girl thought it was a domestic cat until it got up to run off. It's pale tawny color and long tail gave it away. We've heard its plaintive yowling, much like baby crying from up the side of the mountain behind our home and a few nights ago it ran across our flower boxes outside our bedroom window. It surely knows that we have two small dogs and two kitties living here... now that's food for thought (and for young cougars too). I think this young lion is one of two that was orphaned over the summer by the lion hunter that was hired by the conservation department to eliminate these dangerous animals. It will undoubtedly be a hard winter for the cub, but there is little we can do for it and we have no plans to donate our little dogs or kitties.
Snow is due any day now. Our pantry is packed with our summer harvest, the shelves filled with canned fruit, jams and jellies. Our woodshed is almost full and we're getting ready to settle in for the winter. It's time to make sure our pets are ready for winter too. Our little Mr. Rutgar has a new yellow coat, lined in faux leopard... quite classy and very warm. He's never been one to enjoy wearing clothes, but as soon as the temperatures dropped, he seemed eager to wiggle into his winter gear. He's happy to crawl under his special blanky every night too. I always make certain the pets have fresh water and I fill their bowls several times a day. The water from our tap is very cold in winter and I know I sometimes have trouble drinking icy water so I add warm water to their bowls and I've noticed that they tend to drink more as a result.
So, as I rake up the last of the leaves and put away the hoses for another year, I will be thinking of more hopefully interesting things to add to my blog. Stay tunned!