Home on the range.

Well, Hailey and I have been home for about two weeks now, and have survived, so far!

After a lot of driving around a lot, smashing the snow banks, and spreading dirt to make the snow melt faster, we eventually created a bit of space to park.

Inevitably, the weather reverted to winter and provided more to shovel! And fresh white snow does not melt very fast either!

Lots of birds are back, with more arriving every day.  A pair of Mountain Bluebirds were checking out one of my bird houses. 

Strangely, the bird feeders have gone pretty much untouched.  There were a couple of juncos for a day or two, but they must have moved on and no other birds have discovered the free food yet.

First day out with the new UAV, and a skunk showed up, but was completely unconcerned with the thing flying 6 feet away!  Could be the same one I chased off with the garden hose last fall!

Went for a short drive west one day and happened on a small band of wild horses along the road.

After a few more good days of melting snow, I was finally able to pull the 5th wheel into the yard for it’s summer break.

The squirrels had apparently missed Hailey over the winter, and welcomed her back, risking their lives in the process.

Local rivers have been flooding, and ice jams forming under bridges, etc., so one of the local counties hired me to monitor the situation with photos and aerial video.  For now, most of the hazard has passed, – until the heavy snowpack in the mountains begins to melt!

The first bits of grass to green up are always in the sunny areas right around my house, and the deer take advantage of this every year.  Photos out the basement window!

As soon as I can melt the big pile of ice and snow in front of the truck camper, I’ll likely put it on the truck to facilitate inevitable summer travels.  Till then we’ll likely be pretty close to home, unless Forestry calls again and wants me to watch for fires.