I’ve been in Naramata for over three years now. It’s a sleepy little town for the most part except for a few months in mid to later summer when the tourists and fruit pickers show up. In my short time here I’ve heard a lot of wildlife within ear shot. The silly clucking of Quails, the eerie cool piercing cries of Ospreys and Eagles and the maniacal (somewhat chilling) howls of Coyotes in the night.
Last month started what was a quick display of wildlife from all angles. It started with a Raccoon who walked down the forested hill in my backyard. Waddling confidently and cutting a slow line straight for me. I don’t know much about Raccoons so I gave him a wide berth and got out of his way while managing to admire this very neat looking critter. I mean he could be harmless but for all I know, they might hate anything bald and rip my innards out before I know it.
Spooky (a.k.a Spook, Spookers, Spookit, Spooka, Slayer of Stinkbugs).
Next up was my black cat Spook who alerted me to the presence of something that had him running away at light speed and doubled in size with that puffy fur fear reaction that cats have. I stood up and made my way to the fly screen door in my kitchen to see what was up, only to freeze in my tracks when I spot a brown bear looking in and sniffing at me. I backed up slowly and looked for a knife and my camera. Neither of which I had a chance to put to use as he was gone in the 30 seconds it took me to get my act together. A few days later, I managed to get a hurried shot of a smaller cub rummaging through our compost.
Cub raiding our compost bin for apples.
Then last week I’m sitting at my desk thinking about a subject for new piece when Marlow (another one of our felines) goes whizzing by at MACH 5 past my window like a streak of white lightning looking for the nearest tree to scale as a full grown doe goes hovering by with that gentle anti-gravity type gait that deer have.
Man, I love this place.
