Harry Horn/Wayfarer’s State Park, Bigfork, MT - 11/9/2008

Bob has been a part of my family for a little over 7 years. According to the vet’s best approximation, he was about 3 at the time he joined Karl, Gus (another cat) and I, making him 10ish now. Bob came with his name and a few other idiosyncracies… Bob loves bubbles - well, I think he loves bubbles, he likes to pop them.

As many cats do, Bob likes fresh, running water. At the start, he would come running when I ran water in the bathroom sink, hop up and get a drink from the faucet. Then he started going in the bathroom whenever I was in the vicinity and waiting for me to turn on water. One day, I filled the sink for something and as it was filling, he started chittering - that chitter that cats do when they see a bird, squirrel or some other critter that excites them for the hunt. He was chittering at the bubbles and as one came near, he popped it with his nose. As a well trained human, I started filling the sink on demand…

…no more bubbles…

And lest you think this is not a serious interest, the following photos were taken February 6, 2007 and the “bubble water” is snow melt…

On the hunt…

…the elusive ripple and potential bubble!

The weather currently and according to the forecast, for the forseeable future, is looking about like the above minus the snow, i.e. gray, damp, rainy, foggy - not extremely cold or we would be getting snow (preferable!!!) instead of rain. Bob’s new thing on these dampish days is hanging out under the dryer vent if the dryer is running. And for the record, when I took these photos, yesterday, there was a fire going in the woodstove and he can go in and out of the house as he chooses - he chose his spot…

Bob.

From this morning:

Oh, yeah - THAT’s how I like to see my mountains dressed!

A bleak day… but as always, some beauty to be found. From this morning’s walk at the state park on Flathead Lake:

Below are from an afternoon walk at “home”. I believe Karl would title the first: “My mama dresses me funny”.

It is deer (gun) season. And although the land we walk is private and posted “No Hunting”, it is adjacent to 40 acres of state land which is huntable. I choose to be cautious. My personal vanity prohibits showing my own “hunter orange outfit”…I have a “one size fits all” vest made to go over winter jackets. It has been alternately rainy/snowy so I’ve been wearing raingear over fleece. With the gigantic orange vest I look like the great pumpkin in a cowboy hat. I have a felt, waterproof cowboy hat that has ear flaps that fold down for real cold. The thing keeps water off my face AND neck - my ears warm when it is very cold. I’ve had it a number of years so it has a somewhat odd shape at this point… However, vanity aside, I am warm and dry and both Karl and I are visible - which is the point.

Yesterday, late morning…

Some change is good…I LOVE Winter!