Running With Quills: Shocking, but fascinating

Welcome to Running With Quills, your online newsletter designed to keep you up to date with what your favorite authors (that would be us) are doing throughout the year. Here you will find the release dates of our new books and get information about our backlists. We'll preview our cover art here long before the books hit the stores and we'll keep you informed about works-in-progress and special projects. You'll also receive advance notice of signings and appearances. From time to time we'll give you a peek at our worlds, tell you what we're reading, and introduce you to some new authors.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Shocking, but fascinating

Hi everyone!

I hope you're all set for a great weekend. I started early - on Wednesday, we took off in the RV. Composing this blog while out and about is a challenge. I can't figure out how to resize the photos I brought with me. :-(

I don't have all my handy saved stuff, or access to my library of info, and I'm not great at typing on the laptop, so bear with me okay?

I like RVing because I can get more writing done when I'm away from the house. And the place where we're at right now is beautiful. We're parked right next to a small pond that has a bridge leading into a much bigger lake. Fountains, noisy geese, fish jumping...

And that brings me to my shocking but fascinating topic. LOL

You know I love water - it's why I had a big pond put in as my house was being built 5 years ago. We stocked it with fish, but the goldfish that showed up came from somewhere else. And now they're in mega abundance! Goldfish outnumber the other fish 3 to 1.

Lately, even though a lot of the goldfish are swollen with babies already, they've been spawning. At least, I guess that's what they're doing. They end up on the shore, flipping and flopping around like mad. I looked out the window the other day and there must have been 20 goldfish on the shore. They always end up back in the water... but that didn't help one unlucky goldfish.

You see, we have a lot of hawks too. I'm used to the kingfisher birds diving into the pond and coming up with frogs or fish. But this hawk... it was pretty magnificent.

After seeing the goldfish on the shore, he launched out of the tree, dove straight down into the pond... and came up with a big one! You can't really tell from the photo, but that fish was bigger than him. AND STILL FLOPPING.

My heart broke for the fish, but I couldn't look away.

When my son stepped off the deck to get a better picture, the hawk took his bird and flew away - I imagine to dine in peace. I love nature, but that was a bit much for me!

Back in February, I saw deer eating my trees. They really make it tough to grow things, but looking at them is pretty cool. They were bolting from my yard into the neighbor's yard when I got this pic.

There were a lot more of them, but I couldn't fit them all into the camera's view. When they're not eating the trees, they're rubbing their antlers against them and whittling them down to nothing. Beautiful, but so destructive. Still, I leave them be.

So what about you? Do you enjoy nature? Does it sometimes present you with stuff you'd rather not see or deal with?

I have birds that try to nest in my awning, and then they leave droppings EVERYWHERE.

Geese get on the dock and do the same thing. Very messy.

Raccoons get into the cat and fish food and tear up containers.

Coyotes chase (and usually catch) rabbits or squirrels.

And the feral cats bring me slaughtered rodents as gifts.

Do you have any nature stories to share?

Hugs to all!

LORI

www.LoriFoster.com

www.LLFoster.com

27 Comments:

Venus Vaughn said...: First of all, I love that nature has provided an answer to your over-abundance of goldfish. That's how it should be.

Second of all, I live in Arizona in the middle of the desert. I have an apartment, water, air conditiong and lots of yummy electricity. Outside of my home life is not nearly so easy.

Living hear has really made me respect the lifeforms that can survive in this harsh climate. Survival is tough enough. Survival in a place where half the year it's over 100 degrees and the natural waterways have been co-opted by man is brutal.

AZ is the kind of place where even the plants try to kill you. Watching nature here has made me respect it immensely.; 5:14 AM
DFender said...: Hiya Lori,
I hope you have a stellar weekend RVing! I love looking at nature... mountains, seas, forests. Being in them? Not so much. Unless there's a many-starred hotel within walking distance, it's not for me. LOL. Sad, but true ;-)
Deb; 5:29 AM
Lori Foster said...: Venus, I would LOVE to visit your area again. We were in Arizona... ohhhh 20 years ago. Loved it. But yes, even the plants attacked. LOL. I remember my middle son getting too close to a "jumping" cactus - and yep, that sucker leaped right onto him!

Deb, I guess I'm a nature girl - as long as I have running water and a bed to sleep in. ;-)

Hugs to all!

Lori; 6:37 AM
Anonymous said...: G'day Lori,

We have the same problem with the Kookaburra's waiting patiently on our fence for a meal of goldfish in our pond! Not to worry - just part of nature.

My son was bodyboarding and just recently enjoyed a special moment with our local dolphins. Surfing down the waves with him and his friends! It scared the b-jeebers out of them at first thinking there was a shark but the dolphins were having just as much fun as the boys surfing and jumping in and out of the waves:-P

The dolphins live in our lakes and the ocean. It's lovely to see their babies grow each year.

Oh and we had a 2metre garden python come down through the ceiling in our living room (we are renovating). My husband is no Steve Irwin but he did wait while I took photos ;-)

Tina; 6:54 AM
Gillian Layne said...: "Jumping" cactus? Ok...I'll stay in Kansas and enjoy my tornadoes...:); 7:12 AM
Marcia said...: Hi Lori,

It sounds like you found a great camping spot! I used to camp a lot with my parents but now not very much with my husband and son. However, we live around a lot of nature.

We built a small yard for our poodle when we moved to our new house. One day we looked out and a pheasant had jumped in with him! He was so shocked it took him a while to respond. When he started yapping and jumping around the pheasant just looked at him as if to say "What is your problem?", then just casually hopped back to the other side of the fence and kept pecking the ground looking for food!

Through our back windows, we've been able to see bucks fighting over a doe, flocks of turkeys wandering through. I even saw a cougar walking along our back fence one time!

Then there was the evening I was taking my son to karate and almost hit a coyote.

And we live in western Pennsylvania!; 7:21 AM
Anonymous said...: Every Spring a mama bunny digs a hole in my front yard and has her babies. Last year I actually petted one of them when they were burrowed in their hole. Very soft.
Love the pic of the deer!!

Marcie; 7:23 AM
susan andersen said...: Lori, that is One Big Goldfish! Love the pic. I love to watch the osprey dive for fish, but I've never seen one come up with a catch that size.

I have cats. That means I've seen waaaay too many eviscerated mice and birdie pieces-parts in my life. And we, too, have raccoons. In the winter our back porch door swells from the damp and consequently sometimes comes open. When that happens we usually wake up to find the 20 pound cat food bags ripped apart. I quit leaving a water bowl out on the front porch for the cats because the raccoons invariably used it to wash their food and left a big muddy mess. Opened the door one day to find one on the other side looking in. He was HUGE and I'm not sure who was the more startled, me or him. :); 7:54 AM
Anonymous said...: Hi Lori!
I grew up in Northern British Columbia and on any given day from my parents front porch you could see a family of moose who liked to eat the crab apple trees, black bears that our cockerspaniel poodle cross loved to chase. Grouse that constantly flew into (and sometimes through) our bay window. One or ten of the foxes that made their home in our culvert and made keeping chickens practically impossible. If you were unlucky a porcupine, and if you were really unlucky a grizzly bear.
Now I live in the Columbia/Kootney Mountains where you see deer and mountain goats by the hundreds every day, and skunks. Lots and lots of skunks. Hawks, Eagles, Osprey's.. pretty much every bird you can think of (lots of wetlands around the lake and river). Grizzlies if you hike in the mountains. And my personal favorite, large mouth bass fresh from the river.
Nature I can handle. Cities terrify me ;)
Sarah; 9:59 AM
Venus Vaughn said...: Lori,
you're talking of a Jumping Cholla. Those things are vicious, and I am lucky to have been spared thus far.

On the other hand, I'm not allowed to have those tiny ornamental cactus in my house because I'm a toucher. I can't help it. If it's there I want to pet it, and petting cactus is just a dumb thing to do.; 10:36 AM
Lori Foster said...: LOVE all the stories, ladies! Thank you for sharing.
I guess all in all, I'm really into nature.

I'm writing up a storm while I'm here, but every time a goose comes by, or a big fish jumps in the lake, or a chipmunk looks for a nibble... I'm distracted.

I'd love to see all the wild animals you mention, except for the ones that might attack - like a bear or big wild cat! Egads.

How's the weather where you're all at? it's hitting 80 here today and it's just gorgeous!!!

Lori; 10:45 AM
elizabeth said...: Lori--The first rule of nature is: if there is something to eat, there is something to eat it.

That said, I've surrendered my rosebushes to deer, grow only the herbs rabbits/deer won't eat, and love watching birds of prey, as well as the fish, otters (several literally in our backyard) and of course, deer deer DEER.; 10:51 AM
Katherine said...: I live in the city but my home is across a ravine from a park that has been purposefully left Pacific Northwest natural because it is home to a breeding pair of Bald Eagles. I can see the nest tree from my kitchen and every year at least one new chick makes it to adolescence and flying. Momma can get cranky though when she’s nesting and when she winds up and starts shrieking at 5 am the whole neighborhood gets woken up. The other day I watched one of the pair wrest loose a limb from a red oak that was at least 3-4 feet long and 3-4 inches in diameter and fly it back up to the nest. The huge nest is over 15 years old on a Douglas fir that’s lost its top and in addition to the nest space has a large branch that acts like a lanai for hanging out on.

On one early, early morning walk just before sunrise my little dog Jenks a Chihuahua – Maltese mix almost got swooped up by an owl. That would have been more excitement than any of the three involved in the event really would have wanted that early in the day if the owl had actually connected.

For a couple of years I had a year-round resident hummer that if he felt I was taking to long getting back out with fresh food would come and perch near the door. As soon as I walked out he would fly to the feeder and I would have to stand still until he got done.

My favorite critter is a Short-Tailed Weasel who visits the little reflecting pool I’ve got. He’s unafraid of pretty much anything, though I do give him plenty of space when he shows up and I’m out in the garden. He keeps my yard free from moles and I make sure that the water in the little pool is clean so we’ve got a pretty good deal going.; 11:52 AM
Anonymous said...: I have a friend who lives in the backwoods of Coastal Georgia along the Sapelo River. She rescues orphaned raccoons and raises them to return to the wild. One day, she came home to find the fridge door open and a raccoon inside chowing down. She simply left, got in her car and went to the hardware store where she bought a padlock and hasp. Then she went to the grocery store and bought everything she would need to restock the fridge. When she got home, she opened a can of peaches, poured them in a bowl and left it on the floor in front of the fridge. Raccoons love peaches. When the raccoon came out to eat the peaches, she closed the fridge door until the raccoon left and wandered back into the wood. With a good cleaning, restocking, and installation of a raccoon-proof padlock, her fridge was good to go. She recently bought a new side-by-side model so she simply slides a bar through the handles.
Lynne Thomas; 2:05 PM
Lori Foster said...: Oh Katherine! I'd have had a heart attack if something flying from above threatened my fur babies.
We have a LOT of hawks here, so the little ones aren't allowed out without me, but even with a leash - well, that would only stop a bird of prey for the length of the leash, and then I can only imagine the damage. Ugh. So scary!

Lynn, the clever raccoons I've seen would pull that bar out of there! LOL. They are very, very smart critters! Beautiful too. But yep, so destructive.

Hugs to all!

Lori; 3:18 PM
Catherine said...: Hi Lori
Wow, what a picture-hawk vs fish. I'm here in SoCal, about 5 miles in from beach. We don't have much animal issues in my neighborhood. Every so often I'm lucky enough to spot some hawks looking for food.
I am jealous of your weather. We had heat and east winds last week, now it's the June gloom, (overcast, cloudy and icky), too bad it's only April.
Personally, I'm thrilled to hear your writing up a storm, that means at one point, I'll be "reading" up a storm.
Happy RVing =)

Catherine; 3:29 PM
Terry S said...: This just happened on Monday. I had just planted a topsey turvey tomato the day before and hung it in a spot that the squirrels absolutely could not reach. Squirrels do love a challenge though, and first thing the next morning one trotted down the fir tree, jumped on the deck rail, ran to the window as he tried to figure out how to get to the other side of the window that had no outside sill. He spotted me inside across the room watching him. Just then my cat, who had been watching from another window, ran to the window where the squirrel and I were staring at one another. The cat poked his head around and there they were, eye to eye, separated only by a pane of glass. Just for an instance though. They scared each other so much, the cat fell off the window sill and the squirrel fell off the deck rail. Me, I about fell off my chair laughing. Too bad it happened so quickly I didn't even have time to grab the camera!!; 4:09 PM
Becky said...: Hi Lori! I hope you have a wonderful weekend Rving. I love nature. I enjoy going for hikes and seeing what type of critters I will spot.; 4:51 PM
Kate Douglas said...: Lori, love the photo of the hawk and goldfish! We have a snowy egret that comes and eats them from one of our ponds, and ravens that have learned to drop scraps of bread another neighbor feeds them into the pond. When the goldfish come to the surface for the crumbs, the ravens catch and eat them. If that's not a sign of intelligence, I'm not sure WHAT you'd call it! And we don't want to even mention the damage the deer do--my brother calls them "rats on stilts." (He's right!)

We're just back from RVing up to Mt. Shasta and back...research on the new book and it was lovely to see the snow on the mountain. Home again to laundry and cooking...much more fun in the motorhome!; 9:13 PM
Stella said...: Lori: I wrote my response--something about looking after birds but liking electricity--and the @@@@ Blogger ate it.

Really enjoyed your blog.

Stella; 11:31 PM
Lori Foster said...: Too funny, Terry! That would have made a great picture. LOL

Stella, blogger has eaten my posts before too. Sorry about that.

Kate, don't you love it when birds go fishing? LOL. And loved the "rats on stilts." So true! But they're pretty rats. LOL

Hugs to all!

Lori; 4:11 AM
Genevieve said...: Hey Lori... When we put in a small pond a few years ago, we didn't put in any fish, but before we knew it we had goldfish! We figure there must have been eggs on some of the water plants we bought. We call them our spontaneous fish.
--Geneviève; 6:33 AM
Jayne Ann Krentz said...: Great goldfish/hawk shot, Lori! As Susan noted, tht is one Big Goldfish. I always wondered what happened to the ones that got flushed down the toilet. Now we know.
--Jayne; 12:22 PM
Judy F said...: Those goldfishes are huge. LOL I think I read somewhere that goldfishes adapt to the size of their bowl/pond.

My parents years ago had racoons that got up on their roof. They had to hire a critter getter guy to get them. They got a lot of them.

Just hanging today with my cat he loves that I have the windows open. Its so cute to watch him sniffing the air.

Have fun Lori.; 4:53 PM
Lori Foster said...: Genevieve and Jayne, I think someone dumped carnival fish in our pond. We put fish in and only saw the fish we put in, then one day - 50 goldfish! They've grown like crazy, multiplied three times over, and for the most part have avoided being eaten by the REALLy big bass, carp and catfish.

Judy, next time you're over, we'll walk down there and feed them. It'll amaze you!

Happy Sunday to everyone!

Lori; 4:24 AM
Cbell said...: We live in a city, but have a really great back yard that houses a family of bunny rabbits. I have seen at least three babies and the mom and dad. They are adorable. They are getting used to our coming and going and even hang around for a picture or two sometimes before scampering off.

I also have a dove that comes every spring to nest in the eaves of our back porch. She makes a mess, but it is so fun to watch the mate bring sticks and building materials for the next and the Momma (I assume) build her space. She had three babies this year and they were gone for a few days in a row so we assumed they were finished. We snuck up to make sure there were no eggs and the nest was empty. So, we tore it down assuming they would return the next spring.

Apparently not. When we left for work the next day, the next and one dove was back! Fiesty little creatures!; 11:16 AM
blackpaws said...: Hi Lori, your place sounds wonderful! at least it is green...

I too live in the AZ desert, but I really dislike it. I originally came from green, Virginia.

Last summer my DH killed a 5ft green Mohave snake, they are very poisionous...but the Jack Rabbits and cotton tails are a delight. As I sit here and write, there are 4 Road Runners going after the kangeroo mice and bugs (Yeah!)one actually climbed up my home to look in the window, I was sitting at my computer at the time, and we met eye to eye! a very interesting experience that was... Coyotes run accross the yard with the dogs going after them...I leaned over a cactus to see a birds nest, and ended up with a chest full of needles/spines (OUCH!)the Quail with their 12-15 little babies...you can fit 4 of them in your hand...and when they get confused as to which side of the road to go to, you just stop you car and patiently wait until Momma Quail can round them all in one direction....they are adorable!!

Its too hot and dry here, but I can say this winter was warm & wonderful, like an unexpected spring! the woullie worms of summer told me it was going to be a nice one :-) and they were right!!!

Jan; 12:26 PM

Previous Posts

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Shocking, but fascinating

27 Comments: