Monday

Right Place and the Right Time, but Unprepared

Being prepared is always a good thing, but sometimes you find yourself presented with a situation and all you can do is hope you can pull something off.  It was one of those mornings, I opened the door and started to step out when some motion caught my eye, and to my surprise a Bobcat was slowly wandering up the runway but I had no camera in hand.  I slowly stepped back inside to grab the camera but the door made a noise as it closed (and I had just lubricated the hinges).  Getting the camera I slowly reopened the door and stood in shadow, the Bobcat was staring right at me so holding the door with one hand and the camera with the other I started shooting with the hope that something would work.  Well, it kinda worked.  The cameras auto focus captured the mesquite well but the Bobcat was slightly out of focus.  As it continued to meander northward I held the door open with my foot and tried again.  Using both hands I was able to capture some in focus images but by this time the Bobcat was moving into the tall grass, so instead of a full view of the animal I was only able to capture the top of its' back and hind quarters. I estimate that it was a good 2 foot tall at the shoulder, a big animal.  This sighting is especially encouraging since it suggests that the restoration work is having an effect.  This being my first sighting of a Bobcat on the estate I was a thrilled and the presence of an apex predator suggests there is enough game about to make hunting on the estate a worthwhile endeavor for the Bobcat.  While others who live close to the base of the Peloncillos have reported Bobcats the estate is across the San Simon riverbed and 3.5 - 4 miles from the base of the Peloncillo mountains so the presence of a large healthy Bobcat is even more encouraging.


Fuzzy Bobcat on the runway.

Fuzzy Bobcat sauntering along.

In focus Bobcat in the grass.

In focus Bobcat obscured by the grass.

9 comments:

  1. Ah, well, you'll be prepared next time!

    We just had a gal here from Tucson, totally lost and OUT OF GAS! No credit card and some funny cell phone that does not work here! Talk about NOT PREPARED! Hubbie is taking her to Animas for gas, she can use his cell phone if hers does not work there. He and a neighbor will get her enough gas to get her on Rte 10 a ways and her Tucson sister and friends may have to rescue her halfway home.

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  2. Well hopefully next time we will both be prepared. Your account balance is officially in the black for that one, and I hope she makes it home.

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  3. Very cool. good to realize your hard work is being appreciated!

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  4. We all do our best out here, whether helping those out of gas or in building a better place for all who work at making a living out here.

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    1. "Be Prepared" ---a Boy Scout motto we all need. We've been running water at sinks and have a light bulb [large size] on the pump inside the shed hoping for the pipes not to freeze! What a COLD winter!

      Yeah that gal was surprised at the helpfulness of neighbors out here............but it's a necessity to lend a hand

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  5. Your quite right, but all I could think of when you mentioned the Boy Scout motto was this Tom Lehrer song from the 50's https://youtu.be/gkrheaWuShU

    I have also had problems with frozen lines in the trailer and problems elsewhere.

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    1. I finally went to You Tube and heard this from 1953. He sure was ahead of his time wasn't he? I had never heard of him before.

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  6. I see Statia also got some good images of a Bobcat in downtown Rodeo, cool catch.

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  7. If I remember correctly, Tom Lehrer was a mathematician and quite the musical comedian. He seems to be better known for his musical satire as opposed to his math skills.

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