Author: rakeeter

On two occasions early this month while walking Tino, Chris has seen an animal that to him looked like a hyena but given the dearth of hyenas here in the Texas Panhandle was probably a Chupacabra.  He’s only caught glimpses of it as it disappeared under the junipers and bounded over the fence.  So far we haven’t noticed any cats missing.  There are a number of homeless ones in addition to one authorized on the place.   Here’s hoping Chris and Tino don’t turn up missing.  They go out after dark so that is a possibility.  A week or so after the first sighting, Joyce and Rebecca were looking for a dead possum Chris reported seeing in the lane when they heard a rustle of leaves and saw a coyote trotting away down the lane while casting frequent glances over its shoulder to make sure it wasn’t being pursued. Since then there have been no sightings but I think we can safely say our Chupacabra was in fact a coyote.

Speaking of cats, a mother cat and her kittens showed up in the enclosure a few weeks ago.  Joyce has been feeding them in the hopes of catching and neutering them.  We don’t have the heart to turn them over to the tender mercies of the pound. They have gotten fairly tame , and demanding. We can’t touch them, nor do we want to, but they come running when they see us, epecially around breakfast or dinner.

For November, it has been moist. I’ve emptied nearly an inch total out of the gauge where the November average for the last decade is .36 inches. By catching a decent day here and there I’m gradually getting the place mowed. My goal was to have that done by Thanksgiving but the weather this month hasn’t given me the chance. Nor has it allowed me to spray weeds much. There have been a few days over 60°, which I think is as about as cool as it can be to spray broadleaf weed killer. Trouble is, because the weeds are growing so slowly in the mostly cool weather we are having they don’t show the effects of spraying. I’m simply having to spray on faith, spray and pray if you will.

The Wylies arrived the Sunday before Thanksgiving and we’ve had lots of family time this week, most of it indoors. Joyce and I decorated for Christmas the Saturday before Thanksgiving because the weather was decent. It isn’t today, which is when we would have decorated if we had followed our past practice of waiting til after Thanksgiving. One day this week there was a major blow which rearranged some of the outdoor lights but it was nice to have the job done in advance of the Wylies coming. Everyone enjoyed seeing them. Thanksgiving dinner was outstanding , as usual. It was the first time Abigail was home since she left in September. She had been sorely missed and thus was much appreciated. The weather early in the week was nice enough to take a nice hike at Wildcat Bluff. It was good that we got out when we did because the weather deteriorated as the week went along.