Well, here I was - standing at the front room window, staring out at the woods across our little dirt road..not really LOOKING at anything, just sorta staring out at all the fall colors...

When I notice this little critter strolling down the road, like it just OWNS the place..like, "Ok, all is good along this part of MY land..this is good...ahh, so is This..."

An' I think, well, that's sorta cool, it's somebody's little dog..looks like it knows where it's going..seems like it's havin'..

WAIT A MINUTE!!

This is NOT somebodys dog..Holy Toledo! -

So I look REALLY hard at this little thing strolling along...and look for the tail..Oops..short/nubby/almost like no tail at all...the back legs are hefty for the overall size of the critter, looking like it could jump a fence without blinking...an' it has short stubby ears...kinda like a BIG cat..

Then it dawns on me -- It's a Bobcat...

Just walkin' down the road like it's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood, checkin' out the woods, sniffin' here and there the way cats do, like THEY know who's been down the street.

Then it came to a QUICK stop. Looked in the direction of the neighbors at the end of the dirt road, 'cause as is usual, their dog was barking..an' the cat sorta slinks itself into a sitting position.

Ah Ha! - So I REALLY take a good look at it, and for Real and Wholly Moley, it just looks so beautiful! - Wow! - I'd thot I'd heard it at night earlier this fall, screamin' in the woods the way the females do when their in heat..a sound that ever since I first heard one in 1991 - o - 1992 just made the hair on my arms stand straight up - And now I finally got the chance to see this little thing right in front of the cabin. She (I'm asuming it's the female, cause they do the most meandering.or so I've been told..) just sits in the dirt road, staring at the dog, the way cats LOOK at dogs, like, "Oh PLEEASE, you are SUCH a pain in my A**" And then she very slowly creeps off the right side of the road, makes a couple little hops and completely disapeares into the woods.

I reallized I was standing at the window with my mouth hanging open, just flabergasted at what I'd just seen - I'd wanted to see this thing for what seems like for EVAH, and I finally got a chance to see it!! I just read thru some info from both N.C. State Univ., and UNC on the bobcat in this part of the state. We're in the perfect location for them to live - lots of cover, plenty of downed trees for the female to make her little nest, and pleanty of food for them to survive on.

I'm just glad the dog was inside the cabin - we had a Redbone Coonhound way back in the day, and she was SO pigheaded, she made the mistake of going after a bobcat one night -- we'd been hearing the female making her screaming/meowing noise behind our house for a few nights...and the dog got out of the house, made a bee-line for the woods, and finally came back about 2 hours later. The next day she was whining, and moaning, and acting like it was the end of the world. She had trouble lifting her back legs, and it really scared me, so I took her to the vet. Ha! -- He just laughed!! - Took a couple looks at her, felt around her backside, then looked at me and said, "She's been messin' with the Wrong Critter!! -- Where do you live again? - Oh!, yes, out in the woods..Well (As he looks at the dog...) Young Lady, I Believe you've met your match! - "

Seems that the cat had smacked the dog along her back legs, up around her bum, but didn't break the skin - the area was swollen, sore, and you could see the outline of where the cat had made her "Point" - The Dog was Seriously in Ego Hurt, and moped around the house for the next few days. Next time she heard the bobcat screaming in heat, she started for the window, then REALLY FAST, layed down on my bed, and just stared out the window. HA!! -- Lesson Learned!! -- Don't Mess with the Bobcat!! Thank heavens the vet bill was only like $35 or so for the check-up. I think the dog's ego count went down to about -55...!!

So, that's the news from here - I' m hoping to hear the cat tonight if she is indeed in heat, and will make her Noise!! - I'll post on what happens in the next few days!!


Lady of The Tulips