jordan (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} faggosaurus) wrote,@ 2009-08-30 23:25:00 |
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holyfuckitsamountainlion!!!!!11 ...and a puppy in a pool :(
So, one of our neighbors out here (i'm at the farm) who works for the Department of Natural Resources saw A MOUNTAIN LION BEHIND HIS HOUSE recently. And somebody else out here, a guy who owns an apple & peach orchard, also saw a mountain lion recently. That's so scary. Mountain lions are beautiful, but intimidating as fucking hell, oh my god. So, great, another thing to be scared of when I'm walking around by myself out here! Sweet. At least I'm pretty sure I know what to do if I encounter a black bear, or a snake (pretty sure you walk away calmly with either, but you should make noises in the woods like call things out and stuff, so you make your presence known in case there are bears around so they're less likely to be startled). I have no fucking clue what to do if I were to be walking around and see a mountain lion. I'm guessing you're supposed to walk away or maybe back away calmly, but I dunno for sure. Anyway, I think my dad said there have been at least two photos taken, DNA from poop and hair, and a few other sightings that've been confirmed as those of/from mountain lions (regionally here i think they're generally called "cougars" but they're the same thing...cougars, mountain lions, pumas..). But if they're officially confirmed by the DNR at large i guess, the DNR would have to change a bunch of things to make either the state of Maryland or just this area (the western part) a more suitable habitat for mountain lions because i think they're an endangered species, and I guess they don't want to have to do that cuz at least one thing they'd probably have to do is shorten deer season, which I'm sure some hunters would be annoyed about.
In other animal-related news, my poor baby girl Panda slipped and fell in the pool yesterday. Luckily, it was the shallow end and I was only I guess a few feet away so I was able to get to her quickly, grab her and lift her up and out of the pool and I got out to dry her off and comfort her. She was quite freaked-out, coughing (i'm sure she inhaled some water, possibly when i lifted her up because i grabbed her around the middle :\) a bunch, and her hind legs got scraped and one of them was bleeding, but after she was pretty dried off, we went inside and I gave her some liver snacks and put triple antibiotic ointment on her legs and up between her legs on her underbelly cuz that seemed to have gotten scratched-up as well. She seems fine today though, and Dad said she even was back at the pool, which I guess is good that she's not totally traumatized to the point where she won't go near the pool, but I'm worried about her slipping and falling in again. She'd almost fallen in once earlier yesterday, when Taylor was running around the pool barking at the kids splashing and he knocked into her. Makes me nervous. Now both dogs have fallen in the pool at least once. I actually don't think it's a good idea for the dogs to be out at the pool, because it's not safe, and I don't want them to fall in the pool and drown. Eek. I think Panda falling in the pool scared me about as much as it did her. Jeez.
Other than that, we've seen at least two deer (munching on some dinner over in the field below Jamie's house), one an adult doe and one possibly a fawn, and there was a box turtle crossing the road as we were driving up (luckily Dad avoided hitting it).
So, one of our neighbors out here (i'm at the farm) who works for the Department of Natural Resources saw A MOUNTAIN LION BEHIND HIS HOUSE recently. And somebody else out here, a guy who owns an apple & peach orchard, also saw a mountain lion recently. That's so scary. Mountain lions are beautiful, but intimidating as fucking hell, oh my god. So, great, another thing to be scared of when I'm walking around by myself out here! Sweet. At least I'm pretty sure I know what to do if I encounter a black bear, or a snake (pretty sure you walk away calmly with either, but you should make noises in the woods like call things out and stuff, so you make your presence known in case there are bears around so they're less likely to be startled). I have no fucking clue what to do if I were to be walking around and see a mountain lion. I'm guessing you're supposed to walk away or maybe back away calmly, but I dunno for sure. Anyway, I think my dad said there have been at least two photos taken, DNA from poop and hair, and a few other sightings that've been confirmed as those of/from mountain lions (regionally here i think they're generally called "cougars" but they're the same thing...cougars, mountain lions, pumas..). But if they're officially confirmed by the DNR at large i guess, the DNR would have to change a bunch of things to make either the state of Maryland or just this area (the western part) a more suitable habitat for mountain lions because i think they're an endangered species, and I guess they don't want to have to do that cuz at least one thing they'd probably have to do is shorten deer season, which I'm sure some hunters would be annoyed about.
In other animal-related news, my poor baby girl Panda slipped and fell in the pool yesterday. Luckily, it was the shallow end and I was only I guess a few feet away so I was able to get to her quickly, grab her and lift her up and out of the pool and I got out to dry her off and comfort her. She was quite freaked-out, coughing (i'm sure she inhaled some water, possibly when i lifted her up because i grabbed her around the middle :\) a bunch, and her hind legs got scraped and one of them was bleeding, but after she was pretty dried off, we went inside and I gave her some liver snacks and put triple antibiotic ointment on her legs and up between her legs on her underbelly cuz that seemed to have gotten scratched-up as well. She seems fine today though, and Dad said she even was back at the pool, which I guess is good that she's not totally traumatized to the point where she won't go near the pool, but I'm worried about her slipping and falling in again. She'd almost fallen in once earlier yesterday, when Taylor was running around the pool barking at the kids splashing and he knocked into her. Makes me nervous. Now both dogs have fallen in the pool at least once. I actually don't think it's a good idea for the dogs to be out at the pool, because it's not safe, and I don't want them to fall in the pool and drown. Eek. I think Panda falling in the pool scared me about as much as it did her. Jeez.
Other than that, we've seen at least two deer (munching on some dinner over in the field below Jamie's house), one an adult doe and one possibly a fawn, and there was a box turtle crossing the road as we were driving up (luckily Dad avoided hitting it).
