WLBOTT’s Peaceable Kingdom

Good morning, esteemed Gentleblotters, I hope all are well on this beautiful Saturday morning!

Since the Elders of WLBOTT cover a wide geographic range, I thought it might be interesting if we list our suburban wildlife sightings.

Here’s a partial list for me (Austin):

frequent: Armadillo, possum, squirrel, deer, hawks, buzzards/vultures, a variety of beautiful birds, fire ants, lightening bugs

less frequent: coyote, skunks, snakes (including one in the bathtub), owls, a bird nesting in one of Daniel’s shoes

rare: wild turkeys, fox, scorpions

If you send me your lists, I will blott-a-tize your responses. You can include past urban/suburban locations, stories of encounters, etc.

– UC#4

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UC#4 – Snake in the Bathtub

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UC#4 – The Peaceable Kingdom of Central Texas

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UC#1

Most common sighting: crow, magpie, rabbit, various tiny songbirds that somehow survive here all winter without turning into feather covered ice-cubes.

Occasional sightings: bluejay, brown squirrel (last seen in a cage being transported to the local golf course)

Sightings we could do without: obnoxious neighborhood dogs

UC#1

UC#1 – The Peaceable Kingdom of Obnoxious Dogs and Golf Course Squirrels

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One notable wildlife spotting occurred about 50 years ago when I went winter camping with a friend. I managed to get my little Datsun into the muskeg and dropped the wheels through the ice. We had spotted a work camp a few miles up the road on the way in (we used miles back then), so I decided to hike back there and see if they could help pull us out. Along the way, I was shadowed by a coyote who, like a typical dog, wouldn’t get near unless it observed some sign of weakness, like me slipping and injuring myself. I didn’t fall and eventually it got tired and went looking for something smaller.

I made it to the work camp but the only person there was the cook, everyone else was on weekend leave. But we convinced him to take his jeep and drive out to our stranded car. He attached a long tow-rope to the back axel and, leaving considerable slack in the rope, took a run at it. He managed to launch the Datsun about 30’ out of the icefield, and after giving him a bottle of our finest rum, he was on his way and we were again secure in the knowledge that we could get out of there alive.

Also, many years ago, I stopped at the summit of Going To The Sun Road in Glacier National Park in Montana. From the walkway we could see a very large grizzly roaming the grasslands. It was probably a quarter-mile away and, fortunately, didn’t get any closer.

UC#1

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Another close encounters of the “stop and change your underwear” variety:

This time in my Austin Mini, in Eastern Alberta, I rounded a corner in a heavily wooded area and a moose that was about 3 times the size of the Datsun stepped out into the middle of the road and glared at me while I skidded to a stop in the loose gravel. After what seemed like an hour or so (about 10 seconds) he disappeared in an instant back into the woods. I don’t think I would have actually collided with him if I didn’t stop in time – I would have just driven under him.

UC#1

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UC#2

UC#2 has access to a significant subset of the Pacific Ocean, and with that comes birds, aqua-animals, and low tide critters, plus all the suburban SoCal wildlife.

Frequent:	Less Frequent:	Rare:
Bees Crane Flies Crows Ducks Gophers Great and White Herons Hermit Crabs Hummingbirds Orioles Pelicans Rabbits Raccoons Sand Flees Sand Pipers Sea Gulls Sea Urchins Skunks Turban Snails	Beach Squirrels Dolphins Garter Snakes Plough (sp?)	Black/Brown Widows Japanese Shiny Beetle Rattle Snakes Sea Hares Sea Slugs Seals Sharks Star Fish Whales

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Under the “Less Frequent” category, UC#2 mentioned the “Plough”. We may have misunderstood UC#2.

He may have been referring to wattled ploughbill:

Or he may have been referring to the painting Ploughing in the Nivernais by Rosa Bonheur.

Ploughing in the Nivernais (French: Labourage nivernais), also known as Oxen ploughing in Nevers or Plowing in Nivernais, is an 1849 painting by French artist Rosa Bonheur. It depicts two teams of oxen ploughing the land, and expresses deep commitment to the land; it may have been inspired by the opening scene of George Sand’s 1846 novel La Mare au Diable. Commissioned by the government and winner of a First Medal at the Salon in 1849, today it is held in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris.

Wikipedia

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Or perhaps ploughing in general….

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UC#3

Houston Metroplex

Armadillos – buried into our yard. Animal control suggested we put moth balls in hole. We did and the critter moved to our neighbors yard.

Feral hogs – huge problem in South Texas now. They tear up everything.

Coyote – wandered through our backyard when we lived on the creek. Looked anemic.

Copperhead snake – I decapitated it and came back 10 minutes later to remove the carcass and the severed head was still moving.

Raccoons – had major raccoon problem – they ate a hole in our siding and got into our attic. Had to hire a raccoon wrangler to get him out.

Rat – we used to feed the squirrels in our backyard and a rat showed to join in the fun. Good example of bi-partisan cooperation.

Owls, herons, woodpeckers

UC#3

HousTex Peaceable Kingdom and Ship Channel Mutations

Semi-Rural Maryland

Foxes – size of dogs and run fast and have an interesting bark. Stole my sandals and talking with neighbors and doing research, apparently foxes have a shoe fetish.

Deer – both roaming and dead on the road

Bald eagles, hawks, nutria, fuzzy caterpillars , ducks

UC#3

UC#3’s Maryland Peaceable Kingdom

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Semi-Sequiturs

Muskeg

Muskeg is referenced in Gordon Lightfoot’s song Canadian Trilogy:

So over the mountains and over the plains
Into the Muskage and into the rain
Up to St. Lawrence on the way to Gaspé
Swingin' our hammers and drawin' our pay

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What is muskeg? / Що таке мускег? / ¿Qué es el mosquete? / Qu’est-ce que la fondrière?

Muskeg (Ojibwe: mashkiig; Cree: maskīk; French: fondrière de mousse, lit. moss bog) is a peat-forming ecosystem found in several northern climates, most commonly in Arctic and boreal areas. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bog or peatland, and is a standard term in Western Canada and Alaska. The term became common in these areas because it is of Cree origin; maskek (ᒪᐢᑫᐠ) meaning “low-lying marsh”.

Wikipedia

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Peaceable Kingdom

Peaceable Kingdom is an oil painting by Edward Hicks (1780-1849) that depicts biblical and historical scenes to illustrate peaceful coexistence. The painting is 24 x 31.25 in and was painted between 1844 and 1846. It is part of Hicks’ Peaceable Kingdom series, which expresses his idealized view of the world.

Google AI

Quaker beliefs prohibited a lavish life or having excessive quantities of objects or materials. Unable to maintain his work as a preacher and painter at the same time, Hicks transitioned into a life of painting, and he used his canvases to convey his beliefs. He was unconfined by rules of his congregation, and able to freely express what religion could not: the human conception of faith.

Although it is not considered a religious image, Hicks’ Peaceable Kingdom exemplifies Quaker ideals. Hicks painted 62 versions of this composition. The animals and children are taken from Isaiah 11:6–8 (also echoed in Isaiah 65:25), including the lion eating straw with the ox. Hicks used his paintings as a way to define his central interest, which was the quest for a redeemed soul. This theme was also from one of his theological beliefs

Hicks’ work was influenced by a specific Quaker belief referred to as the ‘Inner Light’. George Fox and other founding Quakers had established and preached the Inner Light doctrine. Fox explained that along with scriptural knowledge, many individuals achieve salvation by yielding one’s self-will to the divine power of Christ and the “Christ within”.

Wikipedia

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AI .vs. Peaceable Kingdom

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