Put aside romantic notions of living in country

Has yours started routinely?

"It Might as Well Be Spring" is a song from the 1945 film "State Fair." It was written by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

 

Feeling rather proud and relaxed today. Yesterday was the big day when I get my mower equipment outside and see if they respond after the long winter. We can state with resolution that spring is here. Should be a most upbeat comment. However, there is some breath-holding to see if your lawn care equipment can get going. 

I do not have a token piece of property. We are mostly rural even though we're in the city limits. The property is large compared to the typical in-town lots. I'm thinking of the in-town lots in the older core residential parts of Morris. And we're seeing an evolution with more people setting up residence in the fringe of town, if not even further out. I see earth being moved for further development out by the bypass. Interesting little community unto itself being formed out there. 

So, I think more and more people are dealing with rural issues. What I'm pointing to here, mainly, is dealing with wildlife. You learn quickly in such a setting that it is no routine matter. I remember that during (the worst of) covid, a "prestige" magazine had a feature on big city people sort of retreating to the peaceful country. "Peaceful" yes but only to an extent. 

A family was interviewed where their existence was shattered by beavers! The father seemed to break down and he uttered the pronouncement "beavers come right out of hell." I can fully understand such feelings. Last spring I had my second episode of dealing with skunks. Mention skunks and so many people have their stories to tell. 

I'm writing this in May which is when the black and white creatures have their young ones. Your first impulse would be to kill them. I suspect that's what my father would have done. And it's so tough to let weeks go by and do nothing. I figured I had to, as I did not want to risk having a dead animal under a structure. Skunks do not dig tunnels but they will widen an existing opening. That's how I spot one. 

But after my little "scare" of last year, I think my whole property has been addressed so there's no re-occurrence. I should have known better last year because I had one previous scare. But last year I wanted to keep my storage shed easily accessible so I left a small spot "open." I hadn't seen the creatures around for a couple years. I could tell one morning that a creature had dug under. Good assumption it's a skunk. And it was. 

 

Keep an eye out

I saw skunks along the north end of the biking/walking trail last spring too. I advised Sharon Martin of this and she later told me she had seen them as well. 

Skunks actually have a pleasant disposition. And they can afford to, because they know they have the most powerful weapon against any predator, no matter how big. 

The "kits" finally came out last spring at my residence - four cute little buggers - and I must say, they with their mother were about the cutest sight you could imagine! It would be nice to appreciate them that way. But they are skunks. Killing them is risky. 

I have found that they do "move on." 

I have gotten reports from neighbors who have live-trapped them and then either release them elsewhere or shoot them. And be careful when killing them of course. I imagine prompt burial is a must. But enough about skunks. Because there is such an array of nature. 

You'll see mink east of town

The east coast media has also given us Dana Milbank of the Washington Post, columnist, who has flown off the handle just like the guy who talked about the beavers. In Milbank's case his grievance was about overpopulation of deer. So I guess there are probably serious consequences of this. We are reminded that hunting seasons exist for a reason. 

There is a season for predator hunting. I learned when I was with the Morris newspaper that some people get angry at photos of coyotes and foxes who have been "bagged" by hunters. Well, they're "dogs" and thus objects of affection for lots of people. Probably best not to share such photos in mass media. The same might be said of pictures with the "triumphant" deer hunters holding up the head of a nice "buck" they bagged. 

I have now dealt with nature enough that I cannot second-guess hunting activity. We should never develop an emotional attachment to creatures in the wild. Never weep for a death. Just let these creatures deal with the vicissitudes of their wild state, with "natural selection." It's God's plan. 

 

(Carleton College image)

Foxes, rabbits in the mix

Looks like there's a fox close to our neighborhood of Northridge Drive again. I have seen the fox scamper through my back yard twice recently. Often these animals do not look real healthy. A couple years ago I saw a fox lying in my back yard for a few minutes. Otherwise they are always bounding along and I get only a fleeting look. 

I know many people hate rabbits. Many kill them with no hesitation. We certainly get rabbits where I live, and if anything I have felt tempted to feel affection for them - cute. But I have to resist that. I do not kill them. They have never encroached on the zinnia flowers that I like planting in front of the portico. I know many gardeners consider them like Mr. Milbank considered deer. 

Once the natural world has encroached on you in some way, you'll be resolved to eradicate the problem. By any means necessary. 

I have never seen coyotes out along the biking/walking trail. But I know someone who has, former pastor at my church in fact. We cannot feel 100 percent certain that they are not a menace to human safety. We cannot even rule out seeing a bear out there. No reports of that yet. I think chipmunks are harmless. 

The wild world is impressed on us in this spring time of year. 

 

Good fortune

I had a good day yesterday because my mowing equipment got started and performed. Now I have to worry about just what kind of gas to use! You'll hear people debating "87" gas versus "91" gas. They will swear by one or the other. I'm nostalgic for the days when gas was just "gas." And now we have to wonder if we should switch over to battery-powered. I scratch my head sometimes.

- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com