Urban logging

Nov. 25, 2019

That guy up there who is removing a 50 year-old Doug fir in a residential neighborhood has a lot more guts than I do.

Whether in the woods or in the town, logger work is dangerous, risky, and those who perform it have my total respect.

As I approached this worksite I saw a lot of raccoons and squirrels fanning out away from the tree-cutting. They were running through the neighborhood with little suitcases.

Squirrels or crows

Mar. 15, 2019

Setting up the last of the fallen walnuts for the squirrels or crows.

Creature comforts

Nov. 18, 2018

A carpet of fallen black walnuts in McCleary equal free eats for a wide variety of wild critters in the cold months ahead.

If it happens in the woods, it can happen in McCleary city limits

Sept. 20, 2018

A forensic look at this brings me to the conclusion that a large bird of prey probably took off with one the squirrels in my yard, or possibly one of the wild rabbits. I've seen owls, eagles, hawks, and falcons fly through here over the years.

There have been coyote and cougar sightings reported from residential neighborhoods in the last few months. A few years ago I saw a huge porcupine sauntering down a city street.

One animal I used to see a lot around here but not much anymore-- the possum.

Let's not get started on raccoons.

Yes, there are squirrels in McCleary

Jan. 8, 2017

I have heard it said that there are no squirrels in McCleary. In fact, I would wager there have been more sightings of Sasquatch than squirrels around here during the past decade.

In the last five or six years there is a yard in the southwest part of town that has occasionally harbored a large squirrel. This winter that same yard has not one but two, yes, two squirrels. Here is a photo of one of them-- not exactly a great photo, but hey, this is a flip cellphone. Even so, it is still more detailed and has more clarity than your usual Sasquatch photograph.