Chiff and Fipple Forums

We do everything we can to support local businesses, but its true there will be a high cost. it's not at all clear how quickly the economy will "bounce back." I'm inclined to think the economic recovery will be quick, but I'm far from an expert.

It's is frustrating to see the debate politicized. We are going to visit out inlaws tomorrow in a different State, a State with very different politics, and we had proposed going for a hike but out in laws think it might be better to stay indoors, because memorial day is traditionally a day of crowds.

How the situation is being dealt with is political. Choices are being made depending on outlook. We're still under lockdown, even if we're in the first phase of easing. Officially no more than 5km of travel for exercise. In fairness, I have travelled up to 25 km to get essentials and was waved through at Garda checkpoints. I drive 10km to get to the baker and supermarket once a week. Most shops are still shut although there too there's been some easing of restrictions.

But overall I only meet people who are cautious and considerate, nobody claiming the 'freedom' to endanger themselves and others as a divine right. Solidarity and care for eachother are choices.

So far so good though We just had a few days of very severe winds, cold and rain but we're back to fair weather now, which helps. I have cut my half acre of grass today and given myself a lockdown haircut. The Cliffs of Moher coastal path is closed because of the impossibility of social distancing without going close to the edge.

Mr.Gumby wrote:... and given myself a lockdown haircut.

Me too. But as I said earlier, I always cut my own. This time, though, I'm half-expecting someone to challenge me over it because they assume I illicitly went to a defiant barber.

Sometimes you just can't win.

Well, at least someone seems to have a sense of humor:

Earlier, I wrote:One of my fellow tenants swears she saw a wolverine a few days ago ...

Assuming it was a wolverine, I expected it was just passing through. But this might not be the case, for yesterday evening I may have caught sight of it myself, and that's a month later. I don't know a whole lot about wolverine behavior apart from the basics, but I wouldn't expect one to make that long of a pit stop in a place like this during its travels, unless it had simply happened to pass through twice. I was at the top of the back stairs and about to go down to the exit stairwell, when through that door's window I caught a floodlit glimpse of the back of some animal trotting past at a purposeful clip. It wasn't much to go by, but what little I saw was startling, because it was utterly alien to any animal I'd ever seen around here before. Definitely mammalian, but definitely not a dog, way too big for a domestic cat, too long (and too big) for a raccoon, and too small for a bear (which would also be just as conventionally unthinkable hereabouts). It took me a moment to remember the woman's possible wolverine sighting, but I quickly realized that what I'd seen had the right coloring, fur texture, back shape, and gait to be a darned good candidate for a wolverine. The mere glimpse was the sort of thing that's so unusual, it makes your stomach drop. By the time I was able to get down to the door for a look-see, it was already gone from sight.

As of this development it's definitely a good idea to have the neighbors keep an eye out just in case. No need for people to be terrified, but some healthy caution - and possibly a rein on their free-ranging pets - would be in order. I should probably give the local DNR a heads-up, too.

Well, with the Urban Leopards in Mumbai, why not wolverines in Minneapolis?
But seriously I always thought Wolverines were solitary and people shy. . .so antisocial that they don´t even like themselves.

Bob

an seanduine wrote:Well, with the Urban Leopards in Mumbai, why not wolverines in Minneapolis?

Indeed, indeed.

an seanduine wrote:But seriously I always thought Wolverines were solitary and people shy. . .so antisocial that they don´t even like themselves.

That is the norm; usually they're elusive if people are around, but cameras show that they're surprisingly less furtive when we're not. Normally they don't even go near human settlement or activity. That's what makes a city sighting so intriguing. It's entirely possible that it has simply steeled its resolve and taken the same best possible route on the way back from where it went to, rather than having taken up residence. And that's pretty newsworthy on its own. But if it has put down stakes, that's going to be even bigger wildlife news, and we can expect that to really grab the boffins' interest.

There's going to be at least one idiot who thinks they can make friends with it so we can all frolic together among the trees.

The local DNR Wildlife Division hasn't gotten back to me yet. They probably think I'm a crackpot.

Last week there was a black bear in the parking lot of the local Catholic school. This is well "inside the beltway" in a very densely populated area. A major interstate freeway runs a few hundred yards away.

https://wjla.com/news/local/necessities ... ction-site

The thing is the bear wandered off and they never located it, so it's still at large. somewhere

PB+J wrote:Last week there was a black bear in the parking lot of the local Catholic school. This is well "inside the beltway" in a very densely populated area. A major interstate freeway runs a few hundred yards away.

https://wjla.com/news/local/necessities ... ction-site

The thing is the bear wandered off and they never located it, so it's still at large. somewhere

Wasn't a woman mauled in Fairfax a year or two ago?

We've had at least two bear sightings where I work (Gaithersburg); I saw some scat a couple of times. I think there was a bear in College Park awhile back, too, and it was there for some weeks. We're taking away their habitat, so they're being forced to be creative.

There's been a fox "marking" my wood pile the last few weeks. Fortunately, it's been on a piece I won't be splitting for awhile.

chas wrote:

PB+J wrote:Last week there was a black bear in the parking lot of the local Catholic school. This is well "inside the beltway" in a very densely populated area. A major interstate freeway runs a few hundred yards away.

https://wjla.com/news/local/necessities ... ction-site

The thing is the bear wandered off and they never located it, so it's still at large. somewhere

Wasn't a woman mauled in Fairfax a year or two ago?

We've had at least two bear sightings where I work (Gaithersburg); I saw some scat a couple of times. I think there was a bear in College Park awhile back, too, and it was there for some weeks. We're taking away their habitat, so they're being forced to be creative.

There's been a fox "marking" my wood pile the last few weeks. Fortunately, it's been on a piece I won't be splitting for awhile.

Gaithersberg is a bit more rural, but still, Gaithersburg? We see foxes all the time now. And the rabbit population has practically vanished. Not a coincidence!

Deer are almost not worth talking about because they have plenty of viable habitat running for miles along the Mississippi river banks; normally you won't see them, but occasionally one wanders into Downtown. You wonder how that happens, because there's nothing to eat. Bears shouldn't be too surprising in the Twin Cities 'burbs, but you never used to hear about them as much as lately. We've had unconfirmed (IOW: no photos or DNR corroboration) cougar sightings in those environs too, and that's an exceptional development suggesting a population comeback, but sightings have been so seldom as to be rare. Human pressure and cats being cats whatever their size, I was never very surprised at that, and I figure it's only a matter of time before cougar sightings are more frequent. I keep coming back to that wolverine, though. In the middle of a city, that's so remarkable and unlikely that you'd think it ranks up there with seeing a chicken in trousers.

As I write this, there's a muntjac somewhere close outside, barking away like crazy. They dun' 'arf make a racket!

benhall.1 wrote:As I write this, there's a muntjac somewhere close outside, barking away like crazy. They dun' 'arf make a racket!

Yes, I was surprised when I first learned that muntjacs have made themselves quite at home in parts of the UK. Do they play nice, or are they considered invasive?

If they're invasive, I hear that they taste mighty fine. Hint-hint, and all.

Nanohedron wrote:

benhall.1 wrote:As I write this, there's a muntjac somewhere close outside, barking away like crazy. They dun' 'arf make a racket!

Yes, I was surprised when I first learned that muntjacs have made themselves quite at home in parts of the UK. Do they play nice, or are they considered invasive?

If they're invasive, I hear that they taste mighty fine. Hint-hint, and all.

They're very invasive. They have no natural predators and they breed at all times of year, with the does capable of breeding from seven months old. I can't stand the things.

Out local butcher is doing a line in muntjac steaks.

Wikipedia wrote:The tanned skin of Reeves's muntjac is notable for its softness and is occasionally used in ... musical instruments, .... Low-fat muntjac meat is also noted for its culinary qualities.

Bodhrans perhaps?