... From My Front Door

[us56456712]

Officially, there are no cougars around here, but I hear about the occasional sighting. I haven't seen evidence of one, I'd be happy to keep it that way. Not remote enough for wolves at this site, but I've heard a pack howling elsewhere. Pretty spooky stuff

The DNR had an official cougar denial program with public talks about how they didn’t exist here. I’ve seen two and my wife saw one I did‘t see and another. Then they started showing up on trail cams. The DNR verified the location background match to the photos. Now the same department is collecting data. They claim they’re mostly released or escaped pets but there have been newspaper reports of sightings going back 100 years. Because they weren’t supposed to be here the press called them “mystery cats”. They have also recently been trail cam photographs of them in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The DNR says they’re escaped illegal pets. They don’t want to deal with a plan for another endangered species. Scat DNA collected up here by graduate students has verified that some are eastern cats, some western, some mixed. I’m pretty sure one will be captured on a trail or security camera where Matti is in Canada.

 

[ingola]

The DNR had an official cougar denial program with public talks about how they didn’t exist here. I’ve seen two and my wife saw one I did‘t see and another. Then they started showing up on trail cams. The DNR verified the location background match to the photos. Now the same department is collecting data. They claim they’re mostly released or escaped pets but there have been newspaper reports of sightings going back 100 years. Because they weren’t supposed to be here the press called them “mystery cats”. They have also recently been trail cam photographs of them in the northern lower peninsula of Michigan. The DNR says they’re escaped illegal pets. They don’t want to deal with a plan for another endangered species. Scat DNA collected up here by graduate students has verified that some are eastern cats, some western, some mixed. I’m pretty sure one will be captured on a trail or security camera where Matti is in Canada.

They are here near my work, Matti we see them.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Spring seems here for reals...

But I bet there's still a little more snow to come

 

[ingola]

Spring seems here for reals...View attachment 228221
But I bet there's still a little more snow to come

Calling for it this week

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Calling for it this week

Ayuh, I was out last night in the rain and it was about two above. Wouldn't be surprised, I have been warning people that we're not done yet. Latest snow I can remember is the second week of May. I picked up S Bradley off the ground where he was sleeping, there was a body shaped patch of grass in the snow

 

[MattiThundrrr]

 

[ingola]

View attachment 228860View attachment 228861

You need to tell me when you go for a ride I was off today

 

[ingola]

Ayuh, I was out last night in the rain and it was about two above. Wouldn't be surprised, I have been warning people that we're not done yet. Latest snow I can remember is the second week of May. I picked up S Bradley off the ground where he was sleeping, there was a body shaped patch of grass in the snow

We've all picked him up off the ground

 

[MattiThundrrr]

You need to tell me when you go for a ride I was off today

I had a few errands downtown, was a struggle with the wind. Everything eastbound felt like uphill, even the downhills, so I made it leg day. I went up all the big hills instead of down them. Even did some of them twice. Gotta catch up with the ones who have been riding all winter.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Around here, we love our roadside chip stands. Fries, dogs, pogos, burgers, obviously poutine... When I was a kid, the chip truck would roll around neighborhoods bringing the greasy goods to your door. It kinda faded away over the years, but during pandemic, a few trucks came back. This however, is a whole new level. Chip BOAT!

We are living in the future, folks. This is progress

 

[ingola]

Around here, we love our roadside chip stands. Fries, dogs, pogos, burgers, obviously poutine... When I was a kid, the chip truck would roll around neighborhoods bringing the greasy goods to your door. It kinda faded away over the years, but during pandemic, a few trucks came back. This however, is a whole new level. Chip BOAT!View attachment 230859
We are living in the future, folks. This is progress

I'm not allowed to like that rick has 4 chipstands one going in on the bike path my daughter works at.Poutine and water bad mix.

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I'm not a fan of Gaetan's. That one on Tollgate and Pitt has messed my order too many times. I was just supporting the technology and ingenuity, along with the entrepreneurial spirit. I'd like to see it at the camp this summer.
I'll take the Loose Caboose or Seguin Patates most times. There's one across the Hawkesbury bridge in Quebec, fries aren't all that great, but the burgers are pure heaven.
J Kennedy used to have on just up the Two from here, his fry quality was top notch. Dude was obsessed, took a drive across the counties with him once, he wanted to stop at every stand we passed. He sampled product, talked to the cooks, it got pretty weird, had to stop him after two or three

 

[MattiThundrrr]

My town. Looks great from about 270°.

South

East

West.

North. what a lovely spot for a waste water treatment plant

 

[MattiThundrrr]

But we're doing big things for cycling here. These stations have been set up along the bike path, I've seen a couple of them.

Air pump, a spot to hang a bike, a decent set of tools...

I don't know what's under the red cover, but I assume e bike charging station

 

[ingola]

But we're doing big things for cycling here. These stations have been set up along the bike path, I've seen a couple of them.View attachment 231051
Air pump, a spot to hang a bike, a decent set of tools...View attachment 231053View attachment 231054
I don't know what's under the red cover, but I assume e bike charging station View attachment 231055

Where they put that in. That water treatment place is coming out soon we have the contract

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Where they put that in. That water treatment place is coming out soon we have the contract

That's at the college. I saw another one this winter at the UC Bird Sanctuary, whaaaaaaaaay at the other end

 

[MattiThundrrr]

Papa Thundrrr casts a long shadow

Took Lil Thundrrr on some trails today. He had a blast, even the hike a bike sections. After he waited patiently for the Duck's photo shoots, he asked if he could get some pictures of his bike too. This one was his idea, he staged it.

"Wow. We really had a great adventure today, didn't we?"

 

[MattiThundrrr]

@ingola and I took a hike. We brought bikes

There's two bikes in that picture, his is so light you can barely see it

Let's not talk about fitness, m'kay?

 

[ingola]

@ingola and I took a hike. We brought bikesView attachment 232185View attachment 232186
There's two bikes in that picture, his is so light you can barely see it

I found another tick in my lower region

 

[MattiThundrrr]

I found another tick in my lower region

Oh snap I forgot I wanted to remind people about that; they're out and active, we brought THREE of the buggers home. Now I'll be itchy all day