This blogger program is not acting right lately. I better back it all up in case they crash and burn.
It ate another post. It's in there. Saved. But won't let me access it. So I tried to start a new post. It just hung up for an hour. Technology meltdown I guess.
I was spared the horrible damage that wreaked havoc on neighbors just north of me. I am super duper uber lucky. Tiger Mountain Cutlery on U.S. 441 North in Mountain City, Georgia was literally cut in half. Check out the picture.
The storm last night was scary. I was out at midnight, taking the awning down, wishing I had done it sooner. Then as an afterthought, I grabbed up all of little Harley's toys that were outside. He was waiting anxiously at the screened door, as I tossed the toys inside. I grabbed his leash, taking him on a final last-call to water the bushes. This was past midnight. We don't usually go out that late, but since I was up and he was up, seemed liked a good idea.
We took a short walk, then came back through the yard, at the edge of the forest.
That's when we heard IT.
IT let out what sounded like a mountain lion or bob cat, grumble or growl. It reminded me of when we saw the mountain lion in Georgia last June at Lake Strom Thurmond (Clarks Hill Lake).
I wrote about that mountain lion last June; "Something In The Bush".
IT sent a chill down my back last night. Thoughts raced through my mind of all the times we had heard loud crashing in the woods late at night. Cats can see very well after dark. That's when they hunt. At the time, we thought it was the deer thrashing about, or Big Foot. Yeah, I had been joking with my friends that Big Foot wakes me up at night. We've seen the deer around. We haven't see Big Foot.
I turned to flee, but Harley, wanted to confront IT. He was of course barking loudly, tugging at the leash, intent on protecting us and our area.
Well, I was a total wimp. We were maybe 50 feet from the motorhome. I made it in 3 steps! Poor Harley was yanked along with me. When I paused at the door, forgetting in my panic, HOW TO OPEN THE DOOR, Harley ran back to the end of the long leash giving IT another loud verbal thrashing.
For those of you not familiar with a motorhome, the door doesn't come with a doorknob, at least mine didn't. It has a latch. I stood there like an idiot, fumbling for a door knob that didn't exist.
Finally I got the latch open, pulled on the leash while Harley was furiously barking up his own roar, got him in the door, which I slammed then firmly locked. Something was cooking in the crockpot, had the odors attracted IT? (I often cook things overnight in the crockpot. )
I ran around closing all the windows. Harley was now up in the driver's seat, still barking up a storm, like he wanted to bust out the window.
Finally I calmed us both down. We sat in bed wide awake. I got out his brush and PawFume spray, then groomed him. Next, we played tug-of-war with the teddy bear. Then we played toss the teddy bear. Then we played bouncy ball.
Next I checked the map. The last time we saw a mountain lion, was Mistletoe State Park in Georgia. As the crow flies, less than 100 miles southeast of here. In nine months time, a mountain lion or bobcat could easily traverse the area, following the rivers that connect the lakes. While we didn't SEE a mountain lion last night, something grumbled or growled at us, like a large cat warning us, and it was very close by in the woods. It seemed to be be only feet away when I heard it. I would have liked to have passed it off as imagination (safer that way!) but Harley was hysterical.
Now we were safe and sound in bed, when the phone rang. A friend warning me that they were watching TV (I don't have a TV) that a bad storm was on the way with possible tornadoes.
The storm came, hiting with thunder, lightning and pounding rains on the roof. The motorhome rocked and rolled like a small ship lost in a big storm. I just prayed the tornadoes stayed away from us. I sure didn't want to be running for cover elsewhere, with IT out there.
Whatever IT was.
Which by the way, mountain lions do eat deer. That link takes you to an interesting article and pictures of a mountain lion dragging a dead deer. I've seen deer around here several times. I've tried to capture their picture, but they flee!
Last year I did a ton of research on mountain cats in Georgia. Now that I'm looking at it again I find some interesting information.
June 2010, I saw a mountain lion near Lake Strom Thurmond in Appling, Georgia. (90 miles from me currently)
April 2010, mountain lion reported in Georgia but town not mentioned, it's on a mountain lion forum.
June 2009, 3 big cat reports in Hall County Georgia. (40 miles from me)
November 2008, mountain lion killed by a hunter in Troup County Georgia (about 160 miles from me).
Two weeks prior, in November 2008, a trail cam caught a picture of a mountain lion in Harris County Georgia. (180 miles from me currently)
November and December 2007, cougar sightings in Clemson, SC (Clemson is also on Hartwell Lake)
October 2006, cougar sightings in Franklin County, Georgia (I am in Franklin County, Georgia now)
Well, I went out looking for evidence today and got some astonishing pictures! More on that tomorrow, I am dead tired now.
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Be careful out there -- this weather is scary. With or without IT.
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