Jumpin' Javelina

I was enjoying a nice twilight spin. Just cruising to burn some calories so I could have a beer with dinner.

My helmet light was on. The day light had faded away, and it was less than 15 minutes to hard dark.

I had come out of the Serpentine and was motorin' south down the undulating singletrack.

There is a strange sound ahead of me. Plus it looks like a big, gray rock is moving by the trail. Then this gray rock turns and has two bright spots for eyes.

A javelina - the first I've seen in the wild.

I lock up the brakes to a stop. The beast trots across the trail to a rise about 30 feet away and looks at me with a sideways stare.

It wasn't that big. About the size of my 50 pound dalmatian (but a bit stockier). So I expect it was a juvenile.

I look around to see if there were any others. Didn't see any. Got on the bike and sped away.

Of course, after that I felt frosty and was hyper-alert to every sound - like when I flushed a couple of birds and then almost ran into them mid-air.

A well-earned and tasty beer for, um, I mean, with dinner.

(Unfortunately - I was without camera for the photo op.)

Pretty Girl!

Sierra started out very skittish and shy.

Now that a few weeks have gone by, she has really settled in and is a real Ms. Personality.

She loves to see her people. And she loves to be petted. Happy happy.

Such a Pretty Girl!

Signal Peak Challenge '08

The Battle of the Gilanders is nigh

Ay ye lither sumfs

Graith ye staig fer the lairge fecht

Do ye Clans prood wit a fest onfaw on the muntain

Critters

Photos of some recent wildlife on the trails.