Having been out there almost a dozen times now, one is slightly less apprehensive when walking past the abandoned building on the neighbouring property, and though it looks exactly the sort of place a Horde of Zombies would enjoy hiding out in, has even contemplated taking a quick look in the basement. But probably won't - not only because that would be trespassing, but moreso because everybody knows curiosity killed the cat ...
 |
| Some things are better left undiscovered ... |
While on the subject of large cats, before heading out to the trailer the insomniac made a quick detour into town and stopped at the local Fish & Wildlife Office, under the pretense of inquiring about a fishing license for the spouse, but in reality to quell her fears about carnivorous wildlife in the area. Jokingly, she said to the woman behind the counter, “A person probably doesn't really need to worry about bears and cougars, and is probably overreacting as usual, right?” only to be told a cougar had just recently killed a deer in a neighbour's yard. “So, yes.” the woman warned, “It would be wise to always be aware of your surroundings when out walking.”
The insomniac added Fish & Wildlife's number to her cell phone speed dial list. Which isn't all that helpful really, since there isn't any cell phone reception out there.
 |
| Obviously, a few things have already met an untimely end ... |
Barely two hours after having been warned, the insomniac grabbed her camera and went for a walk by herself. Completely oblivious to anything outside of her viewfinder, as she was taking pictures of a hollow tree stump and wondering what sort of animals lived in it, she managed to completely miss the deer standing directly in front of her. Who, in turn, was so startled at having a camera pointed in its general direction, took off with a great leap and scared the insomniac so badly she almost dropped the camera. Way to be aware of your surroundings, insomniac ... you could have been standing right in front of a cougar and never even noticed.
Should the weekly blog posts ever cease abruptly, check the local newspapers and search for an article entitled “Daft City Woman Killed by Cougar while Attempting Artistic Shot of Dead Tree”. So you'll know what happened.
 |
| Something is definitely living in that tree. Probably not zombies, though ... the holes are too small. |
 |
| The deer on the right is obviously saying, “If I cannot see you, then it follows you cannot see me, either ...” |
All in all, it was a wonderful twenty-four hours. Prior to the torrential downpour just before bedtime, we even heard a Clutch of Coyotes howling nearby. And despite plummeting temperatures in the trailer, the insomniac managed to sleep almost the whole night through, only waking up to: a) wonder if the dead aspen tree beside the trailer would be uprooted during the storm and come crashing through the ceiling; b) bury her head further into the sleeping bag to prevent the tip of her nose from freezing off; and c) check out the newly delivered portapotty at 5:00 a.m., despite all her precautions to prevent that very thing from happening. And at 2°C (35.6°F), that plastic toilet seat was cold. Very cold indeed.
 |
| It could be worse ... |
 |
| It could be this ... |
Until next time, the insomniac wishes you nights of blissful sleep filled with pleasant dreams. And hopefully the coyotes will be singing outside your window tonight, too. Because that part was pretty awesome. Goodnight, my pretties.
