Discovered from my neighbor John that the red fox I mentioned yesterday comes to Elk Run often. Our wild neighbors have their habits. On Shadow Mountain three yearling does came often, crossing Black Mountain Drive to dine below a large aspen. Three Elk bucks came, for four years straight, in the first week of June to enjoy fresh dandelion blooms in my backyard,

Sighting wild neighbors bonds those of us who live in the mountains. Bears. Mountain lions. Moose. Our shared home gives delight to all of us.

The nights have gotten longer, their temperatures dropping into the high forties. Fall, so reluctant these past few years, does come. Later than in the past. Though the golden aspens appear, daytime heat remains higher than normal.

Last year’s poor snowfall and the subsequent diminished rain fall in spring and summer drove our black bear population down mountains in search of food. More trash cans spilled. More human-bear encounters. More euthanized bears.  A low visibility tragedy.

May super El Nino bring us snow. Lots of snow.