A Moose Sighting.

Yesterday evening as I walked by the front door I happened to glance out the front window. At first, what I saw, reminded me of our calf 'Steerseye.' But something wasn't quite right and I went and took a longer look. I'm glad I did. It was a cow moose. They really look nothing like cows even in the early evening light, but the way she was standing at the end of the driveway made her into just a dark shape in a darkening world. I was quite grateful it was not Steerseye as I would have had to walk through very deep snow to get in front of him to push him back into the yard as he spooks easily and I really didn't want him on the road.

I love moose. We used to have a cow moose and her, that years, calf come and visit us while I was growing up. She always went right for the garden spot and Mom says she went right to the broccoli and cauliflower plants and ate them as quickly as possible.  If I remember right the calf didn't get much.. it was chased off. Perhaps this garden treat was similar to chocolate for women :)

 Mrs. Moose in our driveway.. chewing on the willow. She doesn't look very big here but that willow is twice as tall as I am :) In the bottom picture she's scratching her back. That LUMP of snow right in front of her is our Toyota Corolla Station wagon.. or at least the snow covering said car. These are the best two pictures of the bunch! BTW anyone who is looking for said car is welcome to her. She's white.. she has problems that aren't too bad and she's cluttering up the place. Oh and we totally outgrew her :) 

As this was only the 2nd moose to be seen on our place I was super excited! I hollered for the kids and they came running. I placed them all around the window and we OHHHH'd and AHHHHhhhed over her.  She was alone which surprised me as the one that lives in our lease had a calf this fall. So there are either two, which is doubtful, or she's lost her calf sometime between then and now. The cow Papa had seen earlier this year in the hay had not had a calf with her either. I suspect this moose came through our yard and wandered out the driveway as Maggie was hiding by the milking area and bawling. The kids were SUPER excited too and we stood there and watched her for about 2 minutes when J and I had the same idea. I was already heading to find the camera when he said. "MOM GET THE CAMERA!! TAKE A PICTURE!!!' It was all very exciting :) I did get the camera and I did take several pictures but NO good ones as the light was terrible and it being -22 outside I really didn't want to stay out long. Oh and the fact that I was so far way.. NOT that I was going to go closer.. Well... I MIGHT have if it hadn't been so cold. She browsed on the little willow at the end of the driveway then wandered on to the road and stood there by the end of the driveway and scratched her back! No kidding!! Just like Maggie does.. one leg at a funny angle and her teeth on her back. After she was on the road she slowly wandered her way past our middle hole in the trees on the way down the road. (That's when I would have gone closer.. even if she'd been mad I could have easily made it inside before she fought her way through all that snow in between us or gone around back on the driveway!) Chip either didn't notice her at all or just didn't care as he made no mention of her passing at all. After she'd gone on down the road we smiled at each other and went back to our doings. I wonder if some day the kids will remember the excitement of the moose in the coming dark on our very own driveway!

Oh and for those of you in warmer climates.. Yes these pictures really were taken on February 28th. 2011. This is truly what our yard looks like at the moment. :)