Thanksgiving is only a few days away already. I have been home from the mountain for three weeks already, and have not summarized my season up on the mountain for this year.  Well here is a quick attempt.

 

I had three different bobcat sightings, all very brief, but that is the most I have ever experienced in any year.  Very few folks visiting Shenandoah National Park ever see a bobcat and I saw three.  God doles out blessings to us in wonderful ways, if we can just recognize them.

 

I saw twenty American black bears. 

 

If I want to cheat my bear list a little, I saw the same sow with four cubs twice in the same day separated by three hours, making it twenty-five sightings.  Two days later, I saw three of the cubs in temporary cages as the wildlife team captured the family of "nuisance" bears to relocate them away from populated areas in the park.  That would make twenty-eight sightings of bears.

 

I had a family of red-shouldered hawks raise their three young just a few hundred feet from my cabin porch.  Later in the year, I saw three juvenile red-shouldered hawks near the meadow.  I hope they are doing well.

 

I watched a fawn grow up in my cabin yard.  It walked on unsteady legs in late May.  In June, it ran away from me when I came home evenings, even though momma-doe pretty much ignored me.  By August, it watched me warily but did not run, when I arrived or left.  As its winter coat came in at the end of the season, it lost its spots.

 

All kinds of wildlife surprised me with brief glimpses through out the season.  I did not remember to take notes, but there were ground hogs, raccoons, skunks, chipmunks, squirrels opossums, insects, snakes, and, “What was that?” that caught my attention.   Sometimes I only heard them.  Barred owls, screech owls, coyotes, hawks, and others said hello from somewhere back in the woods from me.

 

I hiked trails new to me; saw places to revisit; a fantastic example of columnar jointing on Compton’s Peak; an empty can of “Esso” brand oil; broken pieces of discarded china plates, cups, and saucers near Skyland. 

 

I approached the park at several remote boundary points instead of via the four main entrances to the park.  

 

I participated on two carryout rescues, drove down a fire road alone to rescue an injured hiker; and, sadly, provided transport for some volunteer folks who had just helped with a recovery.

 

I received training on safe handling of poisonous snakes with proper equipment.   The training was hands-on with a four-foot timber rattlesnake.

 

Of course, there were the people, my wonderful co-workers, relatives who visited with me, and the visitors that I served.