James and I have been busy little worker bees today. I had figured that he’d want to split up our responsibilities for the day so it was a pleasant surprise when he suggested we team up, first for a.m. signals on Hilltop, then for loading carcasses into the truck to take to the thaw box. We ATV’d after to the trailhead of White Rabbit Draw, to hike down to collect memory cards and change the batteries on the motion sensor cameras. I felt a little lame hiking back up the steep trail since James is a speedy hiker and I’m well…not.
However, on the way back to the house, we had this amazing Pocahontas moment: turning the corner on our ATVs, we startled a group of deer who darted off the trail and took up running alongside us. It made me want to burst into song. When I tried to explain to James what a magical thing had just happened, he looked confused. “You mean, the live action Pocahontas?” Beg your pardon. What live-action Pocahontas?* And how could my reference pertain to anything other than a Disney movie?? Live-action Pocahontas.... *shakes head disparagingly*The weather this week has necessitated the use of ATVs—the roads here turn to mud with little provocation. We were feeding tonight: one calf at the flight pen and two calves, four rabbits at North Rim. I was worried about looking like too much of a girl if I let James take the two calves, and worried about handling the two calves if I let my pride get the better of me. Two calves isn’t bad if you’re driving the truck with the lift gate in the back, but if I had to dead lift (no pun intended) a calf up to the height of the ATV my back might just give out. Turns out, I needn’t have worried. We figured that the roads were probably driveable if we took the long way around, and together we climbed in the truck. I was relieved.
We need a carcass-delivery soundtrack. Now taking suggestions.
In other news, my axe-handling skills are much improved.
*Oh right, there was that terrible (or so I heard) movie with Colin Farrell
