Ramble with Storm: Taming the wild & tractor pulls

Mulling things on my morning ramble with Storm, the family’s mixed Lab.

The meathead was wild this morning.

With the town’s 25th anniversary of its Pumpkin Fest, many vendors were setting up as we set out before dawn.

So there was plenty of news sights and smells for Storm. And he got in a tizzy.

A blue jay squawked down the alley as we set out. But with all the hubbub in town, that was it for wildlife in town.

Out on the extended ramble, they are setting up for the annual tractor pull on Sunday. Tractor pulls are a piece of Americana that must be experienced in all of their dirt-spinning, ear-splitting excess to be fully appreciated.

They are a bit like car wrecks. You feel vaguely guilty looking at the celebration of American gas-guzzling, yet are filled with a certain wonder at the power of these machines man made.

For some reason, dozens of robins were picking something in the grass on the extended ramble this morning. A couple mourning doves and one northern flicker were mixed in.

I wonder if there was some seed dried enough in the weeds the town guys cut this week in preparation for the tractor pull.

Mow the natural to paste the manmade.

On the south shore of the north old clay pit, a great blue heron hunted. It allowed me to get close enough to take a decent photo.

Now I wonder if it is getting used to Storm and me enough to lose its native sense or wild wariness. Try saying that fast: wild wariness.

I wonder about these things.

Ten Canada geese swam very quietly on the north end of the north pit. Beside them and the heron, the town pond was relatively quiet.

Back in town, four mourning doves picked grit under the bur oaks a street over. Far to the south as we neared home, Canada geese honked.

Then, I spotted something i had not seen in weeks: a Eurasian collared-dove on the roof of the neighbor’s garage.

Surprises.