Last week, while driving the back roads to nearby Dawson, NE, Dave and I saw a critter we weren't immediately able to identify. A little internet research, coupled with knowledge of the color, size and tail shape of the mystery varmint, lead us to believe we had spotted a woodchuck, aka ground hog or whistle pig, depending on where you live.
A few days later, when Dave and I set out on our daily BDW (Big Dog Walk) - necessary to keep us both healthy and Gabby from driving us nuts with her high energy level - we decided to explore farther from home and see if we could spot Mr. Woodchuck again. Since we're trying to be healthy, but aren't fanatic, we decided the 10 mile round-trip was a bit much on foot, so we parked a little over a mile from the spot and walked in.
Along the way, Gabby made a few new friends - what is the fascination cattle have with this dog?
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| That's a donkey hiding behind the longhorn |
When we reached the spot where the woodchuck had scurried across the road, we went "off-road" and discovered a shaded, dry creek-bottom bursting with autumn color.
No luck spotting the woodchuck again, but Dave thought that surely he had been there because there was lots of wood chucked around (groan). After about twenty minutes of exploring, it was back out to the dusty, sunny road and back towards home.
Dave spotted this interesting juxtaposition, but unfortunately my camera didn't have enough zoom to capture it clearly.
What are you missing? If you look closely along the horizon, those vague gray shapes are wind turbins - the modern counterpart to the abandoned windmill. Clicking on the picture to enlarge may help, but if you still can't spot them, here's a hint:
Still don't see it? Well trust me, it was cool.
