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The raccoons are coming sooner and sooner after dark to loudly eat the kitten food, and last night I found Mama Violet spitting and swiping at a raccoon, her tail fluffed up in the middle like a snake that had swallowed a rat, while Monty and another kitten sat on the steps. I felt like a terrible meanie taking the kitten food dish away so the raccoon would leave. Tonight when I heard the crunching, one raccoon was on the porch and fled down the steps, while the other took to the tree and kept coming back. Eventually I heard softer noises and found Mama Violet had brought some kittens back, so I quickly put the kitten kibble back out along with a late supper. I hope they managed to eat in peace.
It was much less hot today—93 on a forecast high of 88, which felt almost cool after 102 two days in a row and higher before that—and breezy, but there was that warning of a particulates count of 157. And I found I'd been right in my fear about the reddish light from the east; Mount Hamilton did start burning, although so far they've managed to save Lick Observatory. Horrifying timelapse video from the Hamcam on the observatory Facebook page.
Added on the 29th:
* Photo of fire scar up to the base of the observatory, on UC Observatories' Facebook page
* Wired story about the observatory and the fire
Near the top of this photo, there is a tail pointing upwards. In the murk below it is the body. I think.
And in the middle of this image is an upside-down body. With eyes but no tail.
It was much less hot today—93 on a forecast high of 88, which felt almost cool after 102 two days in a row and higher before that—and breezy, but there was that warning of a particulates count of 157. And I found I'd been right in my fear about the reddish light from the east; Mount Hamilton did start burning, although so far they've managed to save Lick Observatory. Horrifying timelapse video from the Hamcam on the observatory Facebook page.
Added on the 29th:
* Photo of fire scar up to the base of the observatory, on UC Observatories' Facebook page
* Wired story about the observatory and the fire
Near the top of this photo, there is a tail pointing upwards. In the murk below it is the body. I think.
And in the middle of this image is an upside-down body. With eyes but no tail.