helen, I am visiting the Oklahoma forum regularly now because of you talking about it. They are a dedicated bunch
of gardeners and I am really enjoying it.

Dawn is the one who sent me onion plants. I have been following her story closely. It's always the same way; when you bring up wild varmints online controversy arises. Sometimes it gets a little ugly too. I agree. Dawn saw the darned cat! She is not a hysterical person or someone who makes things up. It has got to be frustrating for her.

I won't go out very far after dark. I am a coward about dark. A neighbor called us a couple of years ago who said she was driving home just after dark and saw a huge cat with a long tail sail over our fence and cross the road and go into the neighbor's field. She thought it was a cougar. A near neighbor swears there is a mother who has been in the area for several years and that he has seen her and her two babies several times. He lives on Asher Creek.
He also says the conservation people won't listen to him.
I have never seen one myself.

My vet who is very trustworthy said he has seen a picture of one laying asleep on top of a round bale of hay taken by one of his clients. They have a trailer sales in town on Kearney Street. We asked her about it when we bought the trailer for the mower and she went into details about it.
I certainly believe her.

To tell you the truth, with all these stories floating around, I am a bit uneasy going to the back of the farm on foot. I usually take the ATV. DH recently got a 22 pistol that he takes with him all the time.

Something with a large mouth has been eating the melons. It sure looks too large for a possum or raccoon. I have been looking at trail cameras. I would love to see what goes on at night in the garden! I know something is there every night. I keep forgetting to spread lime around. I must do that.

I dump all compostables over the garden fence but I don't toss meat scraps anymore thinking it might draw unwanted meat eaters.

We also have lots of dogs around....one neighbor has 6 that come running down their lane when we walk that direction. I don't like that either.

Stay safe.

It has been many many years since I lived at my parents' place. They lived about 4 miles from here in a bit wilder area. My boyfriend saw a cat with a long tail as long as the animal crossing the road when he was going home from my house late at night. He was not one to make things up and he wasn't drinking so I know there were cats here then. I am in one valley and my mothers' place is in the next valley. There are rough hills between and acres of woods and bluffs near the creek. A "neighbor" a mile from my parents old place put a trailer way back in the woods up on a hill. These people claim there are mountain lions here. It does make you think when you are spraying thistles way back in there with no one around. I am not doing that anymore since I broke out in spots last year. I am allergic to sulfa drugs but I thought a tick might have caused them at first.

I haven't thrown scraps out since my close encounter with a couple of skunks several years ago. I tossed some melon scraps into the bushes where I'd thrown some chicken scraps earlier that day and I practically hit a couple skunks that were snacking. They were so close to where I was standing. I didn't know whether to freeze or run. I was sure I'd get sprayed but didn't thank goodness.

I think I'm too far from a creek and too close to traffic to have a large cat or bear show up. That's fine with me. I'm a nature lover but not that dedicated.

Glenda - a friend of my folks saw a mountain lion around the sac river area many years ago. I remember her being frustrated that no one would believe her.

Bobcats are pretty common I'm told but I've only seen one my entire life. They're just good at hiding and I'm sure mountain lions are too.