Cougars still rule our lives, but life is for living so trying to figure out how to continue.

Shinny, called over last evening and he lost all three of his goats.  He feed them yesterday morning at 3, before he went to work.  He called us around 5 in the evening to let us know.  The bigger one, who was Poppie's little Elffie at one time, she was eaten on, the other two Latte and Jaz, like previous ones were killed and left to lay.  Their goat pen is approximately one hundred yards from my doe's pen,  Still to close for comfort.  He was going to call Levi, and the Game Warden,  I haven't heard what he found out or if they made a plan to get on the trail of the Lions.  I do know that I let Yogie walk by there yesterday morning around 8:30 ish when she went to take care of her Aunt Sister. I just can't say enough times how terrifying it is that my kids and grandkids live and have to actually be outside some times, you can only lock a child up so much of the time.  We are effectively in prison, does that make any sense to anyone....

Sister has her surgery today,  I hope all goes well and she has as much results as last time but that this time it will be a permanent fix.  She deserves to life a peaceful existence with out all the passing out and falling.  She will hopefully get to have a new more effervescent life. 

We are going to be baking this morning.  Poppie is going to go install the feeder he made for Professor.  It should feed the goats and keep them from waisting so much hay on the ground. He does so like his time away, almost as much as feeling good about "working".  He had over done it so has been home making a feeder for the last two day.  He still doesn't know that I, may know him better than he knows himself, when it comes to pushing beyond his limits.  He is so like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to working, at home or away from the house.  How do you keep a whirlwind in tow, well let me tell you it ain't easy and it has been years of work on many levels.

Today my ladies and I will have some girl together time.  I don't think I have grandkids but as two of the moms may be planning trips to Zootown may just have. We have decided to go to the Bison range tomorrow as part of Yogie's birthday, we have gone twice in the last two years but always managed to go there on days when half of it is closed so we will see if we actually get to go threw the whole thing.  I also have to pick up coconut oil so will stop in at the Amish store near there for that.  It should be a great day, oh and the Parade in the morning when my Ladies will be pigs on a float, and the farmers market.  I gotta remember my camera ...... tomorrow.

Debate is good for the Soul, the spirit and the body, to a point.....

I lettered in speak, drama and debate in high school.  I thoroughly enjoy the process, and learned a long time ago that you had to be able to take the counterpoint.  I have not always been successful at the counterpoint to my argument, but I have made enough tries at it that over the years I have come to have some success. I find almost nothing more thought provoking than to make a statement, and try to make it in away that bugs some one or makes them think about what they believe or why they totally disagree with me.  I have enough of my dad's sense of humor, to not always take my point of view  in my heart felt plea.  I think pleading the counterpoint can be fun and thought provoking in it's own right.  I am always glad when people contribute and join in the fun.  Like a joke debate holds many truths of ourself in it. I never debate with intent to hurt someone, just make them think about that it is that they really believe, can they really back it up, or is it something they are supposed to believe.  I find that if it is really your belief it is so embedded in you that you never really see the other point of view, or the counterpoint.  It is harder in really life to take or see a counterpoint than we make think. We all want to believe that we are capable of seeing the other point of view but if it makes you so anger or frustrated that you can't see the counterpoint you are in to deep to ever see any point of view but your own. That is ok, life is about many things, there are some hollowed subjects that always make some people defensive, anger or crazy. I don't actually like to debate with those people. I worked many years in office setting and my co-workers hated me to stir the pot, but some times you just gotta.  I do know why we are not to talk politics, religion or social issues, at work, or for that matter on blogs or Facebook, but sometime you just gotta.  I love to learn why people believe something, and sometimes you can push them just far enough to actually find out exactly why they believe so passionately.  I learn more about people that way, sort of like people watching, my favorite thing.... tomorrow.

Constitutionality won out, Yay, the wolves are no longer endangered, for now.

Judge Molloy has consistently made his judgement, across the board, coming down on the liberal side of the issues.  He has made many decisions over the years that have reflected his ultra liberal thoughts, allowed forests not to be logged, wolves to be protected long past their recovery as endangered animals.  Wolf advocates just had the wolf issue back in court, after the Federal government had delisted them, on it being unconstitutional.  Well for once Judge Molloy couldn't come down on the side of the liberals, he may have wanted to, but they made it about the Constitution this time and he judged on the issue constitutionally.  I must say I am glad he is a stronger constitutionalists than a liberal.  The wolves are no longer an endangered species in Montana.  I am so glad.  It is not that I don't have some like of the wolves, I kind of like the romanticism I see about them but the cold hard reality of them is deadly.  They need to be managed and the numbers taken way down, to the amount that they were supposed to get to, when they were put on the endangered species list.  They surpassed that a long time ago and the wolves advocates couldn't accept that the species wad recovered and was moving into being uncontrolled predators.  I don't often like Judge Molloys decisions but thank God he made a good decision this time, he retires next month.  I would say a nice good-bye. 

Our county is the biggest strong hold of both cougars and wolves in the state.  The wolves actually push the cougars down into the more inhabited areas of the county. The county is only 15% private land, the rest is National Forest and State Land.  The south side of the river has the biggest populations of wolves and cougars.  I happen to live on the south side of the river.  If you walk in the National Forest behind my property, when you get to it, the wolf tracks are terrifying. They are huge and you see deer and elk bones everywhere.  I think unwittingly Judge Molloy had to finally make the right decision.  He did word his decision so that they can get an appeal pretty easy but for this year there will be a hunt. The fall hunt will allow 220 wolves to be harvested this year. Wyoming is going to allow for only 100 animals outside of Yellowstone park, and 10 breeding pairs and others can be hunted or shot on site,  Another win for Ranchers, Farmers and our preditated wildlife.

Levi came, but due to rain, the heat and the game warden not letting him track the cougars right away, can't get a track until we see the cougars again or they kill something.  We are all being careful to lock the animal up at night, they hate it as it is hot for them.  None of us want to sacrifice an animal to get a track on the cougars, so we are in a holding pattern.  They will show themselves soon enough and then maybe one or all three of them can be killed before one of our kids are.  I do so hate to have to watch my children while holding a gun, so sad that that should be a memory from their childhoods.  Today we got a partial victory on the wolves problem, but I am sure the wolf advocates will be back to court any time now.   I wished on the way to court they would spend a night, or try to spend a night in the back woods of Mineral county.  It would be like an old Vincent Price movie, they wouldn't make it through the night without being scared senseless..... tomorrow.