Scat!

No, I don't mean go away or get out of here.  I'm talking today about the stuff you find in the woods that animals leave behind.  You know, their poop! Better known as scat.  Wait don't quit reading just yet.  Hang in there with me.  My teenage daughters will tell you that when we go for adventurous hikes in the woods, I get all excited when I spy an animals scat along the path.  Sometimes I even find it off the beaten path which makes the discovery that much more exciting.

I love tracking animals through the woods or prairies.  I get a real adrenaline rush as I look for evidence of their comings and goings along their well worn trails or simply finding proof they have been there.  I look for things such as chewed off stems from low growing brush, bark that is missing or has been rubbed off of small trees, leaves that have been disturbed, grass that is matted down, feathers or fur which has been removed from an animal or bird, and branches in a tall tree where the bark has been stripped away.  These are just a few of the signs I look for when tracking critters through the forest and field.  I'm not a professional by any means.  I like to do it for recreational purposes and the sense adventure and discovery.

When I was much younger, I'll never forget something I learned from watching a TV program called Kung Fu, (1972-1975).  Yes, TV has it's educational moments.  I remember watching an episode of my favorite Kung Fu master as he spoke words of wisdom to his understudy, better known as Grasshopper.  They were walking through the forest and the Kung Fu master was telling him to look for the unnatural among the natural. I know it sounds really simple, but many years later as I was roaming through the mysterious forest, I was reminded of those very words, "Look for the unnatural among the natural".  I never walked through the forest with "closed" eyes again.

Hence, my fascination with finding scat and other animal signs.  Here are some pictures you may find quite interesting.  Some scat you will be able to identify right away, others may take you by surprise.

Raccoon Scat

Deer Scat

Muskrat or Otter Scat

Porcupine Scat

Rabbit Scat

So, the next time you go roaming around in the woods, take time to look at the flowers, but don't forget about the scat too!  It may not be as pretty as the flowers, but it will tell you a little something about the animals who call the forest or prairie their home.

I'm reminded of something else too, when it comes to looking for the unnatural among the natural.  We live in a world that is full of chaos and strife.  It's all about "me" or "I", if you know what I mean. Maybe you've heard the saying, "It's a dog eat dog world".  It doesn't take a political, economical, or social scientist to tell us things are going terribly wrong in our world today.  There is more hatred than love it seems and hopelessness drives millions to depression and despair.  This seems to be the natural order of things today.  But what if we looked for the "unnatural among the natural".  I mean what if we loved, instead of hated.  What if we gave, instead of took.  What if we helped, instead of hindered.  What if we cared, instead of shrugging our shoulders and walking away.  Jesus said in John 13:34-35, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."  You see, we can become the unnatural among the natural!  We can lend a helping hand.  We can love the unfortunate and downtrodden.  We can share our hope with others and lift their eyes to Jesus.  We can involve ourselves in others lives because we love!

I hope someone will see the "unnatural" (as far as the world is concerned), love of God in you and me today and discover the evidence of His love for them.  I pray that as we travel the pathways of our lives, God will lead us to someone who may be at their crossroads, and we'll extend a friendly hand to them and gently guide them to Jesus.  I don't know about you, but I'm already looking for the "unnatural among the natural".

Tracking the Unsuspecting!

It seems I just can't go outdoors anymore without looking for signs of my little animal friends.  Today I ventured outside to resupply my bird feeders which have been very busy with lots of traffic.  Birds eat more when the temperatures turn colder in order to keep their body fat up and maintain their energy.  So, clothed like a true Minnesotan in the winter,  I trudged through the bright white snow with heavy laden buckets in hand talking to my feathered friends and telling them how they brighten my deary days with their fleeting about and their silly antics.  As I walk along I notice the dainty feet prints of a small bird who landed on the porch and decided to go for a walk.  My outdoor kitty, who's name is Snowy, (you"ll see where she got her name) follows me hoping for some lovin' and waits patiently as I care for the birds.  Maybe she is hoping to creep closer to an unsuspecting feathered friend and have a little morsel.  But alas, I keep her at bay!

Snowy, my outdoor buddy!

Bird tracks.  It dropped a sunflower seed on the way.

  

I'm fascinated by all the tracks I find today.  There is a rabbit highway through the leafless lilac bushes.  Oh how I would love to catch them playing their rabbit games under the moonlit night.  I can imagine them hopping over each other and playing tag as they frolic about the Colorado Pines.  The Ring-Necked Pheasants have a rather wide trail from the pines down by the garden to the front and back yard.  It looks like a 4 lane freeway.  I've watched them cautiously run from one pine tree to the next, hoping no one will see them.  There are so many tracks, they intersect with each other and overlap each other.  Some going this way and that.

Rabbit Track

Pheasant Trail

A well worn rabbit trail.

It reminds me of a verse in the Bible that says, "The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, and He delights in his way." Psalm 37: 23  I wonder what the Lord sees when He looks at my tracks.  Does He see my tracks going this way and that with no apparent direction?  Can He tell where I've come from and to where I am going?  Do I travel the same track often, creating a path in my journey?  I earnestly desire the Lord to order my steps.  I want to follow Him and delight in His way.  He has set me on a path and by His grace I'll walk with Him each day.  Maybe today I'll play tag with Him!

Guess Who?

Winter's Blanket

For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere, winter is just another season we look forward to and are prepared to greet.  However, if you live in Minnesota, this year's snow is starting to pile up and beginning to stress the wildlife who must fend for themselves if they want to survive winter's brutal grip.

I live in the Minnesota's farm country, where snow covered fields, once lush with corn, wheat, or soybeans provide food and nourishment for creatures such as deer, raccoons, pheasants, wild turkeys, and a host of others.   As this winter marches on, these poor animals are having a hard time finding the food that is so necessary for their survival.  This need for survival is driving them to seek food from other resources.  I have seen this first hand as one cold morning I noticed a pheasant under our bird feeders in the front yard.   It isn't that unusual to see a pheasant or two throughout the winter, however when 1 or 2 turned into 5, then 7, then 13, then 17, and finally today 22, I knew we had become a haven for them.  From the first time I saw just the one appear in our yard, I began putting out cracked corn for them every couple of days.  I guess word spread among the flock quickly, and now we enjoy a host of Ring-Necked Pheasants.

I'm amused as I watch these feathery friends scurry from one protective pine tree to the next.  With heads held high and eyes surveying the landscape, they run, cautiously pausing, then dart to their destination.  It's a scene I have watched for weeks now and never tire of it reruns.  I hope winter surprises you with unexpected visitors and keep feeding those birds!