The monsoon rains started the second week in July and have been with us consistently. It poured from Saturday of Labor Day weekend to Sunday noon. Definitely took a lot of the fun out of activities here in the park. Most of the temporary people packed up and left the park either Sunday afternoon or Monday morning.
One of the Labor Day weekend events was a silent auction. Park residents cleaned out storage sheds and closets and brought all their unused stuff down to one of the park buildings. You have never seen so much junk! However, the park made $600 for the general fund and Habitat for Humanity sent a truck to pick up all the remaining items that didn't find a new owner.
We had seen does and fawns at the salt block but no bucks until recently. The bucks are growing out new antlers and the antlers are covered in "velvet," the covering which supplies blood to the growing antlers. Soon the velvet will start dying and the bucks will rub it off on trees. Now we are seeing the bucks at the salt block. Do they need extra salt/minerals for their growing antlers? And oddly enough, they ignore apples; they are only interested in nibbling the salt.
I don't count my occasional apple or carrot as feeding them. I am careful to place the goodies when there are no deer in sight. They connect the treats with the salt block, not a human.
There is speculation that the cougar is a female with cubs and she has built a den in the woodpile.
The park is surrounded by thousands of acres of wilderness with a few scattered cattle ranches. It is perfect habitat for the big predators, bears and cougars. I have been told that bears occasionally show up in the park as well. Before the dumpsters had lids, one slid down into one and couldn't get out. A very angry bear. Game officers had to come out to extract it.
We will be here at Burro Mountain for another six weeks or so and then we'll tow the side-by-sides to Arizona for the winter. Riding is really good there and we will be ready to get lost again.
