Some do say that we have a moose problem around here. They are now supposedly in our way. There has been so much snowfall that they’re out on the roads, and by the sides of roads. There have been a lot of car accidents involving moose this winter. The reason is we’ve had more snow this year than other years.

If we attempted to see the current situation from the moose population’s point of view, the moose would have an easier time of it. Pete said he saw

someone driving behind a running moose, and they were honking their horn. The problem with this kind of behavior is that the moose burn calories that are needed for survival when treated in such a fashion. Another neighbor has, on occasion, shot of his gun, in an attempt to keep them out of his yard. There’s more calorie burning going on here. I’ve suggested that he put up a fence, but this idea has fallen on deaf ears.

We build, we develop, we destroy moose habitat, routinely. Snowmobilers also encroach upon their space. Thus, getting from point A to point B gets more difficult. And there’s less vegetation to feed on.

On the positive side of things, there’s been some talk about cutting down some trees so that the moose will have a bit more browse. I think leaving them alone is also a good idea.

I’ve become quite fond of a young moose, a yearling female. She’s been around here a while, previously with her mother. I don’t know what happened to the mother. Now she’s on her own. I took her photo today – she was lying in the snow, and seemed to be saying “I’m really getting tired of winter.” My heart has gone out to her. I think that she knows this.

Next: 73. 2/18/12: Reading, Photography, and the Nature of Ideas