indyfabz

We need more happy.

Frosty Irish Valley near Paxinos, PA during last month's trip.

indyfabz

One of two I saw on the second day last month.

rsbob 

Did you stop by for fava beans and a nice Chianti?

Paul Barnard

Today's dose of happy.

indyfabz

From my weekend overnight trip.

rsbob 

Now that Fall has sprung and the temps are in the 50s and the rain is back, we have a one day reprieve, so hit the local roads on my vintage Bianchi. Some of the Fall lighting on the mountains was just unreal, so had to stop.



Twin Peaks


Thought the colors were beautiful

Waiting for yours truly to get home. Courtesy of Mrs RSbob

Paul Barnard

My dose of happy from this morning.

rsbob 

Had a wonderful ride two days ago combining tarmac and gravel, rural and lakes with a very nice temp in the high 50s. The highlight was encountering a bobcat on a rail-trail conversion, which ran ahead of me (I slowed down greatly when I saw him) for about 300 yards, until he could escape the fenced boarders and escape into the underbrush. I am guessing he weighed about 45-50 lbs.

rsbob 

Rained pretty good the last couple of days but had a break today so headed out. Ran into three Road Closed due to flooding signs, so lots of doubling back. Still had a good time enjoying the Fall colors.


Snoqualmie River

Mt Si


Favorite cycling road

Friendly Farm dog came for a pet.

Paul Barnard

What's the story with the dog Bob?

Love the pics you post. I'd love to ride there.

rsbob 

Stopped to take a picture of about 100 crows/ravens in a farm field for a Halloween picture and was taking off my gloves and looked down and there he was. Great Pyrenees are used as guard dogs to protect livestock here and can be quite ferocious. This one fortunately, since I was completely taken by surprise, was a lover and just wanted to lean on me and get petted. I would imagine he weighed about 125 lbs. Big boy. Never got a picture of the crows.

indyfabz

I the first time I ever saw some was while on tour in Montana. I rode by a house associated with a sheep farm in Hamilton. It was very early in the morning. Three of them came running towards the fence. Started the hell out of me. So much so that I yelled. They stopped in their tracks. I realized they looked quite friendly. Wanted to turn around and say "Hi", especially since the owner was outside, but I had a very long day, which included a 15 mile climb, ahead of me.

Broctoon

I've seen this. Utah's West Desert is a very desolate place, with millions of acres of undeveloped land. There is some private land, but a lot more public land. The whole corner of the state is mostly unused, except for some hunting and some scattered farms and ranches. Some ranchers run their livestock out there for open range grazing. A few areas are popular for off road recreational vehicles (motorcycles, ATVs, etc.)

Years ago a few friends and I were riding through on motorcycles, on the dirt road that started out as part of the Pony Express route in the 1860s. As we passed an area with a large flock of sheep (hundreds of them), two Great Pyrenees approached us. They were not wagging tails and coming up just to see what we were about, or to make new friends. They looked serious about keeping us away from the sheep, and they actually chased us off. I had been doing 20-ish MPH, taking it easy, enjoying the scenery, and trying to stay safe through the occasional pockets of loose sand (wasn't on a proper dirt bike). I had to speed up quickly to evade the dogs, and they didn't stop chasing until they were sure I would not pose a threat.

I have no doubt that two or three of these dogs could protect a large flock from coyotes, human intruders, or whatever might come along. I've even heard that they will attack a sheepdog that bites at the sheep. The sheepdogs keep the flock in a tight group and move them around as needed, but they're trained not to nip or bite, in spite of their instinct. The Pyrenees guard and protect the sheep, from sheepdogs as well as outsiders.

Paul Barnard

I have limited experience with Great Pyrenees being used in a livestock guardian capacity. They WILL investigate a human intruder. They will remain vigilant. They may be friendly or they may be standoffish. They aren't generally aggressive with passive humans. That would be an undesirable trait since they are free roamers. As free roamers they aren't quite sure where property lines are. Being aggressive could lead to their demise. I have a lot of trust in the breed.

rsbob 

My wife’s sister and husband run a cattle ranch in E Wa and their guard dogs of choice are the GPs. Were have been warned when going over to visit to stay inside the car until the two dogs are put into their kennels. When we pull up the dogs charge toward the car with their super deep barks until the relatives come and grab them. They are not pets but are ‘working dogs’. The dogs go out with the cattle for days at a time and kill rabbits and small animals to feed themselves on the range land while protecting the flock against coyotes, mountain lions and occasional wolf sightings. They frankly scare the you know what out of me when they surround the car. Like the movie Cugo. They are not a pretty white like the dog in the picture, but filthy matted messes. That’s why when I was stopped on my bike and he appeared out of nowhere almost made me have an uncontrolled bodily function.

Broctoon

rsbob, I like the shot of your goldendoodle a bit farther up the thread. We have one that looks a lot like it...

This is Honey, my loyal companion both for laying around the house and outdoor adventures:

Broctoon

Here are a few really old guys who still race their bikes.

One is somewhere between 80 and 84, and the other is 85 to 89. I don't know their exact ages, but they both took first place in their respective age groups in the criterium at the Huntsman World Senior Games last month.

I'll be happy if I can ride my bike around the block when I'm their age.

indyfabz

Did someone say laying around the house? 20 lbs. of fun. He’s a great mouser though.

rsbob 

HEY, that’s my cat! Same kind of markings on her other side. She adopted us. Was dumped and barely living off the land until we took her in.


Maddie-Lion (Madeline) and Harlee

indyfabz

I have the world’s greatest cat sitter. She sends me photos and videos when I go away on bike trips.





My buddy was a rescue. His ear is tipped, which means he was scooped up, fixed and let go again. Then he got beat up in a fight, fixed up and put up for adoption. This January it will be 5 years since I brought him home. My previous bud died of lymphoma in August of 2017. He was another big boy and FIV+.

rsbob 

Our two favorite cats were orange tabbies. Mr Bean weighed 15 lbs and lived for 16 years and he had congestive heart failure for three years - which we treated - until he died two years ago, when Maddie-Lion arrived on our door step. Both orange cats were full of personality, mellow and just idea. Sorry for your loss.

indyfabz

Thanks. Orange boys are known for being as you describe. Fun fact: About 75% of orange tabbies are male.

Broctoon

My father-in-law has a cat that looks like this, only bigger. He is probably about 15 lbs. and mostly muscle. They have a large yard and vegetable garden, where Cat spends his time. He comes into the garage at night, but seldom comes into the house. He is a very good mouser and single-handedly keeps the garden free from pests of all kinds. He has killed many mice, gophers, rabbits, snakes, and birds. The curious thing is he leaves squirrels alone. They seem to have some sort of pact with him. Squirrels can enter the garden with impunity, but nothing else is given this pass. He's funny with snakes. After catching one, he will play with it for a while. He lies on his back with his legs in the air, tossing it around. When he decides he's done playing, he takes its neck in his mouth and ends its life with one "chomp." Although an efficient predator, Cat is very friendly to humans and loves having his head scratched.

Paul Barnard

We have a cat that lives in our house. It's weird.

Broctoon

How do we know it's really Paul Barnard posting on BF, and not the cat? Obviously it can use a laptop. In fact, with no humans showing in the pictures above, how do we know they're still alive and well?