Rising from the breakfast table this morning I caught a glimpse of an animal passing by the corner of our house. It was a cat of some sort and I soon realized it was a large bobcat, not a regular visitor certainly as I had only seen one other in the wild in my life. In a stage whisper I called Jeanne to move slowly and come see it.

The large bobcat had just killed a gray squirrel that was dripping blood as it dangled from his jaws. Less than a hundred feet from our sun room windows the cat crouched down on the lawn and began to eat. We could see the hapless squirrel’s tail swishing back and forth but it obviously was very dead and the tail motion was from the vigorous chewing of the hungry bobcat.

The big cat seemed oblivious to us while he devoured his squirrel. I fetched my camera and shot as many pictures of him as I could through the window glass. My long lens got the best results. It’s not a thing you expect to see and it made our day.

I turn seventy-one tomorrow, and it has been five years since my wife and I retired from our business… Where does the time go?
I’ll tell you this: Wherever it goes it goes fast.
But I’ve had more satisfaction and enjoyment in these past five years than I’d had in a long time. Sailing on the wide open sea, visiting islands in the sun, meeting fascinating people and then returning to our home in the cool, green mountains of Vermont. I’m a lucky guy and the years just don’t matter.
rpk
photos: copyright 2015 Robert P. Kirbach (bobkirbach@gmail.com)