The photo contest

Hi Robin! Thank you!

So you've got quite the problem with coyotes in Ct, too. Do you have small pets?

i have only seen them once here although neighbors have seen them often and the farmer next to us videoed them trying to hunt down a bunch of turkey's.

Wild turkey hunt on LI today.

Welcome Home Polly ^_^

We have some around the barn where I board. DD and I went out one evening last sprinf to ride(indoor arena) and heard them. Sent chills down our backs.

Thank you!

Coyotes are everywhere here because the prairie dogs are everywhere here. They don't bother me as they are quite small compared to wolfs. Wolfs bother me but not as much as mountain lions. Pooch from WA went out to water her dahlias in the early morn and there was a mountain lion sitting in her garden. EEK!!!

Wow - that's scary. Didn't know they like dahlias.

Everyone likes dahlias Victor.

We have coyotes here in Saugus. I am up the hill from a salt marsh nearly two miles away. Our animal control officer says they like to den down there, but they have immense territories for finding food. One showed up at the bottom of my driveway at dusk one night, but I haven't seen one since. We have foxes which are larger than I thought since the morning one of them and I freaked each other out next to one of my flower beds. They have weird cries. I had to go on line to find out what it was making that noise then I started to see them running around early in the morning. Are either of these animals helping reduce the ground hog population that's been exploding around here? Of course not, I would like that too much.
Martha

Coyotes should reduce small mammals. They will even take down a deer if they are in a pack.
I would like to see that.
Deer are the worst

They do cover tremendous territory.

I don't know if yours will take down deer or not, Jo Ann. We are close to the foothills of the Adirondacks, and that's where they say the grey wolf influence came in. In your area they may be just plain coyotes, or coydogs, and if so don't attack anything as large as a deer. We have a ton of deer here, and they really do no damage. I think they don't in the less populated areas. And we love to see them, but I understand what a problem they are in your area.

I have 2 dogs, Polly---one is 62 pounds, the other 50, so they're not too small. Our yard is also fenced. I saw a very long-legged fox run down our road last month---it may have been a coyfox, if that's possible.

Coyotes have taken deer in the winter on the short trail which runs across our property. They howl after doing so. Both times, including last winter, the snow has been deep. Only saw 2 turkeys this summer & wonder if they were taken before the young could fly. Right that they don't seem to do away with ground hogs. Polly, since you are busy with the iris forum, you haven't been away for me. glad to hear from you more often.

The coyotes probably wouldn't go after your dogs then. I don't think a coyote and fox can cross, but I know there are tons of different fox, and some are quite large.

I love big dogs. What kinds are yours? We had a lab/ german shepard mix and he died a few years ago, and we just can't bring ourselfs to get another dog quite yet. But he was a big dog, and one of the most friendly dogs ever. He never met an intruder he didn't like. Someone would come in, and my husband, being silly would yell sic, and Bandit would run over and sit on their feet, and gaze lovingly up at them. Of course everyone caught on to that in a hurry. I miss him terribly. A once in a lifetime dog.

Remember, there are dogs in shelters (big & little) which need homes. We no longer have pets as we are getting on & more difficult to take care of. We visit Jumper 2's cats.

Thanks Lucy. Last winter I was going nuts getting the website up. This year I'm much more organized, so hopefully I won't be a fiar weather friend. I am so pleased at all the welcome backs. It truly warms the heart.

Isn't the howl something after coyotes catch prey?To me it sounds like a siren.

We have a cat, and love her, but to me it's not the same having an independent cat, as a dog that weighs 80 pounds and sits on your lap all the time. yes, we would get one from a shelter, or a private person that the vet lists.

Our dog came to us as a puppy. We had moved to a new house, and in the housing developement where we lived there was a 'community' dog. No one owned her, everyone fed her. But no one had her fixed, and I never even thought about it. We moved otside town about six miles, and a couple months later, there she was. Pregnant. She had ten puppies, the cutest things in the world. We found homes for all of them, but the runt, which we kept. About six weeks after giving birth, the stray momma took off, and never came back, but she was seen all over the place. Guess she'd had enough of the kids. All the puppies grew up to be wonderful loving dogs.

Victor, was that your photo of the pond in fall? Gorgeous! (I voted for that one for first place!)

I have to remind myself when voting that it's a "photo" contest and not a gardening contest, so even if I don't like the flower but the photo is good, I should vote for it. Or vice versa, it could be my favorite flower in the world but if the photo is not perfect, I shouldn't vote. I did try to think like GardenSox, and think what would look good in a calendar.

To me, there were so many photos that were just a tad shy of being great - a little out of focus, the composition a bit off, the depth of field could have been better. As always, though, some categories were really hard to judge - that "fall and winter" one was a toughie - too many beautiful photos!

How about the one photo with the tv tray of meds in the background?

I don't remember that one Jen. Which category was it in?

domestic animals

I am sure they could take down a deer, but they seem to be ignoring the groundhog population. sigh.
Martha

All the photo winners seemed to be in focus--out of focus=not vote, no matter how much I liked the picture. Hit 1 & 2 on birds as well as HM photo of the ospreys.

Thanks Dee! I think there was one or two winners that were not really good. In focus, but poorly composed, or just not very special.

Thanks Jen. I'll check it out.

Maybe groundhogs don't taste very good.

I agree Victor and also, some of the photos that I thought were perfect got low or no points at all.

Too much work since they scoot back into their burrows and the coyotes would have to dig them up.
Martha

I must be getting better. I actually voted for two winners this year (although most of my choices were runners-up). Congrats Victor! I liked that pond picture so much I actually downloaded it for a screen saver last year, so in a sense I voted early. Should I pay a royalty?

Oh. Sneaky groundhogs.

Thanks, Don! No royalty for forum members. ^_^

Funny thing is - I think a few others I entered were better shots than the pond one. 'Freezing' the bee with the tulips behind it was very hard and took lots of patience. So too, with the leaping squirrel.

Oh, yeah. Loved the leaping squirrel one. The bee was cool.

Victor, you mentioned that we could now vote for the 12 that will make it to the calendar. Where?

Here ya go Harper...
http://davesgarden.com/contest/2009/calendar.php

Oops - had to go get kid number 1. Thanks, Jen.

Polly, your dog story was too funny---Momma was a tramp! Both our dogs are rescues---a 7 year old airedale nut case, & a very hyper, but smart & loving German shorthaired pointer mix, who's 5.

I tend to vote on the over all photo, not just because it's cute. I personally don't care for people in photos, just don't want a picture of a stranger on my wall! LOL

I tend to look at the background and if it's to busy or junky I wouldn't vote for it. I thought a lot of the runners up were better than some of the winners.

I tend to look at the background and if it's to busy or junky I wouldn't vote for it.

Thanks Jen! Did my voting.

I agree luvsgrtdanes

Wow, luvs - you must really not like busy backgrounds!

I don't mind busy Victor if it fits the theme of the photo. I think some things stand out to much and take away from the shot.