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Weasel! Or was it an Ermine?

Cabin Visitor
by Dan Hartman

Oct. 19, 2015

     Cindy and I unloaded and stacked out final load of firewood for the season.  We had showered and were sitting on the back deck relaxing with our daughter, when Kelly suddenly exclaimed, "Weasel!!"
     At Kelly's sharp cry, the weasel who was passing just below our deck, dropped the pocket gopher she was carrying and darted up a nearby spruce.
     Now I say it was a weasel, but really it was more ermine in color as it was two thirds of the way changed to white.  So it was actually an ermal.
     Some twenty minuts later, the little lady scrambled back down and slowly approached it's catch and darted away into the woods with me following to the side.  At times it would pass within two feet of my foot and would often drop the heavy gopher and have to return to retrieve it.
     A clarks nutcracker appeared and dive bombed the little ermal making her scramble for cover.
     Eventually she crossed our drive and I let her go.


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Ermal