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Thursday, December 24, 2009

Tracking A Christmas Mystery



After following all of those squirrel tracks yesterday I decided to find some tracks for animals that most people look for. I went to the back of the park to the meadow where I knew there would be some good tracks. This is where the deer live, and I knew I could find their tracks here.

All I had to do was go to the part of the meadow that's farthest away from the hiking trail. No humans go here so I knew the deer tracks would be here. It wasn't too hard to find the tracks when I got there.They were all over this part of the meadow.


The first thing I did was take plenty of pictures so I would have a record of the deer tracks. Then I took a very close look at the tracks to see if there were any fresh ones. How recently had these deer been here. There were some older tracks, but there were also some very new ones too.

I must have just missed a whole herd of deer by only a matter of minutes! I knew what I had to do. I was going to follow these fresh tracks to see if I could find the deer. As soon as I began following them I noticed something very strange. There were other tracks.


Somebody else had been over here even though I was the only human who ever really comes out to this part of the meadow. Whoever it was had very big feet, and he was here about the same time as the deer.

I continued to follow the tracks, and I saw that they lead right into the forest. The big footprints went right in after them. I really didn't want to follow them through the same path, so I went back to the hiking trail. It was going in the same general direction, but I figured My quest was over.


After I got into the forest I saw some movement far ahead to the right of the path. It looked to be over half a dozen deer purposely moving away from me through the forest. These were the ones that made the tracks I was looking for!

As they turned and cut through the forest in font of me I excitedly tried to get a few pictures, but they were very far away. I got a few bad pictures that showed deer, but it was very hard to see them through the trees. I thought I knew where they were headed, but I would have to run to catch up.


I did my best to run through the forest without alerting the deer that I was there. I thought my chances of catching up to them weren't good, but I still had to try. I stayed on the hiking trail, and that may have been my downfall because I never did catch the deer.

When I realized that they were long gone I slowed to a walk and sadly began to make my way back to the front of the park so I could go home. And when I turned the corner to the path that lead to the parking lot I found something amazing!


There he was! The person that was standing in the meadow with the deer! I recognized him by the size of his feet. There's only one person who wears this kind of red suit that I know of, and there he was in front of me. He didn't see me because he was standing there peering through the trees at a black squirrel. I guess he had never seen any of them before either because he seemed to be fascinated by it.

I got this one picture before he saw me standing there. After only a second he turned my way and then just vanished as if he were never there! The only thing I was left with was this one picture and a bad Christmas story.

Tune in tomorrow on Christmas day to find out why Santa Claus was so interested in squirrels. I'll have a special Christmas present for any of you who can find the time to stop by for a visit!

Merry Christmas everybody!

20 comments:

  1. A very Merry Christmas to you and yours Ratty!

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  2. How lucky you were to catch such a great shot of the jolly old elf himself. Can't wait to hear about Santa and the squirrels. Have a wonderful Christmas Ratty.

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  3. Maybe Santa was trying to gather up his reindeer for tonight's flight? Looking forward to hearing about Santa and the squirrels.

    Merry Christmas Ratty,
    Judy

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  4. Merry Christmas, Ratty!

    What a treat to see Santa in the woods.

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  5. Oh you teaser you! Maybe I'll catch the tooth fairy...

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  6. Merry Christmas Ratty, and thanks for all the adventures. My day, and those of many others, is better because of you.

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  8. Interesting events and the photos of the snow scenes looks nice. I have noticed something, but don't want to spoil the story!!! Merry Christmas!

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  9. Nyahahahaha!! I almost half expect that it is you who wearing that red suit out in the cold Ratty :P
    Blessed Christmas to you and your family :)

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  10. Wow.. you're the first ever to capture the real Santa on film! hehe.. Interesting story as always. =D

    oh and the pic with a shoe print kinda gives the vibes of a pic taken on the moon! O__O oh but my favorite is the 1st pic.. and how I wish it'd snow here too some day. -__- hehe..

    Thanks and Merry Christmas to you too! ^__^

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  11. this is a funny story, as always, you bring a delight to the readers. wow, you have Santa in the woods, how lucky can you get?

    Have a Merry Merry Christmas.

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  12. Merry Christmas Ratty. Don't let that fat man catch you...

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  13. I think that is a great story. And I have to agree, you must be the Santa. But I sure will tune in tomorrow. Merry Christmas to you and your family.

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  14. What's he reading? A birding book??! LOL! Merry Christmas, Ratty! And the squirrels! ;)

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  15. Ratty, what would we do without you!!! I hope we never have to find out. Who, but you, would be off in the winter cold, chasing the deer, photographing their tracks? I'm sure that Santa was just checking out future prospect for sleigh duty! Maybe some of his are ready for retirement. After all, they do clock in a lot of miles. Maybe they have flight limits like pilots and flight attendants do....or maybe your park is their retirement home and he's visiting past employees.

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  16. Merry Christmas to you Ratty. Thanks for all the great moments you have brought to all of us throughout the year. If you see Santa again, say hello for me.

    Bill:www.wildramblings.com

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  17. HoHoHoHoHo.....Santa Claus in the woods.

    Ratty in the woods.

    Merry Christmas in the woods.

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  18. You are too cute Ratty!! Merry Christmas!!! Love your photos and little stories...

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  19. It is amazing he had time to visit the deer on such a busy day for him...maybe he was trying to round up a substitute for Rudolf (just in case)...or maybe he was taking a quick hike to reduce his stress before the big day (it works for us, why not him?)...anyway, you have the best shot ever...I bet no one else has captured him in nature like you just did.
    Now? You are the Santa Whisperer too! You just never fail to amaze me!

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  20. Thank you all for your great comments. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. I hope to have more time now that Christmas is almost over. It was fun this year, but very busy.

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