TIMMINS - I know, I know. Here it is Wednesday and you are reading Mully's. 'But wasn't it always Tuesday?' A lot of you have asked. Yes, it was. But of late it seems like the column is Wednesday. For the next little while Mully's will probably continue to alternate between Tuesday and Wednesday until scheduling conflicts of mine are settled. I hope this has not or will not cause you problems.
Of course, a lot of loyal readers may wish this week's column was run on "Noday". It's a little different topic than usual.
In all my years fishing I have never caught a brown bullhead. It seems as though my two cousins have only been able to catch bullheads. Bullheads are a species of catfish. In fact a ton of people who catch them call them catfish. But they are bullheads in our region. Native to a number of local waterways, they are not a fish a lot of local anglers hook. A traditional bottom feeder they love a muddy river bottom. That's why as kids we used to call them mud pouts. In a river system known for superb walleye fishing, of late, the not commonly angled bullhead seems to be at the top of their catch list. A little unusual.
On the subject of unusual, a rare little group of birds has caused quite the stir in our neighbourhood. They are robins with a genetic condition called leucism. They have a lot of white with red patches. They have attracted the attention of my birdwatching neighbours (who supplied the photos) for their beauty and rareness, while they attracted my attention with their relentless consumption of our grapes. In combination with the raids on our apple tree by the demented raccoons in our area, it's made for slim pickings here of late. A number of our neighbours, friends and family have looked forward to this time of year when we hand out bags of our grapes and apples. This will be the first year I have not been able to enjoy our apples (which taste like a mild Granny Smith-tinged MacIntosh. And are beautifully red.)
I just hope that the little robins do not fall victim to Timmins' apex predator — the wandering cat. A little about this apex predator. The Timmins cat can be found stalking our yards, defecating in flower and vegetable beds, spraying urine on anything that is not mobile. It digs, kills or maims birds, chipmunks and squirrels and is generally a menace. What gets me is how these cats (and owners) feel our yards are part of their domain and that they have the inalienable right to do as they please.
What really winds my crank is that I have a number of neighbours with cats who are the epitome of wonderful cat owners. They are the models of good cat owners who make sure their cats never leave their yards. Why is that notion not universal?
We all love us some cats. Just not other people's in our yards. Aside from the fact that these cats are extremely annoying and destructive, this opinion comes on the heels of a Village Media poll about whether cats should be allowed outdoors. Some strong feelings on that subject were shared. Well, I'm off now to maintain my cat and raccoon deterrents. A daily routine here.
Oh geez, I've left the gate open and my two newly acquired Irish Wolfhounds have slipped away. Oh they'll be back as soon as they have explored enough and done their business. Sound familiar?
Look I really do like cats and even more so their owners. It's the irresponsible ones that draw my ire and cause me grief ... but do they care?
Why no rant about wandering raccoons? I still have not figured out who owns them
Later skater.
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