From Scoutmaster Hank Manz’ e-mail last Sunday:
I know–you are all still on vacation, but with the new snow still untouched in many areas, this would be a great time to figure out what else lives nearby. Take a walk around your house and check for tracks. You might be surprised by how much is sharing the house you think is occupied only by humans. Figure out what tracks your pet makes. Just sit by a window and watch what tracks the squirrels and chipmunks leave. I bet you will find mouse tracks if you have a garden shed with anything edible stored inside. The birds are interesting, too, and on Militia Drive near Stop & Shop there is a hawk who was out yesterday hunting. Try walking around the edges of any large field like the one near me at Hastings School. You will get a lot of clues about what is sharing the space.
A few nights ago I came out of a meeting in one of our town buildings and heard the howling of coyotes. Today I am going to walk over there to see if they have left any tracks. But first I am going to figure out how the skunk gets under our porch.
By the way–when I checked the gear that came back from the recent Deep Freeze campout, I was impressed by how well it had been stowed. All the covers open so everything would dry. Everything clean and neat. Great job by the SPL and all those who went along on the trip.
-Hank