The federal furlough has granted me something that is normally in short supply in my life — time! More specifically, time to kill in Chester while the girls are in school. I have spent some of this time exploring the trails behind Chester Park along the North Fork of the Feather River, where I strung together a few small loops to create a great three-mile trail run. But it wasn’t until I actually slowed down to a leisurely walk today to appreciate the fall colors of willow and cottonwood that I saw this bobcat. The wind was gusting hard and the bobcat was on the prowl. I saw it a few minutes before it realized that I was just 30 feet away. A treat! I have seen plenty of tracks in my time, but never an in-the-flesh bobcat. It stared me down for a few moments before bounding away soundlessly.
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- Bobcat on the prowl.
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- Autumnal gold in wetland swales.
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- The North Fork of the Feather River
Mama Bluefoot 
Sounds amazing! Glad some good came out of the federal furlough…