Cougar in my yard

[BrokenolMarine]

Location is everything... we couldn't touch a property our size in most locations, it's what made it worth driving an hour each direction to work for all those years. I misspoke when I said we don't have Cougars in our area. There are Cougars here, but they call them Pumas or Mountain Lions and they are rare. Those fires in North Carolina Swamps drove them up into VA and then west. They have been spotted, and at first Fish and Game said, No Way... we don't.. Oh Wait, that picture looks suspiciously like... those prints might be...? Yup, that is a...

Hard to deny the evidence. That's when they decided we have them, but they are few and far between. The ones here are very shy, and the Coyotes running in packs keep them moving. LOL.

[Sir Henry]

Home values here are going through the roof. I live in a million dollar house and it is nothing special. I'm glad it is paid for because I could not afford to buy a million dollar house.

That is a nice house, assuming it is the one in the photo in your Subaru post but I would bet it would be no more than 350/400 thousand over here. They just said our median house price was 300,000.

A million will still buy a pretty nice estate here.

No that house is a National Forest Ranger Station open only in the winter.

[BigAl52]

One of the kids that works for us brought in a case of Opal apples tonight. Never had one before but they are really good. Al

[Dennis H]

There's been a mountain lion spotted southeast of me between Nunn and Wellington Colorado. He's killed some calves and five or six alpaca. He's not long for this Earth.

[dave77]

One of the kids that works for us brought in a case of Opal apples tonight. Never had one before but they are really good. Al

Opals just started showing up again at Fred Myers, they are my new favorite apple. Cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz which I have never seen. Long ago when I worked in an orchard for a while there was nothing better than a tree ripened Golden, now they pick them so green I never bother with them.

http://opalapples.com/

[Sir Henry]

One of the kids that works for us brought in a case of Opal apples tonight. Never had one before but they are really good. Al

Opals just started showing up again at Fred Myers, they are my new favorite apple. Cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz which I have never seen. Long ago when I worked in an orchard for a while there was nothing better than a tree ripened Golden, now they pick them so green I never bother with them.

http://opalapples.com/

Eastern Washington is apple country.

Apples can be stored for up to a year and those eaten near the end of the year are the ones picked earlier. If a stored apple isn't at it's peak when eaten then it was (1 picked to early or to late, and/or (2 taken out of storage either to early or to late. It's part art and part science. At least that is what I learned talking to an orchard friend for ten minutes.

[shootinthecinders]

Opals just started showing up again at Fred Myers, they are my new favorite apple. Cross between a Golden Delicious and a Topaz which I have never seen. Long ago when I worked in an orchard for a while there was nothing better than a tree ripened Golden, now they pick them so green I never bother with them.

http://opalapples.com/

One of the kids that works for us brought in a case of Opal apples tonight. Never had one before but they are really good. Al

Agree on the Opal apples, very good. But there’s one variety that’s my favorite that I haven’t been able to find in three years, the Aurora. It’s a cross between a Golden Delicious and Royal Gala. It was developed in British Columbia. If you ever have the chance to try them, do it. You won’t be disappointed.

[dave77]

Here's a list of the most common Wash. apples, Aurora is on the list but I don't think I've ever seen one, the apple I mentioned earlier is a Smitten. Saw some Kanzi apples at the store, thought about trying a few but they're still very expensive, got Opals and Jazz.

Another good apple is you never see is the Empire. My neighbor planted a few years ago and we used to make some really good hard cider with them. He eventually had to take them out, took too much time to maintain them, and around here they get very upset if you don't keep your fruit trees properly sprayed.

I remember when the only apples available were Red and Gold Delicious, Rome's, McIntosh and Winesaps. Now you can spend 10 minutes standing there trying to decide what to buy.


https://bestapples.com/varieties-information/varieties/

[Sir Henry]

Thanks, that was a good link.

[dave77]

Theres nothin better than a Washington Apple. I use to sit in the wild apple trees in my neighborhood and eat those things like crazy. Sure do miss those days.

Dad always said he liked the Jonathan apples the best. We had one of those trees along with a delicious. Never have cared for the delicious I liked the Jonathans as long as there not over ripe. Cant stand a soft mussy apple. My favorite right now is a honey crisp. Al

Old thread, I've been eating Opals but recently tried a new apple, Kiku. It's my new favorite. Try one if you get a chance, I think they're much better that Honeycrisps.

[BigAl52]

Dad always said he liked the Jonathan apples the best. We had one of those trees along with a delicious. Never have cared for the delicious I liked the Jonathans as long as there not over ripe. Cant stand a soft mussy apple. My favorite right now is a honey crisp. Al

Old thread, I've been eating Opals but recently tried a new apple, Kiku. It's my new favorite. Try one if you get a chance, I think they're much better that Honeycrisps.

Thanks Dave I will do that Im a picky apple eater. I like them crisp and they pop when you take a bite out of them. We dont get consistant good apples here. Many of apple has gone right out the truck window when I was still on the road. Those mushy apples aint for this old man.

[dave77]

I guess we're pretty lucky here in that the apples don't have to travel very far from the fruit warehouses to the store. My neighbor/co-goat owner is a truck driver and hauls a lot of fruit, he gives our goats better apples than it sounds like some that you get. They all come running when they see him coming to the gate.

I worked in an orchard for a couple of years when I was young, back before there were so many varieties and the absolute best apple was a Golden Delicious that got missed during harvest and was truly tree ripened. Now they pick Goldens so green that I never buy them.