Scorpions weren't what I had in mind when my wife and I were wishing we had more wildlife on our mountain property, but that's what came scuttling across the floor of a shed I was cleaning out, its tail arched menacingly overhead.
The first time we drove up to the property with the Realtor, hawks circled overhead and gray squirrels dashed across the road. As we approached the drive, a family of deer darted across and about two dozen quail trotted for cover. The dusty driveway was peppered with animal tracks. I recognized mountain lion, bobcat, deer and what I thought might be bear (although a neighbor swears those were the tracks of his Rottweiler).
All of these live on our mountain and are seen by those who live here full time but seldom by us. I haven't even seen the native dusky-footed wood rats that have made such a mess of an old train car and shed that came with the property.
What we mostly see are rapidly retreating animals. When they spot us, they take off running as fast as they can. I saw a beautiful native fox but mostly his bushy gray and red tail. We have a chipmunk living under the shed, but all I see is it disappearing into its hole.
