As some of you know, I not only have a soft spot in my heart for Dragonflies and Cicadas and Beavers and Otters, but also my prickliest friends, Porcupines. And recently I’ve been looking for our neighborhood rodents, which my neighbor sees when she lets her dogs out at night, but they’ve alluded me.

I do keep finding some evidence of their whereabouts, at least where they’ve ventured at night, but have yet to locate a den this winter or even spot a Porcupine waddling through the woods or sleeping on a branch.

That may be our fault. We’re in the process of saving our barn and have closed up any entrances Porky has used for the last 30+ years and probably longer than that, and tore down an attached shed and we’re having it rebuilt, so except for that one night he spent in the barn loft due to our stupidity of not shutting a trap door, I’m afraid we’ve evicted him. But there is more than one Porcupine in this neighborhood and today I wandered several miles into the woods beyond our land, and came up short-handed.

That said, I did spot three deer as I headed out along our cowpath. Do you see them?

We spent at least five minutes together before I decided it was cold and I need to get my mittens back on and keep moving.

Switching gears, I submitted an article about Porcupines to the Maine Natural History Observer for their first issue of 2025 and was tickled once again to have it accepted.

According to their website: Maine Natural History Observatory’s mission is to improve the understanding of natural resources in Maine by compiling historic information and implementing inventory and monitoring efforts of Maine’s natural history.

The Observatory specializes in collecting, interpreting, and maintaining datasets crucial for understanding changes in Maine’s plant and wildlife populations. We are committed to filling data gaps for Maine’s least understood species and creating a legacy of data for use in nature conservation, land use policy decisions, and expanding scientific knowledge.

Specifically, our mission is to:

• Compile and publish summaries of Maine’s natural history
• Coordinate local and regional inventory and monitoring efforts of Maine’s flora, fauna, and habitats
• Facilitate cooperation and exchange of information among organizations, agencies, and individuals conducting natural history research in Maine or caring for natural history collections
• Engage in other activities related to the advancement of scientific knowledge and education of the public regarding the flora, fauna, and habitats of Maine.

“Hightailing it Home” is about an adventure I had with a Porcupine in February 2024, and again, it was deep in the woods behind our home.

This is the back view that I first encountered that day, before the Porcupine realized I was being a nosy neighbor.

And I’ve included this portion of a page just cuze I love my Porky friends. Look at all those quills! Over 30,000 of them. And yet, his face is so soft, as is his belly.

Apparently I’ve made that love known, for my ten-year old friend and fellow naturalist and artist created a tree cookie ornament for my birthday.

And my Cousin Bob did the same for Christmas. Both ornaments did hang from our tree, but now they are on display in my study.

Okay, back to the MNHObserver 2025, Issue 1, here’s a link: Maine Natural History Observer.

You’ll find “Hightailing it Home” on page 36.

There are some really interesting articles, including one about Maine weather in February 1958!! Perfect for an evening read on another frigid night.

Thank you, Maine Natural History Observer, and especially to Celeste Mittelhauser, Outreach Coordinator.

Here’s to future adventures with Porky and so many forms of fauna and flora who continue to teach me. I sure hope I get to hightail it home following a sighting in the near future.