A few days before our first significant snowfall recently, I looked out our front window and saw a small flash of white glinting along the edge of the beach. Watching carefully, I glimpsed it two or three more times, instantaneous flashes, “white lightning,” that confirmed my suspicion: an ermine hunted the windbreak!
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A few days ago we had a surprise visitor to the homestead: a short tailed weasel. We often see weasels around the homestead, sometimes up close, but it’s been a long time since we’ve seen any. Aly sighted this one as she sat on the veranda, reading. I saw it later running along the cliff over by the rope swing. It is about halfway between it winter ermine coat, and its summer weasel coat. It is, in essence, a “wermine.”

Welcome to the homestead! (Photo: Aly Zeiger).
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