Some cool stuff in my neighborhood.
 

The greenbelt behind my house houses a huge blue heron habitat. There is a big oak tree with 49 nests, last count. In the mornings over coffee I see them rise in a column against the sunrise. In sillhouette they look like taradactyls (sp?). I'm pretty sure artists' impressions of flying reptiles were influenced by heron in flight.

The largest salmon run in the 48 contiguous states comes in sumertime up an estuary visible from my house and three minutes away by foot. There's a viewing area below ground but even better is to see the water boiling with them and their sillhouettes and shadows darting around just below the water surface.

Exotic waterfoul abound, heron, loons, cormorants, malards, wild geese, some I can't name, etc.

Sea lions follow the salmon run and breach sunlit waters and croak and bark in the early morning and evening.

We get eagles in the fir trees in our yard. Crows come and dive bomb them and make a terrible racket.

If I hike across the peninusula from my house (30 min.) there is a three mile stretch of beach and a light house. Low tide is best, with the tide pools and birds. Fortunately, no one can drive there save with a special permit.

All this 17 minutes from downtown Seattle. I can cross a little foot bridge and arrive in the urban hip Ballard neighborhood.

I hope you have enjoyed your FMCoug moment.

http://www.seattle.gov/tour/locks.htm

http://www.seattle.gov/parks/environment/

We had Norwegian Roof Rats try to invade our attic. Does that count?

Roof rats? Cool. (I didn't mention you might see a rat at low tide in the estuary.) How do they get up there?

I'm just giving you a hard time. We live a couple of miles away from the largest park in Dallas. It has a big lake, and is bigger than central park. I ride my bike around it.

In reality it is not very cool at all. They get up there by climbing trees and jumping/walking onto your roof. If you are in bed in the quiet of the night and you hear the pitter patter of little feet, it is not a premonition of more children soon to arrive; it is rats. They have these little buggers in Seattle, don't they?

I could also tell you about the war I waged with a woodpecker who decided the west side of my house was where he wanted to build a home. It is an on-going battle in which I currently have the upper hand, but he'll be back, I have no doubt that he will be back.

Armadillos? I love armadillos. Wish we had those here.

All the Armadillos I have ever seen were very flat and on asphalt.

Sounds like a fantastic neighborhood. I can totally relate to living in such an area. Within 2 miles of my home we have a Target, Kroger, Wal-Mart, Kohls, Lowes, and K-Mart. If that's not enough, there is also a wonderful selection of restaurants such as McDonalds, Taco Bell, Fazoli's, TGIFridays, and Applebees.

As for the wildlife, one neighbor has a couple of cats and the other neighbor has a dog that is treated like an only child. There are a lot of ducks and geese that make their home in the local park and I saw a cardinal the other day in my backyard.

To top it off, my house is situated so I can access I-70 in about five minutes.

I apologize if it sounds like I'm bragging, but the world is at my fingertips in the Dayton, Ohio suburbs.