Hey! Today is Friday the 13th. Good luck!

Dear Gary:

My husband and I were taking our morning walk Tuesday by way of La Casa Via, behind John Muir Labs in Walnut Creek, and saw a mountain lion in the open area behind the houses.

It was headed toward the houses. We asked a couple of men working on a house to call someone about it.

How unusual is this? Do you think it came down from Mount Diablo? There are an abundance of deer in our area. It was quite a thrill for us to see it. Our border collie didn't even notice it.

Rhenae Dietrich,

Walnut Creek

Dear Rhenae:

Mountain lions are around and they usually stick to the foothills, where they prey on deer, wild pigs, rabbits and sometimes even small mammals like gophers.

It's always unusual to see one, but on those rare occasions when mountain lions do get spotted by humans, it's usually in an area where there are a lot of deer. If they see you looking at them, they usually disappear immediately. They're very secretive and prefer to stay away from us humans.

I recall another lion was seen in that general area a few years ago. Those deer must be tasty.

Not all of these big cats that we see actually turn out to be mountain lions. Sometimes they are big house cats or large yellowish or tan dogs that can fool even the experts when seen from a distance.

An aside: Obviously it's not a good idea to try to approach a mountain lion, especially to

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take a picture. You don't want to try to sneak up on a professional sneaker! That would be very dangerous. It's always good to make a lot of noise if a mountain lion is nearby and to look as big as you can by waving your arms around.

Speaking of mountain lions, now is a good time to read more about them at www.keepmewild.org.

Beastly things to do

  • Adoption Faire, sponsored by Tri-Valley Animal Rescue, noon-3 p.m. Saturday at East County Shelter, 4595 Gleason Drive, Dublin. Lots of neat pets to adopt at the shelter and expert advice to help you choose the right cat, dog or bunny for you. FREE with adoptions: For dogs: Three private lessons with a professional dog trainer ($180 value), plus dog bed, leash and collar, plus a bag of dog food. For cats: Goody bag with blanket, toys and more. More details at www.tvar.org.

  • Retired racing greyhounds for adoption, 1-4 p.m. Saturday at Pet Food Express, 1436 1st St., Livermore. By Amazing Greys Retired Racers at www.amazinggreys.com.

    Dear Gary:

    I have a lemon tree and an orange tree separated by a fence.

    Occasionally I find a lemon with all the rind eaten off, leaving only the pulp. On the other side of the fence I find an orange with all the pulp eaten out of the orange, leaving just the rind.

    What's up with that? Rats, squirrels, raccoons?

    Bill, San Mateo

    Dear Bill:

    I've written about this before but I think it's time to do it again: Roof rats eat the peels off lemons, leaving just the pulp and they eat the pulp (insides) from oranges, leaving a hollow orange-shaped peel. Go figure.

    A final note

    Gary: Thank you so much for explaining to that incensed mother who wanted the city to get rid of local crows several weeks ago, that the crows were here first and are to be admired and enjoyed by us urban dwellers. You hit every nail on the head of this issue.

    I taught my children at a similar age to simply observe wild animals. And to protect them if the chance arose.

    Love your work. Almost as much as I do crows. (Laurel Hulley, Oakland)