Tales from Tucson!

Found out the other day that we have a 'northern' mocking bird visiting--or at least passing through. I hear him or her (or maybe one of each?) in the morning first thing, their calls intricate and varied. I had to look up their sounds on the internet to truly figure it out--the quote I got was "if you hear several different birds that you can't identify, more than likely you have a northern mockingbird."

When he flew and I saw the white patches on his wings I knew he was not a curved bill thrasher which is what I originally thought, since they also have a varied repertoire.

My husband has been on a pack rat tear after another $1500 charge for car damage. They invade our garage and the car we leave outside despite leaving lights on all night long. My car had a terrible smell and when I took it in they found a nest which they removed--luckily no damage this time! So Jim has been placing haveahart traps around--(pack rats are nocturnal) and we've caught two so far and relocated them into the desert behind our house. Apparently they like cactus and so we released them into a clump of prickly pears in hopes that they will build another midden and enjoy the solitude of the desert. They reproduce at alarming rates and are the favorite food of owls and coyotes. I wrote an earlier post about them and how long they've been around--Pleistocene era--astounding! They're cute and I wondered about taming them until I remembered they were nocturnal!

We have had a ton of rain this year so far--nearly an inch just yesterday. El Nino? I wonder why California hasn't benefitted from this weather pattern. Everything is green and happy except for the poppies which were in short supply this summer. Maybe they need to be stressed to grow?

I love the cooler weather which allows me to pick and choose when to go for a walk instead of getting up before dawn. Buddha is happier too and leaps for joy when he goes outside. As you can see he likes to read.

Thanks for reading!