Muddling through

It’s been a while since I’ve posted, and I suppose that’s because my excitement about this place has been squashed.  I’m trying not to dwell on that as I finish up the next six weeks or so.  There are some good things on my horizon, and I’m centering on those.

Had an interesting encounter with this coyote on the bird tour last Sunday.  It seems we interrupted this guy’s normal routine, and he wasn’t thrilled about it.  He ran away from us, and then returned.  My tour path seemed to be the same as his early morning wanderings.  For more than half the tour, he could have been the guide.  We gave him plenty of room, but he led the way down my looping path through the land management areas.  What a treat.

In case you haven’t noticed, spring migration has begun.  This huge batch of turkey vultures caught some thermals above my RV site yesterday afternoon, and followed the slip-stream north. 

A pair of osprey have also been working the pond in front of my site.  I’ve noticed there are less and less waterfowl visible on the ponds during my bird tours.  It’s a little too early for me to migrate, but my heart is with those avian friends winging their way north.

I sat outside for a while with Emma this morning, and then went in to fix my breakfast.  Emma began her alarm barking, so I ran outside to bring her in.  I figured it was the coyotes again, but I was wrong.

Seems there was a little bandit clinging to the side of the bunk house next door.  I figured these guys were eating up the empty orange peels from the mesquite tree each night, but I was surprised to see one so close during daylight hours.

                            I put two orange halves out each morning for the little verdin to snack on.

Between the verdin and the Gila woodpeckers, the orange halves are totally emptied by nightfall.  Each morning the tree is bare of oranges, and there’s not a scrap left behind.  Fellow volunteer Gail watched three of the raccoons out her rig’s window this morning before one of them came over toward my site.  Due to Emma, that little bandit will have to wait until tonight to snack on the bitter peels.

Next Tuesday, my daughter Robyn and grandgirl Phoebe arrive for a four night stay with me.  I’m very excited about that.  It’s one of the good things that is helping me ‘muddle through’.  If anything interesting happens before their arrival, I’ll let you know. 

                                                                               THE END!!

Thanks for stopping by… talk to you later,  Judy