A WALK "OUT WEST"

The farm yard from the south field

Behind house toward Teakean Butte

Yesterday afternoon Mike suggested we walk “out west,” so the four of us hiked behind the house and out to the canyon edge. Then we circled around, following the edge of the field to the Stove Creek Gully and back to the yard. Mike carried the binoculars. I took the camera.

The pond from south of grove

 

The first thing you might note is that our fields have not been planted. At the time Mike left for California (May 19), the farmer still planned to plant. However, in that timeframe, we had a lot of rain here, and we surmise he was then unable to plant. He did, however, spray the fields and all the weeds, volunteer garbanzos, and whatever else was green are dead. The good news is that we can comfortably walk over the ground. The bad news is that the game birds have no cover.

 

Speaking of dead vegetation, we do see deer in the fields, but I suspect they don’t much like the dead stuff. I’m afraid they are keeping an eye on the yard. We have a poplar “bush” that seems more nibbled today than it did yesterday, and Bess barked some in the night. I don’t think the deer respect Bess much.

Snow on the mountains

After our walk, we came back to the house. Bess likes to stay outside and keep an eye on things, and soon we heard her bark from the top of the lane. She came bounding back when Mike called her and bounced all around him, as if to say, “I saw a snake! I saw a snake!” So, we went with her to the lane and she showed us where she had seen the snake, but it was gone.

Mike & Nellie above Stove Creek

We've seen hummingbirds -- a least three -- but they haven’t shown much interest in the feeder. I’ve boiled new nectar and will also set out the second feeder. KW