Coffee-and. Breaking my fast after the annual trip to give blood at Bradshaw Mtn. Labs. First stop, the deli at New Frontiers; the key lime pie needed at least three times as much lime.
But, the atmosphere is pleasant; besides I could admire the horse figure up on Savoini's roof. It is one of a pair of roof horses.
Time to head down Iron Springs Road. They just can't let well enough alone! Yet another project tearing up the street and extending into the school yard. I made a point of not stopping by the book department at Hastings,
Instead opting for the desert in bloom at the little landscaped triangle right at the Four, formerly Five, Points intersection. Above, cholla; below, prickly pear...
... and the ubiquitous pink Mexican primrose. Ken Lain claims in his
Courier gardening column that the primrose likes it dry and thrives on neglect. My primrose climbed up into the big, well watered strawberry pot, and abandoned the dry soil in the ground below.
The little desert triangle is directly across the street from the
hospital swamp -- cienega, if you prefer; there are a number of springs in this area. On the opposite side of the street looking south is a very green, grassy area in front of the Miller Valley School. I hadn't realized what a fine old rock wall stood at the front of the school.
This corner, in case you weren't aware, belongs to a
flock of grackles who come up from warmer climes every spring. They usually hang out near wet places. I was headed on my way past the school to the TrueValue hardware store when this lady grackle showed up and began nattering at me. Soon she was joined by another and then another. All told, some six birds shouted at me to shoo! scram! begone! None of the usual, wonderful jungle bird noises from these guys -- just a loud racket.
They followed me til I got within spitting distance of the True Value sign. What this fellow was doing up there, I've no idea. He was still at it when I caught a ride home with the fertilizer I bought for my tomatoes.
Coffee-and. Breaking my fast after the annual trip to give blood at Bradshaw Mtn. Labs. First stop, the deli at New Frontiers; the key lime pie needed at least three times as much lime.
But, the atmosphere is pleasant; besides I could admire the horse figure up on Savoini's roof. It is one of a pair of roof horses.
Time to head down Iron Springs Road. They just can't let well enough alone! Yet another project tearing up the street and extending into the school yard. I made a point of not stopping by the book department at Hastings,
Instead opting for the desert in bloom at the little landscaped triangle right at the Four, formerly Five, Points intersection. Above, cholla; below, prickly pear...
... and the ubiquitous pink Mexican primrose. Ken Lain claims in his Courier gardening column that the primrose likes it dry and thrives on neglect. My primrose climbed up into the big, well watered strawberry pot, and abandoned the dry soil in the ground below.
The little desert triangle is directly across the street from the hospital swamp -- cienega, if you prefer; there are a number of springs in this area. On the opposite side of the street looking south is a very green, grassy area in front of the Miller Valley School. I hadn't realized what a fine old rock wall stood at the front of the school.
This corner, in case you weren't aware, belongs to a flock of grackles who come up from warmer climes every spring. They usually hang out near wet places. I was headed on my way past the school to the TrueValue hardware store when this lady grackle showed up and began nattering at me. Soon she was joined by another and then another. All told, some six birds shouted at me to shoo! scram! begone! None of the usual, wonderful jungle bird noises from these guys -- just a loud racket.
They followed me til I got within spitting distance of the True Value sign. What this fellow was doing up there, I've no idea. He was still at it when I caught a ride home with the fertilizer I bought for my tomatoes.
My first sighting of a grackle. Hadn't seen on before.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts too! I keep hearing about them on blogs but didn't know what they looked like.
ReplyDeleteCorn mother, cherries and socks all good to look at - but I'm not sure I don't prefer veggies to fruit also...
I'm not sure if you would be interested in winning an ARC of Brett Battles novel 'The Cleaner', but if you are stop by. I have a link for a give-away he is doing.
ReplyDeletegrackles are all around that area, but never stop by our place just a mile or so away. Roo calls them crackles...
ReplyDeleteI'll bet the primroses at that intersection actually get a goodly amount of drip irrigation...
Steve -- The grackles moved into the SW from Mexico. The males have an impressively long tail-- at times you figure the tail will cause problems in flight.
ReplyDeleteMs. Lucy, as opposed to my mother who could care less for veggies (except for raw carrots, celery and peas) but thrives on fruit.
Ms. Brain -- I wouldn't take you up on that bet!