The Flying Gazebo and The Survivor

San Diego California was hit with a strong wind storm, and plenty of rain, over the weekend. We got a call from our neighbor who told us our gazebo was no longer on our second story deck. About 12x12 feet with 4 sturdy metal legs and a fabric covering, with 40 mph gusts, it had "left the building".

I found it crushed against the bank at the side of our house. Miraculously it had cleared the deck railing, the stairs and blown around the corner of the house missing a sliding glass door and two picture windows. It was trashed, but the only damage to the house was a 3" long scrape on the deck's railing.

As I cut the fabric away, a hummingbird buzzed around my head. Peering into the bush against which the gazebo rested, I found this:

He/she survived both the storm and the flying gazebo. ~B

Bambi 'n bugs

Walking through our meadow last week I found that Bambi didn't make it this winter . . . I just found the lone skull - with a nibbled nose and fur still between the tiny antlers. When I turned over a log to prop it up . . .

Whoa! I found where the lady bugs spend the winter - thousands and thousands of them - quiet, sleeping, hibernating . . . just starting to move slightly as I watched them while the morning sunlight warmed them up. ~N

Stellars Jays

Each species of bird has a different personality. The Acorn Woodpeckers are the sheriffs - territorial and aggressive; the Mountain Chickdees are social, friendly and readily come to hand; the Plain Titmice are soft and gray, perky and learning to land and feed from our hands.

BUT the Stellars Jays are both shy and demanding, wary of the Acorn Woodpeckers (who attack them on sight), often contentious among themselves, and seemingly the most intelligent. Yesterday one came to the door and stood on the mat looking in (we offer peanuts) and then went to the window and knocked!

They are learning to take peanuts from our hands, but are skittish and ready to fly off if we make a false move. And, as below with N, sometimes never fully land. ~B

The snow has melted . . .

Our first snow (above, Nov. 2009) has all melted, time has passed - holidays are finished but we aren't . . . living in our cabin nearly full time now (just brief trips to San Diego for clean laundry or new library books), spending every night here . . . lots of photos (nearly daily) . . . you'll see . . . ~N