Critters

I went out this morning to water a few plants. If I squint a little bit just as I open the door, and don't focus on any one thing, I can see movement radiating away from me - all the critters that just realized someone bigger than them was approaching. There are birds, lizards, bunnies, squirrels - seemingly dozens of them at any given time, scurrying out of the way. The other day a Gila monster was drinking from the pond. And a while back a baby bobcat was in the tree outside my mother's bedroom window. Amazing place, the desert.

I was watering a prickly pear cactus that seems to be on steroids. For every one of the hundreds of 'pads' this large specimen has, there are 10-12 flower buds! On every pad!! I think it is going to collapse from the sheer weight. How could this plant produce all that abundance in this dry winter/spring? I'm hoping this isn't it's last farewell to the world; sort of a 'grand finale.' So I went out and watered it. Oh well. One does what one can.

Another variety of prickly pear is doing a similar stunt with new pads. There are 3-4 new pads coming out on each existing pad. Amazing.

And as I was watering this thing, I got 'charged' by a pack rat. Ugly things - and not so little either! I was standing right by his very large and messy nest and the water was dripping down from the hose and I guess he thought he'd better make his own 'last stand' to protect the ol' homestead.

I won, incidentally. Pack rats better not mess with me.