Pitch the Tents!

Winter was long in the High Sierra this year. Well into late spring, high country lakes are frozen and trails are snowbound. The passes (Sonora, Ebbetts, Monitor) were finally cleared of snow just before Memorial Day. The first week in June, Tioga Pass was still closed.

Life above 9,000 feet is on hold for now, but life below the snow line is thriving. Lupines and snow plants are in bloom; lizards adorn warm rocks; rattlesnakes slither sneakily; and tent caterpillars live communally on bitter bush. Little silk tents are everywhere. Branches of kite spools house worms feasting on tasty spring growth....
moths to come:)

Dinnertime at the Stenbergs

Just look at those hummingbirds! Ralph and Dayle's sugar solution must be really high octane to attract so many hummers to one feeder. Ralph is one of my dad's favorite golfing buddies and a fellow hummingbird fan so when he shared this photo of Dinnertime, I asked permission to post it. The Stenbergs are originally from Frazee, MN. Located in a beautiful area near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Frazee is famous for turkeys rather than hummingbirds. The town celebrates Turkey Days every year in July and is home to the world's largest turkey too!

Rufous Red Baron

The sun was shining bright today, so hummingbirds came out to play:) Rufous hummingbirds have invaded my space, swooping, diving, making lots of noise, and using the nearby birch tree as a resting place. There were even numerous 'dogfights' resulting in contact (and flying feathers too). Think I'll name these guys Snoopy and Rufous Red Baron!

I Love Orange(s)

While Southern California's orange groves are fast disappearing, orange trees live on in suburban yards. Our navel orange tree loves its sunny, south-facing location and is busy all year. Fruit ripens between October and January becoming sweeter with time spent on branch, so if you like your orange juice sweet, have patience! By February, pretty white blossoms begin to appear producing a fragrance like no other (talk about aroma therapy!). The orange tree's cycle overlaps so blooms can exist with mature fruit from the previous year. Orange trees are natural hummingbird havens too. Hummers hide and nest in the dense foliage; bathe in leaf-cupped rainwater; and feed on the many spiders and bugs living there.

This year January 1st was Mimosa Day. Fresh (from the tree;) orange juice and champagne in equal parts made for a tasty start to 2010, post Rose Parade of course!

Cheers and Happy New Year!

Peruvian Apple Cactus

Last July I wrote about our Peruvian Apple Cactus, and
it has become a fairly popular post on the Hummingbird Happiness Blog. Since the cactus is blooming again, I thought I'd do a little revisit;)

Definitely a member of our family, it was planted in the backyard (much too close to the fence;) about 30 years ago. A gift from my brother-in-law, it arrived as a section of trunk and roots, huge, heavy, and ancient. I couldn't give it's exact age, but my guess is that the original plant must be at least 70 years old.

For safety purposes, we've trimmed it back to the original trunk a number of times. The 'spires' are quite tall and very heavy, so we utilize a method of pruning using ropes, a ladder, and bow saw to take them down one by one. Timber!!!! Cuttings can be rooted, so they often become second generation cacti.

The flowers are lovely, but night-blooming, so early morning is the best time to enjoy them. Notice (in the photo above) the complete flowering cycle of a bloom. There are the small buds, one ready to open, the open flower, and the beginning of the cactus fruit, or pitaya, where a spent bloom has fallen, leaving a dangling string behind.

The (Box) Turtle

The turtle can't go out to play,
Or sell his house or rent it;
For when he moves,
His house moves too
And nothing can prevent it.

It's always a good day when I see our box turtle.
Half the year he hibernates; the other half he forages for food...so he can hibernate! He keeps the snail population in check, but, sadly, he has reduced the number of fence lizards in the yard too. Today I found him floating in the pond. Mosquito fish for lunch? Possibly!

(Poem courtesy of Can Teach)

Isn't She A Beauty?

An alligator lizard among the roses. Now that's juxtaposition! She brings back memories of my childhood when catching just one alligator lizard trumped corralling five to ten “blue-belly” fence lizards. Alligator lizards have attitude. They're arrogant loners with powerful jaws, a snake-ish slither, and keeled scales that look like armor. The tail, if original, almost doubles the lizard's length and is slightly prehensile. It can detach too, for a quick escape from predators. Will an alligator lizard climb a tree? Most certainly! Not only do they munch on bugs, but also on eggs and baby birds.