SEEKING

It is customary in the desert, if one is unlucky enough to have a lawn, to "scalp" it in the fall.  That is to cut the grass down to the earth, leaving an ugly scar.  But then the ground is covered with winter rye grass seed and fertilizer and soaked with water.  I hadn't talked to our yard man enough and after a few days grew a bit startled at how much water was being consumed in this process.  It was pooling a couple of inches deep in some parts of the yard and attracting vast flocks of mourning doves, Gambel's quail, some unidentified birds and the occasional bunny or two.  The birds appeared to be eating all of the grass seed put there just a few days before.

Agustin had told me if the irrigation system was putting too much water on the ground that I should call him and he would come and adjust it.  Yesterday, I had had enough and turned off the system and called him.  He arrived this morning and adjusted the system to run for only two minutes at a time, rather than the six minutes it had been drenching the ground with until I turned it off.  But he cautioned that it must run every day for two weeks, then it can be turned back to every other day.  So it is done.

But meanwhile, late yesterday afternoon I came outside and saw this sight on my neighbor's roof.

Yes those are all the aforementioned mourning doves, just waiting for the water or more grass seed or something.  A funny sight.

But they weren't the only creatures seeking high places yesterday. After dinner last night as I came into the kitchen to clean up I spotted this high on top of our refrigerator.

That's Blackwell, our young boy cat.  He has an affinity for high places, for whatever reason.  But he apparently doesn't like being caught there and photographed.

I had barely taken the first photo when he was headed for the ground.  Good Blackwell.

Yes, folks, so goes life in the fast lane!