When I posted the memory about Loki teaching the two packs of coyotes to sing in our forest, I had a few people ask for videos. So for weeks, I've been trying to record the coyote pack singing with Loki. It's harder than you think. A siren goes by, sets off a dog and the […]
Meet Heloise, the adult female hoverfly or flower fly of the family Syrphidae. Hoverflies get their name from how they hover in midair. Known as the helicopter of flying insects, they are able to dart quickly, fly backwards, and come to hover again. Sizes of hoverflies vary from small, long and slender, like Heloise here, […]
This is how we winterize. Seriously. All this wood harvested from junk trees on our property. Winter is not a season, it's an occupation.
White-lined Sphinx Hummingbird Moth (Hyles lineata) of the Sphingidae family. One of the largest flying insects with a wingspan of 2-8 inches and length of 2.5-3.5 inches. They are large enough to scare the bejesus out of you if you didn't know just how harmless these shy guys are! Hummingbird moths emerge at dusk from […]
I used to measure PRs for a run or a bike ride. Now I measure PRs for how long I can stay off antibiotics before Neurological Lyme Disease returns. I had a 5 week PR a few months ago. Then recently a 2 week PR. I think I'm doing this Lyme-athlete thing all wrong. Yup, […]
Juno eyed her mom working in the herb garden through the morning mist. She raised her nose in the air, considered hunting for moles, but decided to head down the path to the orchard and help herself to an apple. While she enjoys playing with the treasures she picks from the tree, she prefers the […]
This is Eddie otherwise known as Red-Eye Eddie. The other night, I was searching for bush crickets in our trees with a flashlight (no camera) just so I could watch them sing with their wings, when Eddie hopped up on a table on our terrace. I don't know what kind of Katydid he is, though […]
The fire in Big Sur causes an eerie sunset on Summit. This is the view from our terrace earlier this week. All this week, smoke is blowing all over the Santa Cruz Mountains reminding us of the loss that hits our neighbors. The smoke in the air directly impacts both my and Mr. Wild Dingo's health, as […]
Flashback to that time when Jim's pack of huskies taught Loki to sing whenever he hears a siren. Recently, Loki taught the local pack of coyotes to sing at the sirens. And they taught a second pack. So now we're treated to a surround-sound, spine-chilling opera of the Formosan-German Shepherd-California Coyote tabernacle choir every time […]
There's a new boy in the 'hood. While Loki was recovering from knee surgery, Juno got to know the new young stud on our walks. Orion was smitten with my kitten and always invited her to play. It didn't take long for Juno to fall hard for this fellow and now every time we walk […]