The temperatures upon my westward
facing walkout basement patio have been just low enough for me to enjoy the
space most mornings into early to mid afternoon. In fact I’m here right now
typing this. It's quite peaceful despite distant traffic and industrialization. I just wish the greenery weren't quite so aggressive.
As for critters, another cat
wandered through yesterday, a big black and white feline who came and went with a
skittish bump against my shins. An attempt to feed the creature sent him (?)
scurrying. A black cat ignored me as I gardened around dawn today. I hope there
is a family or two who brings these healthy (looking) creatures in at night and
will someday keep them there out of harm’s way.
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| Edging the Lawn is One of Two Eight Foot Tall Retaining Walls |
Meanwhile, I have seen deer
out my rear windows and evidence of raccoons on our back upper deck. As for
down here under the tin roof, plenty of spiders come across the concrete slab (all
are fine and left unmolested as long as they maintain distance) and even a mole
one day. I’ve been harassed by ladybug infestations and the oddball mosquito
out on a hot dry day, plus visited by other flyers including a bumble bee who
just buzzed me minutes ago and a huge (late summer) praying mantis who landed
on the back of my chair one year.
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| Top of My Lilac Bush and a Tree Backed by Neighboring Jungle |
I’m sure this space sees
plenty of activity after dark – opossums, red foxes, coyotes. I’ve only not seen that last, which my next door
neighbor has noticed while letting out his dog late at night. Good thing my
cats are (mostly) happy staying inside!
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| Continuing the Panorama |
When you see how wild much of
the surrounding spaces are, I suppose it’s no wonder we have such diverse
wildlife. That also explains the indoor visitors, of course. Yesterday I shooed
another good sized fishing spider out of my garage, spotted hunkered down when I
pulled out the lawn mower. Maybe it’s just as well we don’t have a creek or
pond, much as I love water features.
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| My Portable Fireplace is Rusty! Oops |
What do you most like and/or dislike about your home environment?
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You know what I'm currently disliking! The earwig infestation! I wish I'd have a ladybug problem! My clumsy Edward the Goldendoodle would fall off your 8' wall, over and over again! Boo's ball would roll over and he'd jump!
ReplyDeleteWhat I like, love, is the view of the mountains from my bedroom, deck, backyard. Even if (when) the approved duplexes get built, the plans leave the area directly behind my house open space. The view is why I had a chain link fence at the back, instead of the 6' cedar the rest of the yard has. It makes it feel open. We used to have raccoons, in the ditches along the road, but they redid the road, so now there are nice sidewalks and streetlights. The raccoons moved down the street where it's still ditches! I think they come at night though, digging around a bit. Also, something beheads raptors, clean and neat and bloodless... maybe a great horned owl, I read they do that. Thankfully my dogs don't try to eat or even touch the bodies. A few blocks away is rural, so we get wandering turkey and deer every so often. A few times a year bear are in trees downtown. They let them stay to leave once it's dark.
Oh, a mountain view! Nice, my dear. So sorry about those nasty bugs. Happy (happier) Gardening!
DeleteIt's fun to watch the critters, isn't it?
ReplyDeleteIt is! ~grin~ And trying to identify bird calls is challenging.
DeleteGreat photos, you have a nice yard. I love where we live except the coyotes are too close for comfort- I am glad I keep all the cats inside.
ReplyDeleteOh, me, too! Thank you for the kind word.
DeleteHow nice that you have such a great place to write. But looks like you don't have many trees to cover the yard to help keep in cooler. Lets see, I am sure you figured out that I love my deck! Up until a couple of yrs ago that was not the case. What do I dislike, the stairs inside I think. I really would love to have this all on one level. Now that I sit her replying to your question and commenting on your blog I realize you gave me the idea to write about my space and how it all came about....thanks.
ReplyDeleteWe had trees close to the house and were afraid of damage eventually, so had them cut down. I'd like to plant something where the Virginia creeper keeps getting covered in some invasive vine. Don't know if it's in the budget. Retirement is worth the trade-off. ~grin~ I'm thrilled to have inspired you and look forward to reading! Be well, my dear.
DeleteThe neighbors, behind me, who don't fix their falling down fence and try to prop it so it falls my way. Also they let their four cats, one unfixed, free roam over here, like free day care and I clean up their poop and spray marking. It's not fun to have such neighbors. Other than that, I live in a cul de sac that has little in nature to offer, concrete and cars, for miles every direction.
ReplyDeleteI wish you had nicer people around and could escape to nature more. ~hugs~ Thanks for all you do to make the lives better for so many animals in outlying areas.
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