We have been here almost 4 weeks. In ways it feels far longer. In other ways it seems like we just got here…
Joy… From the smell coming in from the outside, we must have a large pack of javilina’s around our rig. It is a light breeze night, this is the sort of smell that lingers like a open sewer line…
Back on subject…
I have given up trail running for 2 reasons. 1) when I run I hate having to look where my feet are going and running on a uneven trail that is a must unless you want to break something. 2) When I am on the trails, or off the trails in the bush, I am always trying to move as silent as I can so I can see/hear any animals. I can’t run and look for animals at the same time, mostly due to watching where my feet are going.
Ok, 3 reasons.
3) Shin splints.
I was going to try running on the road, but I am wondering if my daily hikes are getting the same results with less pain? Not that my hikes are painless, I’m usually bleeding from somewhere when I came back from the bush, it is just less painful then running. Never thought I would miss a treadmill. But that could be due to the fact that is where I watched ESPN?
Javilina’s stink like hell, the bigger the pack, the bigger the smell… PEW!
Since I stopped running the trails, we “sleep in” to about 6am, but I am awake by 530am usually, I just lay in bed listening to the birds outside starting their day. And more often then not, listening to Drew being a dick head to his sister who hiss’s and huffs and puffs up a storm until it ends the same way every time. Sakura running across me in bed where she knows “daddy will protect her” and Drew chasing her to the foot of the bed with his typical “I didn’t do it” look on his face.
Sigh.
Today I did the usual opening procedure but when we opened the gates we both went on our own walks. Pauline did a quick “workout” walk and I took the camera so I did my usual slow pace stopping and looking listening for any signs of wild life scenic walk.
Today started off pretty well as I saw 2 coyotes as I was unlocking the office. Once I got on the trail I saw my usual birds, the Vermillion Flycatcher, Northern Cardinal, the Thrashers who make so much sound you expect a moose and see nothing but a mouse and the dick head Gila Woodpeckers.
Total dick heads. They are good looking birds, but they NEVER shut up. Never. Not Ever. Not even for a little while. They love to land on the hummingbird feeders and inside the metal awning of the visitors center and just SCREAM. And when 1 isn’t enough, the mate shows up and when those 2 isn’t enough, 4 more friends show up.
Sigh.
My favorite bird is the Gray Hawk, which is pretty much the mascot here at the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. they are very vocal in the morning as well as through out the day, but the morning much more so. I thought I found a nest, but it appears to be abandoned.
About a hour into my walk I heard a lot of movement across the creek near the highway, and I could just make out a small pack of coati’s but due to a lot of bush between me and them, I had to find a better position which would mean a lot of noise since I would have to walk in dead leaves, but I was able to mask my sound with the sound of cars driving by which worked great.
Until I ran out of cars. Then I was pretty much stuck in a awkward position with the choice of moving and scaring off the coati’s or waiting for more cars to drive by. So I decided to just kneel down and wait which caused both of my knees to pop very loud and of course scared off the coati’s. I was able to get 1 decent picture before they disappered. I think I saw about 6-8 of them.
After that I made my way back home, I saw a few more critters, such as deer, some lizards, bugs, birds etc.
I still have not seen the bobcat. Pauline was lucky enough to see it 2 days ago. So I will be heading out each morning until I do.
I’ll post pics tomorrow, too tired now.
*May 18, 2013 – Ok, it’s tomorrow, here are the promised pictures.