Is it time for a stand and feeder? (Just kidding folks)

DH, Paddy and I startled two does and a (nice) buck - all crossed the dirt road in front of us into a stand of trees and then crossed the left side of the first meadow. We got to the second meadow and Paddy was scanning everything - disappointed it was empty. We entered the park and heard (and then saw) the same deer...must have paralleled the road and exited the trees into a field beyond. As we headed home we saw two small bucks trying to cross the busy street coming towards us. They waited and then ran at us along the creek...saw us and disappeared into the woods. Paddy was going crazy...DH and I decided it was just the teenagers, oversleeping and getting into the park late...

Turn of luck

Clouds blocked the dawn stirring up childhood fears (Are YOU afraid of the dark?); I forgot Paddy's water; Paddy - deciding she is a GUARD dog, not a watch dog - growl-barked and lunged at a (strange) runner. I decided to try the first meadow anyway.

The meadow was empty and it seemed we were either too early or too late when one doe entered the meadow from our right and stopped...took a step, then another...then took a step towards us as Paddy and I held our breath (sometimes Paddy is the best behaved, most intuitive animal). Suddenly the deer let out a warning noise - like the lout "shushing" of a mother or an exhausted exhale of breath. She and two other does broke into a run across the meadow while Paddy and I stood motionless. Then we headed home...

Deer (and a bicycle)

Walked down the dirt road that parallels the park. (We used to let Paddy run a bit here until she decided she didn't need to be in visual contact and "took off" for about an hour - scaring us all silly.) Approaching the first meadow we saw some movement - four deer. They finally saw us and ran into the tree line as Paddy yanked the leash (and my arm). At the second meadow we saw nothing, but heard a big crash in the woods (it is on these days I am especially glad DH is along). We circled around into the park mostly watching our feet - huge cracks and holes in the parched areas surrounding the soccer field. Suddenly a whole herd of deer came crashing through the brush towards us (briefly) - one medium sized buck, two fawns and about 4 or 5 does...after they spied us the group scattered, except the fawns. They stopped and looked us over just a minute or so and then bounced back into the brush...

Twenty-one Hours/1400 Miles - Much of It Desert [A LONG Drive Across California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Texas]

Where are the people?” resumed the little prince at last. 

“It’s a little lonely in the desert…” 

“It is lonely when you’re among people, too,” said the snake. 

~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery (The Little Prince)

Long drive...love driving 75 legally...lots of construction and slowing down...boo!...warnings of dust storms and some amazing dust devils on the side of the highway...then some very ominous clouds/dust storms on both sides of the highway, but never where we were. I couldn't tell if it was dust up high or smoke from the fires or both...but very scary...not a trucker fan this trip...they have not been nice.

DFW! Whoo-hoo! Lots of crazy stops along the way...one sketchy gas station just inside the border to TX where there were prisoners in stripes doing road work...all in all a good adventure....now, knock wood, to sleep, airport on time and back home...

No issue with the border stop...YC says she always takes off her sunglasses and stares at them with her blue eyes...

Note:

This was on a drive from California to Dallas to put YC on a plane. I have no conscious memory of where she was going.

I do remember her comment as we drove through part of west Texas. “Odessa? I would have said Odesolate is more like it.”

And now I always say “Midland and Odesolate.”

Friends have shared "Slowdeatha" and "Nodessa."

Walking in the Dark

"Where are the owls?" I have thought on almost every walk. I had finally heard some screech owls in Mrs. Guffey's yard a few weeks ago, but nothing since then...FINALLY this morning we didn't hear them - we SAW them sitting on a wire, silhouetted against the brightening sky...

Still wonder what happened to the great horned owls in the park...

The Fox

Started the walk to the call of a screech owl..."what's that?" J. asked. I love it when people ask me to identify bird calls I know.... Then a fox alerted on us at the entrance to the park. He was finding insects under the street lamp and didn't run right away. He just watched us.

7 Deer, 3 People, 1 Dog

Took a lovely late walk last night with J, DH and Paddy. On the way home Paddy alerted. We had just walked past the bridge over the creek - 7 deer making their way along the bank. This morning's walk was less eventful - one kid with a cell phone and one black domestic house cat wandering a yard...

Notes: Adding this post from FB memories makes it the first in the blog archive. An explanation might be in order. I count things. You are welcome.