Friday, July 13, 2012

13 July 2012 Take me in, Oh, tender woman




          This is the season of visitations.  The creatures that make up the normal fauna are being affected by the higher than normal temperatures in several ways.  Many of these animals are making closer contact with us than is normal. 
          The last several days have brought moderate rainfalls.  Trips outside are rewarded with the sounds of many frogs begging for the chance to reproduce.  I’m told that there are frogs with higher-pitched mating calls than I’m able to hear.   I’m certain that I heard them once.  However, the battlefield damage I carry removed that portion auditory spectrum quite effectively. 
          The same deficit precludes me hearing many species of insects looking for love in our neighborhood. 
          Looking for drier, warmer places to shelter, two snakes have turned up in extreme proximity to the house.  Last week we encountered what appeared to be a very healthy 5 foot long black snake.  Since these eat mice, they are considered welcome.  We last saw it on the front deck.   It pushed off to better concealment and more food.  We left it alone in hope that it will prevent any more mouse/automobile interactions. 
          Today, Gloria came in to report another snake visitor.  Sharing space with V’ger the tortoise is a common water snake of about 3 feet in length.  This snake is also welcome. 
          We continue to lose bird food to the possum/raccoon gang that thinks anything edible belongs to it.  Some member of this gang stripped the pear tree of fruit again. 
          The squirrel population has Loki continually on alert.  They are objects to watch until they jump onto the platform bird feeder.  At that point, they are inside a dog-defined perimeter and she explodes into a frenzy of barking and running between windows and doors in an attempt to chase them off.  The squirrels, nearly as wicked in nature as in Disney animations, will sit just inside the perimeter and tease Loki  They seem to know where her defining points are as if they have a shared map. 
          Eventually we grow tired or annoyed at the noise level and let her out to chase the squirrels.  Eventually she’s going to catch one. 
Shabbat Shalom!


          This is the season of visitations.  The creatures that make up the normal fauna are being affected by the higher than normal temperatures in several ways.  Many of these animals are making closer contact with us than is normal. 
          The last several days have brought moderate rainfalls.  Trips outside are rewarded with the sounds of many frogs begging for the chance to reproduce.  I’m told that there are frogs with higher-pitched mating calls than I’m able to hear.   I’m certain that I heard them once.  However, the battlefield damage I carry removed that portion auditory spectrum quite effectively. 
          The same deficit precludes me hearing many species of insects looking for love in our neighborhood. 
          Looking for drier, warmer places to shelter, two snakes have turned up in extreme proximity to the house.  Last week we encountered what appeared to be a very healthy 5 foot long black snake.  Since these eat mice, they are considered welcome.  We last saw it on the front deck.   It pushed off to better concealment and more food.  We left it alone in hope that it will prevent any more mouse/automobile interactions. 
          Today, Gloria came in to report another snake visitor.  Sharing space with V’ger the tortoise is a common water snake of about 3 feet in length.  This snake is also welcome. 
          We continue to lose bird food to the possum/raccoon gang that thinks anything edible belongs to it.  Some member of this gang stripped the pear tree of fruit again. 
          The squirrel population has Loki continually on alert.  They are objects to watch until they jump onto the platform bird feeder.  At that point, they are inside a dog-defined perimeter and she explodes into a frenzy of barking and running between windows and doors in an attempt to chase them off.  The squirrels, nearly as wicked in nature as in Disney animations, will sit just inside the perimeter and tease Loki  They seem to know where her defining points are as if they have a shared map. 
          Eventually we grow tired or annoyed at the noise level and let her out to chase the squirrels.  Eventually she’s going to catch one. 
Shabbat Shalom!

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