January 20, 2006

Woops! I thought I had posted already this new year, but I guess not. I have been preoccupied with death and destruction.
Not a great deal has happened out by the pond, except that the pump stopped working. My yard guy fixed it and now, instead of a waterfall, it has a small fountain at the waterfall end. This is better, I think, because it's louder and may attract more birds.
We had a supposed hard freeze the other night, but I don't think it dropped below freezing here, even though I covered all the plants. When I do that it looks as if I have a yard full of ghosts or mummies.
In other weather news, there is none. Also no rain, not for over three months, which is approaching a record. The cactuses all look wilted and miserable, poor things.
I have lots of hummers, all, as near as I can tell, Anna's and Costa's.
I saw the beautiful mockingbird again, on the 13th, first sitting on the fence around my pond and then drinking. I hope, hope, hope he/she will set up housekeeping here in the spring. I have decided to plant two pyracanthas in the pond area. But I will be sure to protect them with chicken wire or screening.
The final bit of news is that the other day when i went down for the paper I found a huge pile of quail feathers and a bloody beak by the mailbox. My husband has noticed large animal tracks in the driveway, so I'm assuming a coyote or mountain lion had a nice bird snack, but it could also have been a raptor.