Can You Hear It??

Silence.   It's so quiet.  No dogs barking, no cars screaming by, just the occasional howl of a coyote pack meeting up, along with the morning song of the quail.  Sure, there's the occasional crack of lightning and thunder, but Mother Nature is always better than HUMAN nature.

It was 3:30 when I got up this morning.  Too many crazy dreams to keep thrashing around in.   I sat on the patio for awhile, spitting out every bug that flew in my mouth.  It's okay, I need the protein.  As with any humid state, the bugs are out in full force.  What's even better ... I have three praying mantises on my screens scarfing them up for breakfast.  How cool is that?

Storms have been coming through every day, some dumping loads of water "over there" but not here.

This is what's making all that green stuff you see in my pictures.  It's crazy to think that grass would almost completely cover the desert.

The flowers are epic too.  When you never see anything but sand and rocks, it's surprising to find so many blooms everywhere you look.

This is the hillside below my house.  It's normally simply a rocky hill.  Just look at this jungle!  I bet there's some amazing creatures hiding in there.

It's beautiful to be sure ... but oh my aching back is soon to raise it's ugly head.

I mean really ... I could feed a horse for several months just on what's growing in my back yard.

Okay ... the sun was up, so I finally got out the lawnmower and went to work.  I chased off a couple of tigers and one rhino, but thankfully no snakes.  I tried to use the weedeater, but I'm not so proficient with that one.  It took me longer to get the coil untangled than it did to whiz around the edges.  

I tried to weed the flowerbeds, which are completely choked with Bermuda grass, but only got halfway.  Within an hour I was overheated and heading to the house.  This is a first for me .... I turned the AC down to 78 degrees THE ENTIRE DAY.  Can you believe it?  

Next up, just for giggles, I went looking for the rat traps under the house that Dan noticed had disappeared.  Ummmm that's not good.  Home ownership is just SO much fun!!  I didn't have to crawl far before finding the first one with a very dead rat in it.  No pictures ... it would make you barf.  

I found the second one had been sprung, right next to the Rid-a-Rat flashing light expensive gizzy that keeps them away.  I guess I can't sing their praises any more.  I'll get them reset today.

In spite of all my great luck (I use those terms loosely ... I'll explain tomorrow) I'm happy to be here and not have to listen to the Mariachi music or the Head Exploding Rap music at the other house in California.  I do love the QUIET!!!!  And the critters .... I love the critters!!