Linear view vs. Masonry View

History Mystery

Help! I have a cool, rusty metal object and I don’t know what it is. It is about 6″ long with a hole at each end and near the center (slightly offset) is a section that pulls out about half an inch. I discovered this object in a shallow ravine not far from a rusty old bedspring and what looked like an axle from a car.

I’m fairly certain that this was an old dump from an early homesteader. I’m basing that on the fragments of sun-colored-amethyst glass (manufactured primarily from the 1880s through the 1910s) that I found nearby.

Is it perhaps some kind of handle? Since my memory doesn’t stretch back that far I thought I’d ask for suggestions. Any ideas?

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My Magic Rabbit

I believe I have finally solved the enigma of why magicians are always pulling rabbits out of hats – because rabbits are always getting into things! As proof I offer Exhibit A, a Desert Cottontail in my front yard. Here the rabbit is nibbling on the rusty metal – iron deficiency perhaps? Note the position of the spout.

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And then the rabbit crawled inside. I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it! The rabbit had a good time rolling the container from side to side (look where the spout is now).

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I was beginning to worry that this was turning into a rescue situation…

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But then, abracadabra, the rabbit popped back out.

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Never a dull moment in my little corner of the beautiful Sonoran Desert!
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Landscaping Help…

I have a family of Harris’s Antelope Squirrels (Ammospermophilus harrisii) at my house. I enjoy watching them as they scamper, bounce, and climb their way through my front yard. They seem to appreciate that I’ve worked hard over the past 7 years to re-vegetate the area with native plants. They are quite comfortable here – finding all the food, shelter, and water that they need.

In return for providing these basic necessities they give me free tree and bush trimming, soil aeration, and other landscaping help. The recent monsoon soaking revealed another of their free services – tree planting. Apparently, they have been busy squirreling away caches of palo verde seeds in my garden paths. Their food storage plan didn’t work so well since the seeds have now sprouted in thick clumps. Judging from the number of mini-forests, they’ve been busy little buggers!

 

Harris’ Antelope Squirrel Eating on Rock Ammospermophilus harrisii

 

 

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One of These Things…

I know this situation isn’t an exact match but I now have that Sesame Street song “One of these things” in my head because of this photo from my front yard.

“One of these things is not like the others,
One of these things just doesn’t belong…”

Since I know the scale is difficult to discern, you should know that this bush is roughly 4 feet tall.

This creative feeding behavior will only be exacerbated since Southern Arizona is at least a month away from any rainfall. But I honestly don’t mind, I added many different plants to my yard in order to provide food and habitat. Besides, they are adorable!

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I Love My Job!

The programs of the Environmental Education division of Pima County Natural Resources, Parks and Recreation were the feature story of this week’s Caliente insert of the Arizona Daily Star. The reporter did a great job detailing some of our activities geared to youngsters and families (though we offer a wide variety of programs for all ages).

I’ve joined an exceptional team of talented folks. We get paid to share the wonders of our amazing Sonoran Desert with the public.  It’s what I’ve been doing for most of my life, as many of you who’ve hiked with me can attest.

My belief is that if people understand something they’ll care about it and if they care about it they’ll take steps to protect or preserve it. So I like to try to help people understand…

 

Images from the article.

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