Spring Nature Updates

I have never been so aware of the natural world. New York City certainly had something to do with that, but even there, hawks perch on fire escapes and gorge on the abundant assortment of rats and mice living beneath the city streets and pigeons roost outside your window.

Living in a climate where you wouldn’t imagine anything would survive is really fun because SO MUCH lives here! And it doesn’t take a lot to notice and appreciate. So, here are a few updates: 

• Two California Scrub Jays are building a nest in the mulberry tree outside of our bedroom. They both fly sticks and bits of Yucca trees up into the canopy and squawk at me at sunset when I’m roaming around the yard. They’re beautiful blue birds and they’re loud and kind of mean to the other birds.
• We have ants all over the fucking yard. I know it’s the desert and all there is is sand, but WHAT THE FUCK. Any tips or tricks for taking out entire colonies? I think I may need to call an exterminator, but I don’t think this is something you can just fix out here. It’s the desert and this is their land.
• The dove is back in the cholla cactus in the same nest where her previous batch of eggs didn’t hatch. I’m worried about her. She looks sad and I’m not even sure she’s sitting on eggs. I also haven’t seen a mate, so I don’t know how she’s getting food or water.
• Cockroaches are also a thing in the desert and I hate them just as much as the ants (maybe more because they get in the house) but its the same thing here where “this is their land” so I just need to chill tf out I think and live in peace with the creatures. Do dogs eat cockroaches?
• The blooms are subsiding a bit, which means I’m out collecting dried blooms to use for my desert specimen resin cubes (Etsy link TBD when I get some better pics to use)
• The dogs who live in the house adjacent to our backyard still bark at me.
• There’s a rabbit that eats the little bits of grass in our backyard every night and I think it really likes me and comes back because it knows I’m not going to kill it.
• A neighbors cat keeps peeing in our yard and it smells horrible.
• I can’t wait to get a dog.
• Speaking of dogs, the neighbors lost their dachshund a few days ago and I’m sure it’s been eaten by a coyote by now 😦