Tag Archives: Dry Creek

SHE

Posted on April 8, 2015 by John | 8 comments

It was good to see her,
visiting like a sister
forty days late
with much on her mind.

Never aging and beautiful,
she spent the afternoon
outside in the gray—
left a rainbow behind.

8 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal

Tagged Drought, Dry Creek, rain, rainbow, Sulphur Peak

JUST A THOUGHT

Posted on April 7, 2015 by John | 6 comments

Never really green with grass,
the south slopes tried to hide the clay,
standing naked in underwear

these past three years. Too late for rain,
precursor clouds let their shadows run
up canyon walls on gusts that stir

our dry flesh, that lift the hair—
each excited follicle reaching
to dance with the thought of rain.

6 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal

Tagged Drought, Dry Creek, rain

HOW MANY MOONS?

Posted on April 4, 2015 by John | 5 comments

If we measured life
in moons misused and wasted,
how many left full?

                              And as the moon rises he sits by his fire
                              Thinking about women and glasses of beer
                              And closing his eyes as the dogies retire
                              He sings out a song which is soft but it’s clear
                              As if maybe someone could hear…
                                        – James Taylor (“Sweet Baby James”)

5 Comments

Posted in Haiku 2015, Photographs, Poems 2015, Ranch Journal

Tagged Dry Creek, moon

AFTER RAIN 2

Posted on March 31, 2015 by John | 8 comments

Dawn’s soft light steaming,
rain’s last embrace still clinging,
love spent overnight.

photo_challenge/ephemeral

8 Comments

Posted in Haiku 2015, Photographs, Poems 2015

Tagged dawn, Drought, Dry Creek, rain, weather, weekly-photo-challenge

Killdeer Nesting

Posted on March 30, 2015 by John | 5 comments

Not far from the Roadrunner’s cactus nest, a Killdeer is also sitting on eggs. The shoulder of our gravel driveway usually offers three or four Killdeer a good place to hide and incubate their eggs. To keep from running over them, we’ve been known to place a rock close to the nest. Once hatched, the Killdeer takes her babies to the creek about 200 yards away. But barely running this year and last, we’ve only this one Killdeer nesting.

I had hoped to get photos of her broken wing act, her ploy to lure the dogs away. But she stood her ground yesterday to protect her nest.

5 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Ranch Journal

Tagged birds, Dry Creek, Killdeer, Nesting, wildlife

Mule Ears

Posted on March 27, 2015 by John | Leave a comment

Wyethia angustifolia – March 18, 2015

Drought: Blue Oaks

Posted on March 26, 2015 by John | 3 comments

March 24, 2015

The impact of three years of drought on the Blue Oaks shows up well as the trees that have survived begin to leaf out. (Click to enlarge) These Blue Oaks are across the creek from our house, on a north slope at the 1,200-foot elevation. No rain in sight, the grass has turned 30 days earlier than normal as we prepare to head into an early summer.

3 Comments

Posted in Photographs, Ranch Journal

Tagged Blue Oak, Drought, Dry Creek, photographs, water, weather

Eurasian Collared Dove

Posted on March 25, 2015 by John | 7 comments

After a brief visit last spring, our count of Eurasian Collared Doves increased to four yesterday, including what appears (above) to be a juvenile, in just a matter of weeks. In order of appearance, the first pair began breeding and nest building almost immediately, followed by another male, then yesterday’s juvenile.

Pretty birds bigger than a Mourning Dove and slightly smaller than a Rock Pigeon, we’re not sure their presence is a blessing. Time will tell whether the most invasive species in Texas will become as big a nuisance as the Rock Pigeons, who thankfully disappeared last fall as their numbers dwindled through the summer.

The Collared Dove makes what has become an annoying two-syllable cooing sound just before it lands in a tree or on the ground where it feeds, that I can only describe as a distant baby crying, like the 1950s dolls that cried when you tipped them. Wiki notes that the species is ‘not wary’, that has connotations of stupidity for me, but I’d agree they’re fairly tame and unafraid, but observant enough to find our bird feeders immediately. The bird has many unique and interesting characteristics described in the links included here.

All About Birds