Behold, the rain comes. After getting pretty dry while watching all they rain pass us by it was finally our turn. We collected an inch and a quarter over several days, cool days, I might add, so that the moisture was able to soak in good. And we avoided the hail and high winds that afflicted other parts of the High Plains. SA, which was already greening up pretty well in spite of the dearth of moisture turned green almost overnight. Yesterday there were mostly clear skies so the sunshine helped in that process. It was an ideal time to pull and spray weeds and I took advantage.
Last Friday was cloudy, windy and generally unpleasant and I took advantage of that to overhaul the aquarium, something I had been putting off for some time because I thought it would be a lot of work. And it was. Took several hours to empty it, wash it out, wash the rocks, replant the plants, refill it and put the fish back in it. I put the fish in the 10 gallon aquarium Jill gave me while I cleaned the larger one and I noticed the rock and aerator that went with her aquarium. Thinks I, why not try those in the bigger aquarium, which I did, and I’m pleased with the result. Now that job is done for another year or so.
Whilst working out at the Bluff this week I saw this gopher. In all my years I had never seen a gopher up close and personal. All I had ever seen was the earth mounded up here and there, evidence of their subterranean machinations. This fellow was gathering greenery and taking it back down into his burrow for his breakfast, I guess. Later when I came back by, the burrow was plugged up with dirt the way I’m used to seeing.
Speaking of Wildcat Bluff, we had a couple of baby raccoons as guests at our board meeting the other night. Stephanie the rehabber brought them to show the board. I held the squirmy little rascals and I don’t think either one of suffered for it. There has been a lot of news coverage of the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and not just the locals, either. Stephanie’s video showing her removing baby possums from the mother’s pouch after the mother died from being hit by a car went viral and she got a call from some news organization in the UK wanting to do a piece on it.
After seeing only the drake on the pond for a week or so, he finally flew the coop and I haven’t seen him for a while. There was a drake and hen on the pond one morning when I went up there but they must have been transients because they took off as soon as they saw me. The moss is beginning to encroach and it would be nice to have some ducks clean it up before I have to.