Showing posts with label squirrel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label squirrel. Show all posts

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Walking Through Zion (Zion National Park, UT)

Doesn't Dusty look peaceful?  He was until I took his photo, but it didn't take him long to get back to his cat nap.  As my Fabric Inspector, he deserves a break.  I haven't lifted a needle since we got here.
We have been hiking and visiting every day since my brother Jay arrived with his fiancĂ© Beverly.  Lots of catching up to do with Jay and getting to know my new SIL-to-be!
Beverly, Jay, Dan
I'm getting ready for another hike for today so this will be short.  I am posting some photos from our first hike to the Lower, Middle, Upper Emerald Pools.  I was surprised that I wasn't more sore the next day.  What a shock it was to realize that I was more than ready for more hiking the next day and the day after and today.
Middle Emerald Pool falling into the Lower Emerald Pool
I do feel a little exhausted after our hikes, but in a good way.
Lower Emerald Pool
 Funny, I haven't felt a need to get more sleep.  If anything, I am sleeping less.
I guess between the views, the company, and all the fresh air, I am feeling extra spry.  Now, if I can just bottle up the extra energy for later...
Jay, Beverly, Dan, and Me
The squirrels are very aggressive in the more heavily visited areas by tourists.  At the Upper Emerald Pool, a couple of these little guys were looking for fallen crumbs, blatantly begging for food....
or stealing the food when people were not looking.  One squirrel sat between Jay and Beverly while they were having a snack.  One even poked at Beverly's back and managed to steal some of her trail mix!
We think the squirrel should be fined for stealing her food.  See, I even got a picture of him breaking into another person's bag.  Yep, caught red-pawed!
Happy Trails!

Monday, January 9, 2012

What is an Osage-Orange? (Patagonia, AZ)

I saw these deformed looking tennis balls (or are they deformed aliens?) once in Texas along the road and I promptly forgot about them until they showed up on the preserve about a month ago.  Dan was curious enough to look up the strange looking ...well, at the time we were not sure.  Anyway, he found out these green balls are fruits from the Osage-Orange tree a.k.a Hedge tree.  The Hedge tree has very long and thick thorns.  The tree was planted as a hedge because cattle would not go through them.  If they were kept trim, they would not bare fruit.
 Yes, this is a fruit, but only deer and squirrels eat them.  For awhile, we saw no evidence of anything eating the fruit then Dan found a half Osage-orange propped in a tree. hmm  Did someone put it there or did an animal leave it?  We were thinking a visitor put it there until...

We saw this squirrel moving around the fallen Osage-oranges.  He finally found one he liked and picked it up.  
What a mouth full!
 He found himself a comfortable spot and had lunch while we watched him.
Nom!Nom!Nom!
Burp!
Well, I learned something new! :0)
More information about this fruit from IAStateEdu.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Wordless Wednesday (Patagonia, AZ)

Okay, I just could not be "Wordless" today...
Oh! Jingle Bells!
What's the matter, human?  Never heard a cat sing?
Christmas is over, right? ..so I can eat the tree now?
Did I hear a nut crack?
Tough guy to follow...with the camera, that is!
My World and Welcome to it!

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