Las Vegas Wildlife

The last few days have been beautiful for sitting on the patio and reading a book. It is springtime. We do have a few creatures in the yard and close around here. These are our wildlife.

Our wildlife consists of small birds, including humming birds, geckos and one coyote. I've seen the coyote only two times. Each time was at night while he was crossing an empty area close by. Fun to see.

While out cruising our Summerlin neighborhood tonight, just two blocks from our home, Dan and I saw a Canadian Goose walking down the sidewalk of Flamingo Road. He was just strutting casually along like he owned the sidewalk. Everyone seems to have these birds around water areas, but not where we saw this bird. On the way home in almost the same area, we saw his mate with their little goslings. People were trying to shoo her and the babies back to where ever they came from. The first bird we saw must have been looking for the family. The little family was so cute.

We have a hummingbird(s) that likes to sip on the flower buds in our backyard. He comes several times every day. This little bird likes to tease our cat, Whisper. The bird, though much smaller in size, will dart at our cat several times a visit. Whisper hasn't gotten one yet. They just like to check each other out.

Another part of our wildlife is geckos. I didn't see any last year, but this year there seem to be many in the backyard. They are sunning themselves or just hanging out. Whisper thinks she is the big hunter. She will be in a couched position and then make a dash to catch one. The bigger ones get away, but she did catch a little one once. It was so small it must have been a baby. She let it go after playing with it several minutes, but the gecko almost had a heart attack, I'm sure.

Today we had a lot of small birds flying in our area. Whisper, the big hunter, made one dash for a bird as it was resting on a bush in the backyard. It wasn't a contest really. Whisper just didn't know it. She'll keep trying I'm sure.

That's about it for our wildlife. No raccoons, no squirrels, no opossums, no skunks, so not much road kill either on the roads. It's a little boring except for the humming birds darting at the cat. They will be here all summer, so the drama goes on in the McLean's backyard.

April Birthday Celebrations

Dan and I visited the Modesto McLean clan this weekend to celebrate birthdays. April is a BIG month for birthdays. It starts with Don (grandpa/great grandpa) at 89 years this year. That is marvelous. Followed by Dan and Jeri and Marti (a close May b-day). We celebrated with a large dinner and two birthday cakes, (and chocolate cookies). Yum. Happy Birthday everyone.

We stayed with Jeri and Mike who live on a farm. They have a picturesque scene from their patio. They look out over fields and orchards to the California coastal mountains. It is breath taking to someone who now lives in the desert. The land and trees were all so green. As we sat there Saturday night it was growing dark, we watched 2 owls perched upon a utility post. Then I noticed another large owl flapping its wings in a hugh tree nearby. Jeri and Mike listen to "Hoot-Hoot" in the nights. Doesn't this scene belong in a movie?

We left early Sunday morning and drove down highway 99, watching all the agricultural crops along the way and associated activities that were going on around us. The crops remind me of the corn and soybeans we would see in the midwest on our trips. We truly are blessed to live in a land of plenty.

I love to eat good fruit so much. We had fresh, ripe, red strawberries Saturday night. (You know I love the color red.) But this weekend, I truly wanted a big, juicy, golden peach from the central valley. But, peaches aren't ripe till late summer. They are sweet and the BEST. I'll keep you posted if I find any in Las Vegas this summer. In the past, I couldn't find good peaches in our grocery stores in the midwest.