August 30 -- I Re-Condition Part of the Back Deck, and I Try On the Snake Guards

Sunday was a day for the "honey-do's" without the honey...I started the day WAY early as I've still been getting up at around 2am after 3 or 4 hours of sleep. So naturally I went out on the back deck and, using my "lightning photography" setting, got a photo of Cave Creek Canyon and the supermoon at 4:15am --

Then at sunrise, I got Silver Peak with the supermoon just about to set -- 

After an early breakfast, I re-conditioned part of the back deck. As it's the only part of all the decking of the house that doesn't have a roof, it's the most exposed, and the sun hits it early, so I wanted to start with that section. The tenants had started doing the decking, but had stopped after running out of the re-conditioning stain, but they had left a roller to apply it, and a paint tray to pour it in. So I spent an hour doing that one section --and used up a full can (1 gallon). You're supposed to keep it dry for 24 hours, but after only 9 hours it rained, a short but substantial shower. The water puddled instead of sinking into the wood, so I guess it worked...I have a sore left shoulder, so I rested it while watching the hummingbirds at the feeders "duke it out". They're very aggressive and territorial, chasing one another all over the yard. I may have placed the feeders too close to one another as they need for "territory" than that, so perhaps I can work on a setup where they're hanging in the yard as opposed to  lining the edges of the deck. Then later in the morning I decided to try on the "snake guards" that had come from Amazon the day before. I put them on over my hiking boots -- then realized I'd put them on upside down. DOH! With them now right side up, I took the short walk down my "driveway" to the front gate -- and while I can't say they were comfortable and light, they felt and performed better than I expected. Coming back to the house I saw the clouds build up over the Chiricahuas; the house of course is Faranuf -- 

And here I am (self-portrait on a timer) with the snake guards --

Why the are camouflage I don't know -- you want the snake to know that you are THERE, not try to blend in with your surroundings. As I mentioned above, the early cloud buildup led to a brief rain shower, and the rumble of thunder and some lightning flashes; here's Cave Creek Canyon in a mist of rain -- 

Then I heard for Jackie Lewis, the "proprietress" of the George Walker House in Paradise, a small burg about 5 miles from Portal (the same place I'd gone for the hummingbird banding), who invited me to a late afternoon of hummingbird watching, and looking at the particular traits, and markings, of hummingbirds which help in IDing the particular hummingbird. I'll be doing that this afternoon. Foxito the Gray Fox didn't show up for the third straight day, though I saw scat in the bird feeder tray where he usually chows down, and more scat along my driveway. Not sure if its his, but it did have some berries in it, which foxes eat. So now it's Monday at 3:30am, I've been up for an hour already (nothing unusual with me) and another day in paradise is about to unfold...

August 29 -- Hummingbird Banding And A Lightning Display

The sunrises here at Faranuf have been breathtaking. To the east, I can see the sun rise over the Peloncillo range in New Mexico ---

And to the west, there are the Chiricahuas ---

(The last photo was from the day before, as the view of the Chiricahuas on the 29th wasn't as impressive -- but then you can't get more impressive than this.) After an early breakfast I drove on the dirt road to Paradise, a tiny community about 5 miles from Portal, where Winston and Jackie Lewis, the owners of the George Walker House there, were having a hummingbird banding session from 6am to 11am. I couldn't resist snapping some scenics along the dirt road to Paradise--

 On to the hummingbird banding...As you can imagine, it's a delicate method, starting with "catching" the hummingbirds at a feeder with netting that, once the hummingbird is inside, is dropped, and then the hummingbird is caught by hand and put into a small cloth bag. From there, the bird is taken to the banding table, where the bag is hung on a revolving "lazy Susan"- type device, so the bander knows which bird is next and the bird isn't in the bag longer than the others. The hummingbird is taken out of the bag by the bander (his name is Lee) and measured, both body and bill, determined how old it is, its condition, then banded. It's also noted whether the bird has been banded before, and its band number; all of these things are recorded in a book by the next person in line (Jackie Lewis). Then the bird is carefully wrapped which is held together by a small clip, and given to the third person (in this case, Debb) who feeds the bird nectar from the botton part of a feeder so it regains its strength, then puts it in her hand whereupon it takes off. I was there at that table for 3 hours, watching the proceedings, then went up to the area where the initial "capture" takes place. Two people at different feeders drop the netting over the hummingbird, and that part of the banding procedure is watched over by Winston Lewis, who records, among other things, the number of birds captured. At exactly 11am the banding procedure is finished -- and the final count for that session is 104 birds, which is an extremely high number (in comparison, there was banding taking place at the Southwest Research Station at the very same time, and this total number was only 23). The session was judged a smashing success at the George Walker House, whereupon Jackie  treated everyone to dinner at the Rodeo Tavern for passing the number of 100 birds. While talking with Winston, we got to discussing where the helicopter lands to medevac a person to the hospital -- probably Tucson, nearly 200 miles to the west -- and at Paradise the landing spot is -- Paradise Cemetery, as it's the closest open, level spot near the town. After a very fascinating morning spent at the George Walker House, I head back down the road to Portal and Faranuf. The sky, which had started clear that morning, had clouded up with threatening-looking clouds -- 

And later in the afternoon the clouds were towering above the San Simon valley; here's one with a veil of rain -- and a faint rainbow below the cloud -- 

I spent part of the afternoon watching my hummingbird feeders and practiced taking photographs of the hummingbirds; here's an immature Black-chinned male (ID credit goes to Jackie Lewis; I thought it was an immature male Rufous) -- 

The folks who were involved in the banding process (including me, though I was just an interested "spectator", but in my puffed-up pride believed my presence helped to achieve the high number of banded birds) met at the Rodeo Tavern, where some of us ordered a Tilapia dish -- and I had a "Mike's Sandwich", shrimp on pumpernickel bread with a side of French fries. After good, wide-ranging conversation (I found out that Winston and Jackie, former residents of the Bay Area, were in the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989) we left the Tavern, Jackie and Winston having to negotiate the road to Paradise in the dark. The sky was mostly cloudy -- with a dramatic lightning display. Flashes lit up the clouds, and as I was driving up Portal Road, bolts of lightning zigzagged across the sky, sometimes looking as if they hit the ground. By the time I got to Faranuf I was determined to get photos of the terrific display, which at that time was erupting at about a flash every 5 seconds. So I put my camera on the "lightning"settings I'd got from the Internet, put it on a tripod, then took it out to the front porch. During taking the photo, I kept my finger on the shutter button for as long as a minute --and the photos were perfectly exposed -- 

Then the storm was coming towards Faranuf, and the lightning display came closer and more frequent -- 

Magnificent, and other reason why I'm falling in love with Portal and the little slice of paradise here on the eastern side of the Chiricahuas...

August 28 -- A Run To The Douglas Wal-Mart For Foxito, And Snake Guards

But first, time out for our sponsor, Mother Nature --

The first looking east, the second west to Cave Creek Canyon; both photos were taken from my side porch next to the garage. I have never seen such consistently stunning sunrises ANYwhere. And the dramatic, mountain scenery just adds to the intense color. After breakfast it was a run down to Douglas, the closest large town to Portal at 55 miles one-way, and the Wal-Mart there. There is a Gray Fox that comes to my back yard fairly consistently at around 5pm, chowing down on the bird seed in a tray then taking a drink from the water feature. In the past few days I've noticed a distinct loss in weight, so he might not be getting enough food. As he's part of the "critter family" here -- along with Tarantella the Tarantula 3 Cottontail rabbits, and 2 Coues white-tailed deer, not to mention all the birds -- he deserves a chance to survive, so while at Wal-Mart I pick up a bag of dog food, Alpo to mix in with it, and 2 metal dog dishes, one being for water. I've asked around and it seems like the consensus is to add an egg or two to the mix, and perhaps slices of apples. I got back to Faranuf around 10am and went to the Portal post office for some Amazon deliveries (yes, I'm an Amazonian, been one since 2000 and a Prime member), then as the rest of the day was clear until dinner, I considered getting a start on re-conditioning the porch decks; the intense sun and bouts of driving rain really do a number on them, so I bought 1-gallon cans of a roll-on paint to use on the decking. But it has to be dry for at least 24 hours after using -- and we've been having thunderstorms in the afternoon on a pretty regular basis lately. So I wait and watch the weather reports for any clear days, but we ARE still in the monsoon season. One of the packages I received from Amazon were "snake guards" that you wear to protect your legs from any possible rattlesnake bites. They go up to the knees and seem to be fairly sturdy, but I don't know why they're camouflage --- so the snakes can sneak up on you since you're blending in? So YOU can sneak up on the snakes? Doesn't make sense to me. But here they are -- 

Earlier in the day, while driving back from Douglas on Hwy 80, I saw quite a few raptors on power poles, including this juvenile Swainson's Hawk -- 

The time to feed (hopefully) Foxito the Gray Fox was approaching, so I mixed the dry dog food with the Alpo, then put 2 eggs in, and filled the other bowl with clean water. I'd cleared off one of the bird seed trays, the one which he usually climbed up to eat the bird seed, and put the 2 dishes on it (fit the bird seed tray perfectly). I then waited until my friends arrived to pick me up to go to the Rodeo Tavern -- and nothing; he was a no-show. I kept his food out until we came back from dinner, and it hadn't been touched. So I wrapped it in tin foil and put it in the fridge for possible use today. Dinner at the Tavern was barbecued ribs, and there was entertainment, so a good time was had by all. And going back to Portal on the Portal Road, we kept an eye out for critters crossing or on the road -- and came across a frog, and what appeared to be a coyote on the shoulder of the road. They dropped me off at Faranuf -- and now here I am the next day. 

August 27 -- Another Glorious Sunrise, An Agave Stick, Hummer Frenzy -- And A New Yard Critter...

First off -- a spectacular sunrise, taken at 5:50am --

Then looking west --

After breakfast I went out to the back yard, where "hummer frenzy" was in full gear, and a female Bullock's Oriole had a face full of jam --

I also saw a somewhat nondescript bird in the greenery. I knew it to be a warbler of some kind, so I got in touch via Facebook with some knowledgable birder friends -- and they came to the conclusion that it was an immature Lucy's Warbler -- 

After dropping off kitchen "stuff" I got from the late Kim Murphy at the local Swap 'n Shop (where I also saw teak-topped dining table which I may buy as the one I have now is too small) I went to the Portal post office where I had some Amazon packages waiting for me -- goodie, Xmas early! I ran into my friend/real estate agent/personal guru, Helen Snyder, while at the post office, and she said she had dropped off a few things for my back yard at Faranuf. When I got back I saw a tall agave stick with branches which would be perfect for perching birds ( I wrapped PVC tape around it and a metal fence stick to hold it in place) and also another stick that had a woodpecker hole in it, Ladderback woodpecker specifically. Helen said chances are it will attract Ladderbacks during nesting season, and I'll have them in my back yard...Then I took some photos during the Hummer Frenzy --

Mr. Black-chinned

 Immature male Broad-billed

 Adult male Broad-billed -- What at above will look like

At around 5pm I happened to look out front and saw a small shape moving along the "driveway". I went outside -- and it was a tarantula. I immediately named "her" (as my friend Kerry Ross determined) Tarantella, and she became another of my "yard critter" friends, meaning she will be protected as much as I could. I took the following photo of her with my Canon 500mm f/4 lens with the 1.4x teleconverter on, which gives is an effective focal length of 700mm digital, meaning you have to be at least 20 feet away from your subject or it will be out of focus. A good technique to use for, say, poisonous Mojave rattlesnakes...

Beautiful, isn't she? And she's probably looking for a mate...Then, before I left to have dinner at the Portal cafe with another new friend, I saw the Gray Fox once again at a bird seed tray in the back yard; he was looking considerably skinnier than I had last seen him -- 

I ended up another productive day with dinner and conversation with Donald, a veteran birder who lives in Palo Alto in the Bay Area, and discussed bird things there in Portal and beyond. Later, when I got back to Faranuf, I smiled at the thought of another productive day in paradise...

August 26 -- A Bike Ride, A Thunderstorm, And An Adventurer In Portal...

Hard to know where to begin...So I'll start at the beginning. Sunrise, 5:58am. 'Nuff said ---

Looking west

                                                                       Looking east

These were shot from my side porch...After a beginning like that, you'd think it couldn't be topped -- but you be wrong. After an early breakfast, I dropped the trash off at the trash truck manned by Tom -- $2 a trash bag, boxes, cuttings, etc free -- then hopped on my hybrid bike and cycled once again (I never get tired of the views, though I do GET tired) up to Portal then west along South Fork Road. One of my favorite spots to drink in the views is Vista Point, where you get above the thickly forested canopy -- 

That's Cathedral Peak in the center -- and to the right in the distance, if you know where to look, is Winn Falls, at 365 feet. It's in a deep cleft hidden from the sun for most of the year -- and in winter it freezes, a spectacular sight. Here are the peaks to the north of "Cathedral View" -- 

The clouds make it a truly memorable view -- and more about clouds later. I go to Sunny Flat Campground, my end point, and take a snooze on one of the campground tables there (well, more accurately rest my eyes). On the way back I pass by Silver Peak, looking glorious in a foreground of intense green and a sky flecked with clouds --

And just a little further down the road, the clouds are starting to build up -- and it's only 10:30am -- 

I arrive back at Faranuf at 11am, and am thinking of re-conditioning the redwood porch decks as they are getting weather-beaten from the sun et al, but to do that they have to be clean and not rained on for 24 hours -- and the skies are beginning to look ominous. At around 2pm I look off to the east and see a curtain of rain out Hwy 80 way. It's called "virga" if the rain evaporates before hitting the ground -- but this rain is hitting the ground...

Then -- it starts to rain. Then I see flashes of lightning -- and it's suddenly over me. Barely a mile away I see a lightning bolt strike the earth, and an ear-splitting crash of thunder follows immediately after -- which means the system is directly above me. That peal of thunder was so loud I thought my windows might shatter. Then the rain turns into a downpour, the wind picks up -- and the power in Faranuf flickers, and the Internet goes out. I take a look out the side porch, and though the worst has past, water is still pouring off the roof, and the grasses are bent from the wind -- 

Awesome -- a classic Arizona thunderstorm. Then just as soon as it started, it moves on to the west, and the skies clear up. I look out the back -- and the birds are in a feeding frenzy, especially the hummingbirds; this is the scene at just one feeder, so multiply this by 4 ---

And later I see a young male Black-headed Grosbeak at a back feeder tray -- 

I'm to meet 2 people from Friends of Cave Creek Canyon at the Rodeo Tavern across the border in New Mexico at 6pm -- Arizona time, 7pm New Mexico time. I arrive at the appointed time -- and they're not there. About an hour later one of them shows up; let's call him Tim (because that's his real name ;o) ) We've never met, so he proceeds to tell me his incredible life story. He's from Portland, Oregon and comes from a family of wanderers; one of his earlier relatives lived in Africa's Gabon, and became the director of a hydroelectric dam there. As for himself, Tim decided to see the country -- but he took a most unusual way of getting around. He ran -- literally. And he pushed his belongings in a 3-wheeled cart. He went down the West Coast, going from Malibu to Long Beach in one day as he wanted to get through the concrete jungle of Los Angeles as fast as possible. Down in San Diego he cut east near Interstate 8, staying on small roads and doing some cross-country. Again, he was running, and pushing a hand cart at the same time. He finally stopped in Portal, and has been here for about 2 years, doing odd jobs and video presentations of, say, snakes, for local herpetologists. What he REALLY wants to do, and make it his life's work (and into a coffee table book) is chronicle photographically traditional weddings. We're talking Amish,  Russian Greek Orthodox, Hasidic Jewish, Muslim -- you name it. Then he wants to travel the world, doing the same thing. He has big dreams -- and I think he can do it, because he has a vision, and the desire to accomplish it. EVERYone has a story, and Tim proves it. And he's just one of many fascinating people here in Portal, Rodeo, and the San Simon Valley...

August 26 -- More Weed Whacking, And Dinner With Good Friends

Using the Stihl string trimmer has become kind of, well, fun. It's a satisfying feeling to see all those overgrown weeds and grass cut down, leaving no place for, say, a snake to hide in both the front and back yards. The only "issue" is the strain it puts on the lower back, carrying it for at least an hour. A good friend of mine found a Stihl harness online; the weight is distributed to both shoulders, not just one, and the cutter is more evenly balanced. So I called up the Stihl dealer in Willcox, about 70 miles to the west of me (the store specializes more in tractors) and ordered it. I figure I'll be getting a LOT of use out of the trimmer; and I also have a fitting that cuts things like branches, which may come in handy in the future. The gear I wear when I weed-whack consists of goggles, a heavy long-sleeve shirt, Levis, my old hiking boots, and knee-high gaiters. The thing with my acreage is the soil has a lot of small rocks in it, and they can be thrown up with little effort. While using the trimmer a small rock actually hit me in the upper lip and made it bleed a little -- so I went into the garage and put on a mask that covers both my nose and mouth. After weed whacking I used a small magnet borrowed from my friend Helen to try and find a small screw belonging to a computer that I was trying to attach to my hybrid bike; as small screws are wont to do, it rolled off the back deck railing and fell into the grass -- somewhere. The magnet would theoretically pick up the metal screw -- but so far no luck. As the day was getting warmer and the sun getting on the back deck I watched the birds for awhile, particularly the hummingbird feeders. The hummingbirds are VERY territorial and aggressive towards one another, chasing one another away from the feeders. In the past few days my "yard list" has grown quite extensive -- and my Canadian friend and "Big Sis"  Gaye sent me her hummer and Oriole feeders, along with Niger socks for goldfinches, that were from her former house and she couldn't use when she and her husband Lee downsized to their present house. So the yard list consists so far of

Gambel's Quail
Cassin's (or Western; they're both here) Kingbird
Northern Cardinal (both male and female)
White-winged Dove
Black-headed Grosbeak
Rufous Hummingbird
Broad-billed Hummingbird
Mourning Dove
Gray-headed Junco (a real surprise)
Anna's Hummingbird
Roadrunner
Blue Grosbeak
Pyrruloxia
Broad-tailed Hummingbird
Lark Sparrow
Chipping Sparrow
Cactus Wren
Say's Phoebe (residents at Faranuf)
Canyon Towhee
House Finch
Black-throated Sparrow (adult and juvenile)
Black-chinned Hummingbird

AND Gray Fox, Coues deer, and the occasional Javelina horde moving through...Quite a menagerie of critters! Here's one of them, the Black-throated Sparrow adult on takeoff --

As mentioned above, my friend Gaye sent me feeders of all types, so I took a photo of them to post on Facebook -- 

At 5pm I went to Lori and Mark Conrad's place off Hatari Lane and had an excellent dinner cooked by Mark on the outdoor grill. Hummingbirds of all types were flying about the feeders hanging in their bird-friendly garden, including Blue-throated, one of the largest species of hummingbird and one I hope to get coming through my yard.. We chatted for hours; Mark and Lori are from the South Bay of LA,  Hermosa Beach to be exact, so we have lots in common. Plus the fact that now we're all Portalites....

August 24 -- Honey Do's Without The Honey, And A Successful Dinner

The morning of the 24th began with a beautiful, soft sunrise over the Chiricahuas and Cave Creek Canyon to the west --

And to the east, a cloud-filled sunrise --

At 9am I dropped by the quaint, 1920's -style Portal post office and waited for "Postmistress Joan" and her daughter Debbie to open up; I was expecting my new Nikon Monarch 7 8 x 42 binoculars -- and there they were, in a Amazon box (I'm a big fan of Amazon; I won't say how much money I've spent there since 2000, because I don't know).. I went back to Faranuf, and the back yard was full of activity -- hummingbirds fighting for feeders and territory, House Finches at the seed hangers, the Curve-billed Thrasher kinda lording it over all, and a bit later Mr. and Mrs. Northern Cardinal dropped by for a visit. I decided to organize the folders containing my papers (bank, Faranuf, my IRA, etc) and made a half-hearted attempt in the afternoon to re-condition the front porch, but upon reading the directions you had to treat the redwood decks in shade -- and the strong sun was on it. So I took a nap (more staring at the ceiling while in bed) then starting getting things ready for my maiden dinner at Faranuf with Dodie, a good friend and phenomenal birder who had also just recently bought a house here, though further up the canyon. On the menu were chicken thighs and pasta, with Ghirardelli double chocolate brownies as a deliciously decadent dessert. I have to admit that everything was successful -- and with a bottle of Malbec wine the conversation flowed, and a great time was had by us both. Oh -- earlier that afternoon another Coues (Whitetail) deer came through the back yard --

No mistaking THAT as anything but a White-tailed deer... So another day passed at Faranuf, and I;m looking forward to Tuesday and what it might bring...

August 23 -- Just Another Day in Paradise...

Well, technically speaking, Paradise is just "up the road" -- Paradise, Arizona that is. A town on a dirt road that's even smaller than Portal...The day yesterday began with a glorious, "God's Rays" sunrise, looking east --

After breakfast, I spent about 2 hours with the Stihl "weed whacker", cutting down the grasses and weeds in the front and back yards so the rattlesnakes won't have any cover to surprise me -- and give me a coronary. ;o) I had a heckuva time getting it started, and it all began with pulling the cord; I have an "impingement" of my right shoulder, meaning there are muscles in my shoulder that tore off and "disappeared" through atrophy. It could have happened when I was backpacking and, in putting the heavy pack on or off, swung the pack around in an awkward position. Then when I was staying at an RV park near the Chiricahuas a few years back, I lifted a heavy water container from the back of my truck -- with my hand fully extended, and the weight on my shoulder. Something "popped", and for awhile I had a hard time reaching for things, like the dial on the truck radio. So I've tried to take it easy with the right shoulder, especially as the orthopedic doctor said whatever tendons that are left may "rip" apart at any time, and then I'd officially get a torn rotator cuff. So as I'm down here in an area where major medical help isn't around for, say, a hundred miles (the hospital in Douglas, 55 miles away, just recently closed) I really have baby the shoulder somewhat. Tough to do when you're the only one maintaining a 1566 square foot manufactured home...So after weed whacking, I relaxed and watched the birds at the feeders in the back yard, especially the hummingbirds. I always give them their space, and besides I have long lenses so there's no reason to get close. It's been challenging taking photos of, say, hummingbirds in flight, but their being at the feeders makes it easier than if you got the out-in-the-field. Here are a few -- 

Male Black-chinned 

Male Rufous

Female Black-chinned

And the piece de resistance -- a male Broad-billed, with its blue throat and red bill, at ISO 6400 --

By this time it was getting to be late afternoon (time flies when you're watching birds). Then 2 bucks came into the back yard, both with velvet antlers -- 

What a parade of wildlife. Then towards sunset, the weather to the east looked ominous, with huge clouds, thunder, lightning -- and a partial rainbow from a rapidly disappearing sun --

And on looking west at just after, here's a view of my house "Faranuf" and the peak unofficially named "Fake Portal Peak" by locals -- 

Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed as it got dark and I went back inside...