green

View from the Getty Research Institute

This little guy was performing his morning ablutions in our back yard this morning, here pictured licking and combing his belly fur.

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Our home butts up against a hillside, so occasionally we get critters in our back yard. They don’t often linger, but this particular fox seemed utterly at home, apparently content to sit and enjoy the morning sun. I was moving from window to window, trying to snap photos as it strolled along…

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...and catching itself a snack for breakfast

Yeek. There was another squirrel chittering from the wire above as the fox nabbed and shook its prey. The fox’s fur was standing on end–you can see his tail has gone boosh–and the squirrel had just stopped struggling when I snapped the last photo. The fox then turned and trotted off into the hillside to enjoy its meal.

The squirrel on the wire climbed down and sniffed around the area where the attack had occurred. To investigate what happened? To remember the fox’s scent? Not sure, but it was all sort of sad.

The fox returned a while later, carrying a significantly smaller furry carcass in its mouth. Ewww…

A friend from work took us on a tour to visit the herd of goats currently employed to clear brush and trim the chaparral for fire prevention.

After our visit to the Feline Conservation Center and a quick pit stop for a drink, we headed out to the main attraction, the Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve. Good rains have resulted in a banner year for flowers, so we were looking forward to a spectacular display.

On the road to the poppies, we were treated to a display of yet another kind:

SHEEP!

Sheep! Eating!

Lots of sheep!

The shepherd tending his flock: this fellow didn’t speak any English, but seemed amused by all the tourists pulling over to take pictures of the sheep. The dogs just kept watch.

VERY exciting.

Hard as it was to leave, we had come to see flowers so we pressed on.

The display was pretty spectacular. Glorious fields of orange and gold, set on fire by afternoon sun. We spent an hour or so walking the trails and taking in the splendor of it all. Absolutely fantastic.

Next up: a brief respite, then home…

Ted and I recently spent the day in Antelope Valley, CA. Wildflowers are blooming beautifully this year, so we flew out to Lancaster to check them out.

The flight out was a bit exciting due to turbulence encountered as we crossed the ridge lines. At one point I actually hit the ceiling with a good solid bonk–nothing too terrible, as it was a somewhat isolated pocket, but still enough to make one sit up and take notice.

We arrived safely in Lancaster and got hooked up with a rental car, so we were ready to roll. But first, the most important meal of the day at Crazy Otto’s, our favorite breakfast joint in Lancaster.

That’s eSpresso to you, buddy

Our next stop was the Feline Conservation Center, which gave us an opportunity to visit the Neko brick and these amazing cats.
Willow, the grumpy bobcat

Bath time for Twilight (jaguar)

We were delighted to see Frisbee, the fishing cat, out and about and walking through the grass

One of several peacocks who roam the grounds

Ever wonder what a peacock looks like from behind? Well, wonder no more:

This place is amazing. Staffed by volunteers, they really do a wonderful job of caring for these beautiful felines. Every time we visit, they’ve added something new: shaded bleachers for educational demonstrations; new benches; progress on the tiger enclosures. You can see how your donations are making a difference. If you ever find yourself in the area, I highly recommend a visit. (Feline Conservation Center)

Next up: poppies and more…

We had a back yard visitor this morning:

Getty deer. Los Angeles, CA

Green apple. Culver Culver City, CA

Green lemon. Culver City, CA