ring around

noticing fewer animals lately, and worrying that some effort has been made to reduce their numbers. The squirrels seem scarce, and I haven't seen a skunk for weeks. I hear the killdeer at night, and I've seen one or two in the field. The hummingbirds continue to frequent the feeder. I will go to the birds in a few hours, which will be nice. I go to the bird center on friday evenings, and though it is gentle and soft, I miss the way my morning interactions with the birds would impress my entire day.

the santa ana winds are kicking. I rode my bike to work today, and now my hair is full of dust and leaves. There must be ashes too. Last year, I looked in the mirror after having dinner outdoors, and there were flecks of ash on my skin.

Since the fires burned away all the vegetation on the mountain, they dumped hydro-mulch on the dusty, craggy rocks so as to encourage plant growth. The hope is that this will lessen the risk of mudslides and flooding. At first the mountain looked birght green like astro-turf, but now its brown again. It is hard to believe that it will ever rain.