Tag Archives: roadrunner

Creatures in my backyard

Posted on by
26
metal gecko on the fence
We have two geckos climbing our fence.

The people who built our house and lived here for 15 years prior to us buying it, took good care of the backyard. They filled it with landscaping, potted plants and creatures.

It was cool enough to be outside last night to barbecue. While the tri tip was grilling, I took photos of the critters the prior owners left.

Here are some of them:

statuary in back yard of birds
Not sure if these are owls or birds?
squirrel statue
Squirrel!
rabbit and raccoon statue
Cuties.

aligator statue
This gator guards the pool.
baby alligator statue
Baby alligator
stone frog
I like this frog.
roadrunner statue
Roadrunner.
metal roadrunner statue.
My favorite roadrunner.
metal javelina
Javelina.

I had a friend over to hike last spring. She commented “You sure have a lot going on in your backyard.”

She’s right. All the statue critters are not exactly my taste, but they are growing on me. I’m not going to get rid of them, but I doubt I’ll add to the collection. The cactus and succulents are growing on me, too.

boot planter
Here’s a boot with a cactus growing inside.
group of statues.
Coyotes with a steer’s head and metal aloe.

What are your thoughts about statuary in the yard? Are you a fan or not?

What I saw yesterday morning was a sheer delight

Posted on by
Reply

Yesterday I decided to mix it up a bit and instead of walking on my usual route around the park, I went downtown. Our house is a few blocks from the main street of Palm Springs called Palm Canyon Drive. Lately, I haven’t liked what I’ve seen downtown. Many shops and restaurants have closed and the homeless seem to be everywhere, sleeping on benches and in alley ways. Every few weeks I check it out to see how it looks.

It seemed to be a brighter and happier place yesterday. More shops were open, very few vacancies and I didn’t see more than two homeless people. I was especially delighted with the roadrunner, who I almost missed! I was walking right by the Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center when I spotted him. I liked how he posed by the star on the sidewalk. Our city placed stars of prominent citizens and celebrities throughout Palm Canyon Drive.

Here are a few other highlights from my stroll downtown:

Donald Wexler building Palm Springs

My husband’s old office building designed by Donald Wexler.

Christmas tree next to palm trees

A Christmas tree at Francis Stevens Park among the palms.

smidge of a rainbow

Sparkling sky. Is it a smidgeon of a rainbow?

What delightful things have you encountered during your sheltering in place days?

Views from my morning walk

Posted on by
Reply

This morning was clear, gorgeous and colorful. I stopped several times to take photos of the glorious day.  I was feeling slightly beat up because I overdid it yesterday and I worried myself silly over the missing kitty. I tried to squeeze in as many laps as I could in the 45-minute swim time slot enforced by the city. To do that I put on fins and today my legs are sore! Since returning to swimming two weeks ago, I’ve found it really wears me out. Plus, I walked too much if that is possible. More than 22,000 steps according to fitbit.

So today, I did a rambling slow-paced walk and took note of the beauty around me. I’m sharing it with you, including a friendly roadrunner I filmed a few blocks from home:

 

A view of Mt. San Jacinto from the Wellness Park

sunrise through palm trees

Watching the sun rise through the palm trees

When the walk was over, I felt able to take on another day. Also, I didn’t freak out when kitty took off outside. I realized she’s found a safe place to hide out and will return to my side, once the strangers take off after painting and fixing things around the house.

bougainvillea wall of red flowers

A wall of bougainvillea brightened my day.

What beautiful sights do you see when you slow down enough to enjoy them?