Giant Schnauzers

The Birds Are Back......

But the birds are back only because I decided to start feeding them again.  To feed and watch the birds means playing cat and mouse games with the antelope squirrels who come over the wall to get the droppings left by the birds.  I love this one of the gila woodpecker with the seed in his mouth.  I didn't realize the gila woodpecker had yellow on their undersides.  Don't often see them in this position. 

He is quite the clown and this little house finch is brave to share the feeder with him.  I haven't managed to get a picture yet of the woodpecker hanging off the bottom of the hummingbird feeder but he can and does.

This little hummer takes off for a safer place when the woodpecker stops by for a sip of sweet nectar.

One of my favorite visitors to the feeders is the cardinal.

   

The days have been beautiful and have begun with these incredible sunrises.

 

These are followed by incredible sunsets as seen through the front door.

Sunset was followed the other night by an enormous moon.

Fall in the Desert

Fall in the desert is a little different than other parts of the country.  Our deciduous trees don't lose their leaves for another few weeks yet, usually sometime in December.  If we plant things in August, they are now starting to mature.  Here at the Schnauzer Ranch, we have to outsmart the schnauzer wanna be farmers.  Several of them like nothing better than to pick watermelons as soon as they are big enough to have a sweet scent.  They don't eat them, just pick them.  Who knows why?  Not me........

But we do have other things growing.  You might notice either bird netting to keep out the antelope squirrels that dare to breach the block wall or that other plants have bits of chicken wire on them.  That is for the giants that try to pick the groceries before the humans have gotten to them.  We don't dare wait until the edible is at the perfect stage, it might have been devoured by then.  The plum tomatoes are liking this cooler weather.

The herbs are doing well and add incredible taste to things that were normally kind of bland.

We love peppers and the hot peppers love us.  They come up as volunteers in many different places.

My favorites are the red, green and yellow sweet peppers.

The zucchini are in bloom and the bugs are happy about that.

The cacti starts are thriving and can go in the ground soon.

Finally the birdhouse gourds are growing.  Now if the antelope squirrels don't try and pick them and drag them over the walls for their winter feast, we might have some to dry and use.

The reason I like to garden and grow things?  It is the influence of my grandmother, Bam, and this is her favorite saying.  I hope I can make as big an impact on my grandkids and she did on me.