I'm at the cabin, still, and feeling pretty darn good about it.
Kathryn is a retired science and feature writer, formerly of California, who passed through Datil and liked it enough to come back. She has been road-tripping in her Miata for many weeks. Her wildlife encounters so far include two bears and replacing the Miata's ragtop, a cougar, and a skunk (none in Datil). We may end up in a book!
People ask me where I'm from, and usually now I just tell them where I live. Either they've never heard of it ("it's between the Very Large Array and Pie Town"), or they say, "Oh! That book!" I figured this trip it's time to read that book:
On page 32, something (Me) said frivolously, "Get up and drive to Reserve." I was dubious, and so I negotiated by saying "no."
Alright, but at least get up and take a walk. Blow the stink off ya. That seemed like a pretty good deal, considering what I'd bargained down from, so I grabbed my camera and took my day-jammies for a walk.
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| Must have been my spidey-sense telling me to take a camera. |
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| I wasn't trying to smish him. |
Last year, I showed you some big tarantulas we saw up at Santa Rosa Lake:
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| Desert blond tarantula from Santa Rosa, NM. Not the same guys here. |
The little guys here are about 1/3 the size. I still don't know what they're called.
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| It's an address, not a speed. |
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| San Agustin plains. |
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| Elk memories. |
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| Dinner memories. Not elk. |
It's a good thing I have that foot at the end of my leg. It saves me putting my hands next to stuff.
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| Do you see the cabin? Not mine. |
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| Second sighting. "Spider, spider, let me be! Keep your urticating hairs FAR from me!" |
This is the time of year when males go a'courtin'. Like Mr. Frog dating Miss Mousie, but intraspecies.
I was just now sitting in the warmth of the sunshine; when clouds get all up in the Sun's business I have to turn on the heat.
10 comments:
Ask your friend Kathryn Devereaux if she knows my buddy, Jamie Ross from UC Davis?
Thanks.
Jamie Ross. I'll say it to myself a few times, and may even remember it. If we're lucky, Kathryn will read this herself.
She is a nephrologist there at the med school.
"Nephrologist" is fun to say, so I'll remember that.
Thanks for the little biology lesson. I'll need to work "urticating hairs" into every conversation for a while.
Always enjoyed tarantula dating season! I've been known to walk beside one as he was crossing the road just to be sure some idiot driver didn't run him/her over. People can be stupid. Just read "No Life for a Lady" about a year ago. Good book; cool to "know" some of the places mentioned. Did you ever manage to read Pie Town Woman (http://www.amazon.com/Pie-Town-Woman-Mexico-Homesteader/dp/0826322840) that I mentioned to you quite some time back? That's a good'un too.
Glad you're enjoying "home." We took an alternate route to see some new stuff this fall & won't be back to Datil until next year. Seeing great things up here around Bryce & Zion, but sure do miss NM this time of year.
Renee (Datil)
Love the "fluffy" spiders - they always looks so well dressed. I've been downloading books that are set in the area we're staying and really enjoying the added information and connection to the places we see. I'm impressed with your negotiating skills - obviously you've had professional training :-)
Haha to the Grease reference - NICE!
Nice black spider and the blond aint bad either. All the scenery shots are really nice
Thanks for picking up on it, Sherry! :o)
Jodee, I try to stay in good with the boss.
Renee, I haven't yet read Pie Town Woman. I figured I needed to start at the center and work out.
Al, that's a sure way to win friends and influence people. Good luck with that.
Jan, I remembered to ask Kathryn, and she doesn't know Jamie Ross. :/
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