Javelinas Again!

As we were quietly listening to music tonight about 9 pm, we heard this loud thumping noise, almost like someone playing basketball on our back patio. Imagine my surprise when I turned on the porch light and there was a javelina RIGHT there outside the door. Since their last visit I've been taking in the birdfeeder at night but we have a heavy plastic bin we store the seed in and that was on the patio. Four or five javelina were in the back area(inside the partially erected new walls) and one was rolling the bin around trying to get it open. We took some photos, shooed them off, and rescued the bin. They came back a few minutes later but have now really left. They again nibbled at the cilantro but ignored the rosemary, jojoba, and chuparosa. We also saw a coyote on our morning walk and a small bobcat shortly before noon.

Rolling and thumping the birdseed storage bin. 

Eating the seed from the storage bin. Note the nose/mouth marks on the patio. 

Sniffing for more. 

Looking for other food. 

The javelina also managed to knock the hummingbird feeder up into the tree. 

Visitors at 2am. They woke us up, knocked down the birdfeeder, and emptied it. Only nibbled at the cilantro and left everything else alone. There were between 15 and 20 of them.

The very beginnings of the landscaping! 

The gate is finally operational. 

Javalinas

Just a quickie. On the way up the hill towards home tonight, I admonished my husband to turn on his high beams and slow down. He turned on the high beams and then stomped on the brakes as we saw a group of javalina right in the middle of the dark road. I counted 7, 2 of which were cute little babies. Where we live there are no street lights and once you drive past the high school it gets really dark. I always thought it was unsafe to drive faster than what the headlights can reveal. Now I know it is! We nearly crashed into the whole troop (or whatever you call a group of javalinas). Sorry, no camera in the car!!!

Winter

Just wanted to let you know I'm still alive and blogging. The past two weekends we have actually had winter weather here in Arizona. Two weekends ago, my daughter and her friend flew in to join us for a visit to the Grand Canyon. We hit a dust storm and heavy rain just getting to Phoenix and then snow in Sedona and further north. When we got to the Canyon it was covered in snow and absolutely beautiful!! But it was freezing!!! This past Sunday we came out of church to find we had had a downpour. Streets in town were big puddles and our trees finally got some of the water they have been so desperately in need of. The ridge that is just beyond and above the hill at the top of our road even had a dusting of snow for a while. Unfortunately, it was covered in cloud/fog and we decided to wait for that photo. The next squall must have been warmer because the snow disappeared. I am including photos of the boys getting their own shots at the cold weather. As far as the house goes, we have the footings poured but no walls yet. I am getting antsy to get some plants in the ground so hopefully both walls and landscaping will commence soon.

A view from our snowy Grand Canyon trip. 

Dave, our daughter Anna, and me at the snowy Grand Canyon, this was really, really cold! 

My son Nick in front of a glacier in New Zealand, really cold. 

My son Jon visiting in Colorado, cold but no snow .