Word has it that we're heading for a drought around here. Right now it's gently raining, but I can count the number of rain days this season on the fingers of one hand. Since I work outdoors, the difference between this year and last year are very apparent. One of the interesting things is that wild animals, especially coyotes, have been more visible. They've had to come down out of the hills and spend more time closer to the creeks and reservoirs. This means our field classes come across them more often.

This week we didn't see any coyotes, but we did find our first California Kingsnake of the season. It was a baby, spotted by one of the girls in my field class. We also came across a couple of baby Western Rattlesnakes, the first one in the garden (now residing in a nearby meadow) and the second one alongside the trail leading through the chaparral (so well camouflaged as to be virtually invisible). The Ringneck snake count for the week was four, including the biggest one I've ever come across, which isn't saying much since Ringneck snakes never get much bigger around than a pencil. I also had a kid, after repeatedly being reminded not to step on boards, perforate his foot by stepping on a nail jutting out from a board. His sock was soaked in blood, but after a little medical care it didn't slow him down on subsequent hikes. On the all day hike, we found a roadkilled deer nestled in a dry wash beside the road leading up to the reservoir. I'm sure it will stink over the coming weeks. Poor thing. Less water in the hills means more animals on the roads. We also found a couple of dead moles, who are among the only animals to be buried while alive and on the surface when dead. They've gotten it backwards.

Tomorrow I'm doing some extra work around camp. It will probably involve mowing the lower field. Monday I'm off, and Tuesday I'm at our second site with students from our kids' school. They're a year ahead of Alex, but I'm sure I'll recognize some of them.