Most summers come with at least one unusual animal sighting. Past years include such highlights as finding a snapping turtle in the pond, watching a bobcat chase a rabbit, and witnessing a Pacific Giant Salamander eating a banana slug. This summer, I finally got to see two rattlesnakes engaged in ritual combat. It only lasted a few seconds, and the combatants were partially obscured by tall grass, so I didn't get a photo.
Speaking of photos, here are a few of my favorites from the summer:
A millipede navigating the boulders at Todd Creek.
A leaf spiral inspired by a similar artwork I found online.
A Santa Cruz Aquatic Garter Snake found at Lake Ranch Reservoir. They grow them big out there.
A leaf flower, inspired by the need to create something a little different.
This was my first nature art of the summer.
Some rodent remains.
A California Kingsnake found at Lake Ranch Reservoir. I don't usually find these during the summer. It was crawling through the high grass down by the water (which is really low at the moment due to damn repair work slated to last until October), probably hunting garter snakes or getting a drink.
It's not summer without rattlesnakes. This is one of the most dependable ones. She lives in the burrow just off the edge of our lower field, and I saw her every week. I even collected a couple of shed skins from the burrow entrance. Due to a recent shed, she's looking her best here.
There are a lot of crayfish in the pond this year. Unfortunately, there is also a lot of duckweed, which tends to obscure them and wreak havoc with the ecosystem.
Crumbled leaf spiral.
As usual, I didn't take a lot of pictures with people in them. They were just out of frame in all of the above photos though. Willow volunteered for three weeks this summer, including one as a mentor for the Leaders In Training program. She was nervous about doing this, but she tends to be anxious about trying new things. She did fine.
I now have three weeks off. What to do? Stay tuned...