Bare tree~Looking at the Sky on Friday 121010

I love this bare tree and I've stopped to photograph it before. On this day, the sky was overcast and cloudy. I like its long limbs, bare or not! Looking at the Sky on Friday for December 10, 2010.

Boots and cholla~Nature Notes 120910

I always wear my WALMART steel-toed boots when I'm heading up to visit my horses for a couple of reasons. First, they are steel-toed, which is handy around the horses! I've been stepped on too many times! Second, I like their rubber "waffle" bottoms! I can climb on rocks and they grip the rocks! They are, in my opinion, much better for me than walking shoes. And, as I was out exploring the pinyon forest above Deep Canyon on Sunday, I came across some cholla cactus, including the dried stems. Upon closer observation, I found several little burrs nearby. I decided to put my shoe next to them to show you their size. One needs to be careful walking out in the desert or mountains because these burrs actually "jump" (thus the name, "Jumping Cholla") as you walk by! Actually, it is the reverberation of your steps that cause them to be moved...ANYWAY...as I was photographing them, I kept looking at my shoes to make sure I hadn't picked up any little...er...."travelers"! Nope. I was okay. So, imagine my surprise when I arrived at the horse ranch and I was talking to the owner and she said, "Look what's on your shoe!" Yup. One of the cholla burrs had indeed attached itself to my shoe! And, I'd been walking around, making beet pulp for the horses and hadn't even noticed it! They sure are tricky little buggers! Nature Notes for December 9, 2010.

Mountain lion print~That's My World 120710 Outdoor Wednesday and ABC Wednesday

I drove up yesterday, Sunday, to visit my horses and get slobbered on by them. I wasn't sure if I would even go. It was a cloudy, cold day and I remembered last Sunday when it was so cold I had to wear 5 layers of clothing! After battling bronchitis, I didn't wish to come down with a chill (and a relapse), so I debated driving up at all. They are boarded by a wonderful woman who has her own horses on her ranch and I never worry about them going without food, but sometimes I just need some "horse time" and yesterday was one of those days. So, after I completed my morning walk, I bundled up and grabbed my cameras and off I went. I had plenty of time, so I stopped on my favorite dirt side road off Deep Canyon to investigate some dried mud. I nearly missed the tracks in it and spotted them as I was about to leave. Upon closer investigation, I concluded they were mountain lion tracks. Hmmmm......I measured them with my foot and saw where they headed (see the shot of the tree and ROCKS). So, off I went to do horse stuff and I kept thinking about those footprints while I fed my horses as extra meal. On my way back home, I stopped at the side road again to investigate them and put my hand next to them (see photo). Unfortunately, about that time I realized that I had horse smells and horse slobber all over me and I would be a tempting meal for that very same mountain lion! Every neutron in my brain was screaming, "RUN!" butI remembered my husband's advice that he gave me once out on the Mogollon Rim. "Don't run, that's prey behavior!" so I calmly walked back to my car, realizing that, once again, I was somewhere ALONE, and nobody knew where I was...sigh...I really don't think I was in any danger. The prints were from last weekend, but this time, when I got out of the car to investigate, there WAS a very heavy cat urine smell (I know, because I have 5 cats!)...so, to be on the safe side, I decided to leave and maybe next time hubby will be with me! I'm grateful that I did have the opportunity to see these prints and photo them, but next time, I do believe I'll be a little more cautious and think about my own safety. That's My World for Tuesday, December 7, 2010 and Outdoor Wednesday. And since it is so UNUSUAL to see any sign of a mountain lion, I'm also including this post for ABC Wednesday! (U for unusual). To see other ABC participants, please visit: http://abcwednesdayround3.blogspot.com/. To see other Outdoor Wednesday participants, please visit: http://asoutherndaydreamer.blogspot.com/ Oh, no! Don't worry about the horses. They are about 12 miles away from this area and they are in a "peopled" area with lots of dogs around!

Looking toward Deep Canyon~Scenic Sunday 120510

I took this photo over a week ago, looking up toward Deep Canyon, after a recent dusting of snow on the mountains above it. I board my 5 horses up there. Their area didn't get any snow, as they are at 4,000 feet, but about 500 feet above them, there was snow. I haven't had the time or energy to walk much lately, since my recent bout with bronchitis, but I did get out and walk yesterday morning only for 15 minutes. I'm hoping to do a little more today! Who knows what views I'll see this morning! Scenic Sunday for December 5, 2010.

Sunrise at the base of Deep Canyon~Looking at the Sky on Friday 120310

A beautiful morning on one of my walks. I love my morning walks, but I've been sick with bronchitis and I haven't walked for a week. I wasn't able to breathe the last time I went out (Thanksgiving Day). I ended up in urgent care. We've had freezing mornings here and I'm hoping that tomorrow it will be warm enough for me to get out and W-A-L-K!!! I've gone through my Z-pack and I can once again breathe! Looking at the Sky on Friday for December 3, 2010.

A tale of a hawk and a raven~Nature Notes 120210

As I was out for my morning walk one morning, I looked up and saw a large hawk above me. I grabbed my camera and began shooting pics of it. A raven swooped nearby and started chasing the hawk. You can't see it, but another raven quickly joined the first one and away they all went! I'm not sure what all that was about, so maybe somebody could enlighten me? Was this a territorial display? Or, did the hawk venture too close to a raven nest? It was quite a display! And, they quickly disappeared into the nearby hills and out of my vision. Nature Notes for December 2, 2010.

Santa Rosa Mountain~Outdoor Wednesday 120110

This is Santa Rosa mountain, which is at the end of the trail, about which I posted yesterday and she stands silently above Deep Canyon. There are no roads up to the top, although if you click on the photo to enlarge it, you can see one at the bottom. I'm not sure if that is yesterday's road, since I've never driven the 10 miles to the cabin at the end. It probably is on Indian land, so it could be an access road to some remote homes up on the side of the mountain. The mountain just had a dusting of snow on Saturday night and I drove up Sunday morning to give my horses an extra meal. Many people from the desert frequently take their children along Highway 74 to play in the snow after a mountain storm and I expect to see them over the winter. Sometimes I stop and play, too! :-) Outdoor Wednesday for December 1, 2010.