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Sunday, February 22, 2009

Exploring the Hillside

While I was working in my vegetable garden yesterday I heard a rustling sound on the hillside above and looked up there to see....



Do you see them perched on the fallen limb of the Oak?

I crept up the hillside with my camera.

I got a close as I could until they started getting nervous about me.

It's a couple of Turkey Vultures.

I went back down to the garden after this shot.

After they left I went up to see if there was anything there.

The deer like to spend the night under this tree.

I was a little wary of what I might find...

I was happy to find nothing other than limbs that had fallen last winter.

There's a good view of the vegetable garden from up there.

And a nice view across the valley.

Fungi are at work on the dead parts of the oak.

I thought this was an interesting seed thingy.

But it actually turned out to be a downy feather
stuck to an old leaf.

A white Shooting Star

There's a nice patch of Shooting Stars further over.

It's the time of year when you can get a permit
to burn brush and tree trimmings.
There were little plumes of smoke up and down the valley.

The Shooting Stars come in various colors.

So pretty!

I saw the first Blue Dicks blossom!
(Dichelostemma capitatum).

10 comments:

  1. Love the shooting stars photos. Glad the vultures were up to nothing, I had seen some vultures in the woods one time, had to call the sheriff, it was real bad.

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  2. Oh, I love the vultures! Yes, I agree it's sometimes not a pleasant sight how they have their meals laid out, but that's what they do. And let's not forget that most humans eat dead things, they just put them on a plate (as in: "I like my steak rare")....
    And yes, the shooting stars are very pretty! Isn't it great we finally had some rain?

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  3. The shooting stars are beautiful!

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  4. The turkey vultures actually let you get quite close! We have wild turkeys around our farm.
    Those shooting stars are so pretty, and what an interesting fungus.

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  5. Randy, we do have coyotes and mountain lions around here.... I was afraid of finding "leftovers".

    Town Mouse, I don't mind that they do what they do, I just don't want it too close to home! The rain has been wonderful and it's so nice to see the hills getting green.

    Jan & Steve, they are one of my favorite wild flowers so it's nice to have them in my "backyard".

    Kerri, I was surprised at how close they let me get to them. They are amazing birds. I love to watch them soar....

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  6. What an interesting combination: the memento mori of the turkey vultures, and the delight of the shooting stars!

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  7. Daffodil, Isn't it amazing what mother nature presents us with at times?

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  8. Beautiful picture Michelle, although I don't like the vultures, the flowers on the other hand are gorgeous. Shootning star nice name to a beautiful flower.

    Take care/ Tyra

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  9. Ah, now I understand! Yes, I don't want the vulture's dinner on my front porch or anywhere close either.

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  10. I agree with you about the shooting stars - they look lovely. Wow, wasn't it exciting to discover vultures! You got lucky, I'd say.

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