Another nature walk

When walking around the campo now, you could be forgiven for thinking that everything is dead, parched dry and brown by long days of hot sun. But if you take a look there is still a lot of life to be seen. As I walked the dogs this morning I was surprised to see quite a few flowers in bloom. There are still pretty patches of blue chickory, a new batch of pink convolvulous, yellow thistles, and some healthy green plants with small yellow daisies on them. Of course none of them are anything like as showy as they were earlier in the year, just after the rain, but they are there none the less, battling bravely on against the heat. But the thing that facinates me most is the snails. You would think that in such an arid landscape, snails couldn't possibly survive, but somehow they do. I don't know what you call it, but they do the opposite of hibernating. i.e. they go to sleep for the summer. During the rainy months they emerged to feed and presumably lay eggs, but now they just cling to every blade of grass and stalk, cacti leaves, and even a rusty old road sign. They pile up on one another, and bleached white in the sun, they just stay there until the next season's rain wakes them up again. It is quite extraordinary to see them. Here are just a few of the ones I saw this morning.(Click on image to enlarge it, then on the 'back' button to return to this page).

Some of you know that we have a lovely purple bourganvillia shrub, rambling along the fence outside the kitchen door. What you may not realise is that amid the beautiful coloured bracts, there are some vicious thorns. While sweeping up the side yard the other day I managed to get a branch wrapped around my neck and untangling myself was somewhat painful, so I got out the shears and gave it a severe pruning. It is a rapid grower and it needs to be cut back regularly, to keep it under control. As I chopped off one branch this bug fell onto me. It is a bit like a green ladybird, and I thought it was so pretty that I took a picture of it to show you.

And finally here is another picture of Arwen and Baggins. They are settling in well. They both eat quite well, so hopefully they will soon gain some weight. I still keep them in my room most of the time, but in the evenings I leave the connecting doors open and the kittens come down to say 'Hello'. Last night the dog, (Chico), came down as well and they all seemed to tolerate one another really well. There were a few grumbles, but no fur flying and no-one hid away, so it looks promising that they will fit in here quite happily. Already they are looking a lot more relaxed aren't they?

Hello Hobbits!

A few weeks ago I introduced you to Luna, my little tabby kitten, who joined us to 'even up the score'. Well I came close to making it uneven again this week, because my vet knows me very well, so when, early this week, she had an unwanted Persian boy dumped on her, who did she ring? Me, of course! I went to see him, and as I stroked his head he went limp and rolled over to have his belly rubbed. It was love at first sight and I knew I had to give him a home. Then, the next day, she called me in to see his mother. She was desperate to home her because otherwise she would have been taken back by the owner, who had used her to breed several litters in quick succession, and now no longer wanted her. She had to be rescued, so for now I have them both, with the proviso that if they haven't settled with the other animals within a month, they will try to rehome the mother elsewhere.

Both cats are severely malnourished, with all their bones sticking out. The mother must have had tangles in her fur because it has been chopped off very badly. It looks as though someone went at her with a knife and fork! Both were covered in fleas and had ear-mites, and the boy had old scabs on his head. They stayed at the vets until both had been neutered and treated for their various skin problems, and this morning I brought them home. They are in isolation at the moment, just while they settle in and get used to me. The others are all fine now, with Paco and the kittens all sleeping together, and all of them happily sitting out with the dogs in the afternoons, so I am hoping these will settle down the same. The mother is three and a half and the boy, two years, so they are not very old, and hopefully will integrate just fine. I chose names for them both from that wonderful saga 'Lord of the Rings'. The boy I have named Bilbo Baggins, (we'll just call him Baggins) after the hobbit who is the hero of the tale. It seemed to suit him, because he is one of those cats who is so relaxed he feels as though he has no bones (A bit like Dorothy's Beezer for those who know him). His mother I have named Arwen who was the Princess of Rivendale in Book I. She is a scraggy little thing right now, but given enough TLC I think she will make a beautiful princess one day.

The vet has promised not to phone me next time she gets a 'Special' brought in. I told her, "From now on, it's off the hook!"