Desert Messenger

16 www.DesertMessenger.com April 20, 2016 Read Desert MESSENGER ONLINE @ www.MyQuartzsite.com Traveling with Gypsy Jane by Jane Finley writer * artist * teacher (stretching, exercise, relaxation, meditation) What I LOVE about... Quartzsite 4/11/16 RABBITS: * Most of all, the "jumping" game. Two rabbits will face each other, being quite still for several min- utes. Then one will jump high in the air; then the second one will do the same. They will do this for a while, until they get bored I sup- pose, and then one will chase the other one at breakneck speed until they disappear from sight. * My second favorite is when a rabbit will dig a shallow hole in the dirt, especially on hot days and always in a place I have watered. Then it will all of a sudden plop down and stretch out its long body, taking advantage of the shade and the relative coolness of the dirt. * Watching them nibble slowly at a piece of bread, taking especially small bites until it's gone. * How they sit on their haunches and wash that faces using both paws. * Discovering how much rab- bits love corn on the cob, eating it for days until only the dry cob remains. HOUSE WRENS: * How they build nests each year in my porch rafters, continually fl ying in and out with food for their babies. * The ongoing peep, peep, peep of their young, mouths always open begging for food. * The way they hop, hop, hop around my yard when looking for food. * The way they'll go right up to a dove eating a piece of bread and steal it from under its nose (beak). QUAILS: * The whole quail family traipsing through my yard: Mama, Papa, and tiny, tiny babies too fast and numerous to count. * The beautiful coat of the male quail. Most other desert creatures tend to blend in with the brownish desert terrain. * The speed of their walk, just put- ting one foot in front of the other, almost too fast for the eye to see. * Their distinctive voice, one of the few I can identify. * Their assertive, in-charge behavior when looking for food. DOVES: * Their distinctive coo, coo, coo and its calming effect, one of the few bird voices I can identify. * How they seem to know my sched- ule and wait patiently in my yard for bread crumbs and even prance back and forth across my deck as if to remind me it's feeding time. * The to-and-front movement of their heads with each step they take. * They are my most frequent and numerous visitors. WOODPECKERS: * Equaling the quail in the beauty of the male's coat -- that beautiful bright red streak. * The perfectly round holes they peck in my new siding (NOT!) ROAD RUNNERS: * Their rarity, which makes their sighting so special! * The up-and-down movement of their long, spectacular tail every time they stop. COYOTES: * Their night-time coyote chorus * Their elusiveness; their shyness; their wariness. * Their loping gait. * Their bone-thin bodies. * Their sense of freedom! LIZARDS: * Their speed! First you see them; then you don't. * The individual differences in ap- pearance and size. * The scariness of the horned toad! SNAKES: * Always the last animal I men- tion because though fascinating, they're scary and can be danger- ous. Two people I know were bit- ten by a rattle snake (and lived). I remember the time I opened my front door to fi nd a snake right in front of me. Gone, of course, by the time the authorities arrived. Another night I heard a strange sound by my camper, ignored it, then heard it again. Less than three feet away was a huge, coiled rattler. Needless to say, I jumped back on my porch. I am amazed how I forget about them and need these scary reminders to be more aware ALWAYS. ANTS: No Comment! Forgive me, wildlife friend, if I left you out by mistake and please know the great JOY you bring to my life every single day! *~*~*~*~* "But ask the animals, and they will teach you; or the birds of the air, and they will teach you; or speak to the earth, and it will teach you; or let the fi sh of the sea inform you." *~*~*~*~* Jane's book is WANDERINGS: Living the Ordinary Extraordinari- ly (Stories from the Road). For an update on Jane's travels and writ- ing, visit her website (janefi nley. com) and/or read "Traveling with Gypsy Jane" and "Poems from the Road" in The Desert Messenger (desertmessenger.com) begin- ning March 5, 2014. (contact: janefi nley@yahoo,com) Dave Boatwright retiring? Dave Boatwright's retirement party will be April 28th at the Parker Senior Center 4:30pm to 7:30pm. Boatwright, of the La Paz County Health Dept., has issued hundreds of Food Handler Cards to volunteers, food servers and vendors over the years. The Environmental Health Divi- sion of the La Paz County Health Department provides a variety of services to the Community, and places high priority on consumer protection. Environmental Health Offi cers conduct routine inspec- tions and complaint investigations related to environmental health matters in all food establishments, schools, swimming pools and spas, public accommodations, mobile home and recreational vehicle parks, campgrounds and other rec- reational facilities. Be sure to stop in and show your gratitude for his service to this community. Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain

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