Monday, May 14, 2007

Jungle Jim and Jane

Matt and I both think of ourselves as kind of nature people. We watch a lot of programs on the Discovery Channel, and Matt has a near-encyclopedic knowledge of animals, insects and undersea creatures. But of course as New Yorkers, we have not had much chance to encounter actual living things other than rats in the subway. During the last three days in the desert, however, we've had all too many run-ins with "nature," which all have wildly challenged our self-image as nature people.

Roaches seem to have chosen my father's home as their summer vacation destination. Matt and I have seen no fewer than six monster-sized roaches, and have had two epic, multi-phase, mulit-weapon battles with them, which include Off, Windex, several shoes and lots of primal screaming. In addition, we have been taking long lovely walks on the walking trail behind Dad's house. It offers beautiful views of the valley, a bit of exercise and, of course, more nature. We have seen roadrunners, quail, a bunny -- and we witnessed one bird of prey kill a mouse and fly off with it. We also spend much of the walk swatting at insects, cowering from bees and generally being fascinated by and frightened of every buzzing, flying, swooping thing that comes near us.

This morning, while we drank coffee outside, a humming bird came to drink the nectar of a plant that hangs directly next to the table where we were sitting. We were a foot away as it flapped its wings madly and used its little tail for balance. We could literally feel the wind from its wings. I've never been so close to a humming bird. The experience turned us back into nature people (though I was bitten by a bug while we sat there!)

1 comment:

carol said...

I hate fucking hummingbirds..
they scare the bejesus out of me..
One summer from hell I was a camp nurse in Colorado and there were these HB feeders everywhere...
I'd be sitting there minding my own business and I'd hear their swopping
beady little helicopters bodies ready to get in my hair and hit me in the face..